Nancy Skinner

In the 2017–2018 and 2019–2020 legislative sessions, she served as the Majority Whip of the state Senate. In the 2019 legislative session, she chaired the state Senate's Public Safety committee.

Prior to her election to the State Senate in 2016, Skinner was a member of the California State Assembly representing California's 15th State Assembly district from 2008 to 2014. She also served as a member of the East Bay Regional Park Board, representing Ward 1 from 2006 to 2008. Skinner was a member of the Berkeley City Council from 1984 to 1992; she was the only student ever elected to the Berkeley City Council, until Rigel Robinson got elected in 2018. She had previously founded and worked for several non-profit groups on global warming and other issues related to environmental policy.

In 2016, Skinner ran for the California State Senate to replace Senator Loni Hancock, who was termed-out of office in 2016. Skinner won the June 2016 Primary Election by over 17%. The General Election for Senate District 9 took place on November 8, 2016. Skinner defeated Assemblyman Sandré Swanson and was elected to represent state Senate District 9. She was sworn into office on December 5, 2016.

After serving on the City Council, Skinner served in leadership capacities for several nonprofit organizations concerning the environment. She co-founded ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability, a coalition of 800 global cities, and Cities for Climate Protection with 500 U.S. member cities, to assist urban regions with environmental and global warming policy, respectively. She was the U.S. director of The Climate Group, an international organization that works with businesses to address global warming. She also coauthored the best selling book series, Fifty Things You Can Do to Save the Earth and has written a pair of articles concerning global warming for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Skinner was appointed to the East Bay Regional Park Board of Directors in March 2006 to fill a vacancy due to the death of incumbent Jean Siri. She was appointed by a 6–0 vote and was selected over several other candidates for the position, including former Berkeley mayor Shirley Dean. Skinner was then elected to the East Bay Regional Park Board in 2006 with 84% of the vote. Her park district included parts of Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Kensington, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole & Oakland.

Skinner was considered a likely candidate for the California state Assembly as early as 2006 and had previously considered a run in 2002. She ultimately announced her candidacy in late January 2008. She defeated several opponents in the primary election; the most well-known of which included Richmond City Councilman Tony Thurmond, Berkeley City Councilman Kriss Worthington, and Berkeley resident Dr. Phil Polakoff. She was elected to the State Assembly in 2008 and re-elected in 2010 and 2012.

Skinner coordinated Loni Hancock's 2002 State Assembly campaign and was a Field Manager for Barbara Lee's 2002 Congressional campaign. She has worked for the campaigns of several local, state, and national democratic candidates, including presidential candidates Al Gore and John Kerry.

Skinner was elected to the Berkeley City Council while still a student and served from 1984 to 1992. She remains the only student ever elected to the City Council. During her time on the council, she helped establish McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, pushed for Berkeley to become the first city in the United States to have a 50% recycling goal, and authored legislation to ban Styrofoam at fast food businesses, the first such legislation in the United States.

Nancy Skinner (born August 12, 1954) is an American politician and a member of the California State Senate. A Democrat, she represents California's 9th State Senate district, encompassing the East Bay.