28 Facts About Gayle McLaughlin

Gayle McLaughlin was born on 1952 and is an American politician from Richmond, California.

Gayle McLaughlin was first elected to the Richmond City Council in 2004 when she was a member of the Green Party of California.

Gayle McLaughlin won two consecutive four-year terms as the city's mayor in 2006 and 2010.

Gayle McLaughlin has advocated for a minimum wage increase and a plan to forcibly appropriate foreclosed home mortgages from banks.

Gayle McLaughlin has led an ongoing effort to restrict the municipal influence of Richmond's largest employer, the Chevron Corporation, and to refashion its environmental obligations.

Gayle McLaughlin was born into a working class family in Chicago.

Gayle McLaughlin continues to work as a social activist in the peace, social justice, civil rights, and environmental movements.

Gayle McLaughlin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Bridgewater State University and took graduate courses in psychology and education at Rhode Island College and UC Berkeley Extension.

Gayle McLaughlin has worked in the capacity of support staff for various not-for-profit health and educational organizations.

Gayle McLaughlin is a founder of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, a non-partisan progressive group in western Contra Costa County, composed of members of the Green Party, Democratic Party, and the Peace and Freedom Party, as well as independent voters.

In Richmond, Gayle McLaughlin's activism has found her involved in many local struggles in support of both social and environmental justice.

Gayle McLaughlin opposed the Patriot Act, the criminalization of the homeless, and Chevron's Richmond Refinery tax perks.

Gayle McLaughlin has been involved in an ongoing effort to stop development on the North Richmond shoreline and supports the Service Employees International Union.

In 2006, Gayle McLaughlin decided to challenge Richmond's incumbent mayor Irma Anderson.

Gayle McLaughlin was elected on November 7,2006 by a 242-vote margin over Anderson.

Gayle McLaughlin won a second term in office in the 2010 municipal election.

Gayle McLaughlin overcame a well-funded offensive to unseat her during the re-election campaign.

From early in her career, Gayle McLaughlin gave tangible governmental support to workers' cooperatives as a means of fighting unemployment.

Gayle McLaughlin was a strong proponent of Measure N, a proposed municipal soda tax that was met by determined, well-funded resistance from the American Beverage Association and other business interests.

Gayle McLaughlin spearheaded a 2014 effort to raise Richmond's local minimum wage to US$12.30 per hour.

Gayle McLaughlin was criticized for attending an Occupy rally on Veterans Day of 2011 instead of a symbolic ship-launching portrayal at the former Richmond Shipyards.

Gayle McLaughlin stated she was a supporter of Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Gayle McLaughlin mounted a unique and highly controversial effort to gain control of the mortgages.

Undaunted, Gayle McLaughlin told the press in August 2013 that her administration was confident that it would prevail in court against the banks.

Gayle McLaughlin herself was not up for reelection that year, but strongly supported the two RPA candidates with whom she shared progressive values.

Gayle McLaughlin was nonetheless elected to the City Council in 2014 and served in this role until July 18,2017, when she resigned to seek a higher political office.

In 2016, Gayle McLaughlin changed her political party registration from Green Party to NPP so she could vote for US Senator Bernie Sanders in the California presidential primary.

In June 2017, Gayle McLaughlin declared her candidacy for lieutenant governor in the California lieutenant gubernatorial election of 2018.