Eleni Kounalakis is an American politician, businesswoman, and former diplomat serving as the 50th lieutenant governor of California since 2019.
13 Facts About Eleni Kounalakis
2.
Eleni Kounalakis was sworn into office on January 7,2010, and presented her credentials to President Laszlo Solyom on January 11,2010.
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Eleni Kounalakis came in first place in the June 5,2018 primary election and was elected on November 6,2018.
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Eleni Kounalakis earned her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business.
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Eleni Kounalakis served for nearly ten years as a Trustee of the World Council of Religions for Peace.
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Eleni Kounalakis served four times as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and as an at-large member of the California State Democratic Central Committee.
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Eleni Kounalakis served as a member of the First 5 California Commission, and the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism.
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Eleni Kounalakis served as a Trustee of Robert Redford's Sundance Preserve and on the Conservation Fund's National Forum on Children and Nature.
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Eleni Kounalakis is a senior advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group.
10.
Eleni Kounalakis came in first place on June 5,2018, in the top-two statewide primary; Democratic State Senator Ed Hernandez placed second.
11.
Eleni Kounalakis announced her candidacy for governor in the 2026 election on April 24,2023, exactly six years after launching her first lieutenant gubernatorial campaign.
12.
Eleni Kounalakis is the daughter of Angelo Tsakopoulos, a Sacramento developer.
13.
Eleni Kounalakis is of Greek descent and grew up a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.