Mary Salas is a California politician. She is a former California Assembly member

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 who represented the 79th Assembly District

California's 79th State Assembly district

California's 79th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Ben Hueso of San Diego.-District profile:...

, which includes the communities of National City

National City, California

National City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...

, Coronado

Coronado, California

Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...

, Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach, California

Imperial Beach is a residential beach city in San Diego County, California, with a population of 26,324 at the 2010 census. The city is the most southern beach city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States...

 and parts of Chula Vista

Chula Vista, California

Chula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....

 and San Diego. Salas was elected to her office in November 2006 on the Democratic ticket. She ran for the California State Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 in 2010 but narrowly lost the election to Juan Vargas

Juan Vargas

Juan C. Vargas is a Senator in the State of California, 40th District. He is a Democrat and former member of the California State Assembly, San Diego City Council, and Order of the Jesuits, having fought for the poor, aged, and infirmed....

. Salas is divorced and has two daughters and three grandchildren.

Before politics

Mary Salas married Sal Salas in 1967 at the age of 19. For the next 17 years, Mary Salas was a stay-at-home mom. Salas and her husband later divorced though they remained close. At the age of 37, Salas enrolled in San Diego State on her way to earning a bachelor degree in social work. Salas graduated Magna Cum Laude. In college, she became involved with MANA de San Diego, a women's organization that mentors young Latinas, which led her into city politics.

Early political career

Salas served as a member of Chula Vista's Civil Service Commission and Planning Commission. Salas became the first Latina elected to the Chula Vista City Council in 1996 and was re-elected in 2000. As a Councilwoman, she chaired the University Working Group to establish a higher education center in the region and currently co-chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee for the “San Diego County Preschool for All.” She gained a reputation as a member who was willing to speak her mind http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041202/news_6m2cvsalas.html. She fought to expand Chula Vista's participation in cultural arts. Salas was the first city councilmember to question Port Commissioner David Malcolm

David Malcolm

David Kingsley Malcolm, AC, QC is an Australian lawyer and was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia from 1988 until his retirement from the bench on 7 February 2006....

 because of a potential conflict-of-interest. Malcolm was later convicted of conflict-of-interest felony for his business dealings with Duke Energy

Duke Energy

Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...

. Salas ran for mayor against fellow city councilmember, and political ally Steve Padilla

Steve Padilla

Steve Padilla is a public policy, advocacy and communications consultant and a noted California politician. He served as Mayor of the City of Chula Vista, CA from 2002 to 2006 and as a member of the California Coastal Commission from 2005 to 2007...

 in 2002 but lost. She was termed out of city council in 2004 http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041202/news_6m2cvsalas.html. She served as a member of the Sweetwater Authority Board of Directors in 2006 http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/6423.

Assembly

Salas defeated Jean Roesch in the 2006 general election. Salas was appointed Chair of the Committee on Veterans Affairs in 2007. She also served on the following standing committees: Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy; Water, Parks and Wildlife; and the Committee on Health.

Controversy

The Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S...

reported that Salas had multiple accidents in her state-issued vehicle during her time in office, resulting in four claims costing taxpayers nearly $28,000.

External links