About Wendy
Wendy Carrillo was elected to represent California’s 51st Assembly District in a special election on December 5, 2017 and was sworn into office by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon on December 16, 2017. She represents some of the City of Los Angeles’ most historic communities including Northeast Los Angeles, Echo Park, Chinatown, all of unincorporated East Los Angeles and off course, Dodger’s Stadium. Go Blue!
In the Assembly, Wendy sits on the Appropriations, Health, Rules, Labor and Employment, Privacy and Consumer Protection and Utilities and Energy committees, and serves as the Chair of the Select-Committee on Uplifting Young Girls and Women of Color. In 2019, Wendy received Emily’s List Gabby Gifford’s Rising Star award – a highly coveted national recognition awarded to a newly elected female leader who exemplifies leadership.
Wendy Carrillo has spent her career advocating for educational opportunity, access to quality healthcare, living wage jobs and social justice. She supports quality debt free college, healthcare for all, environmental justice, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and a just transition for workers amid goals to achieve carbon neutrality highlighted by the devastating impact of Climate Change.
An award-winning journalist, Wendy has a distinguished career as a radio and digital host, writer and producer. She is the former host and executive producer of “Knowledge is Power” on KPWR Los Angeles and a founding member of the award winning Reported.ly, an award winning social media start-up covering human rights, global conflict and social movements.
Wendy Carrillo previously served as part of the communications team that supported organizing efforts for long term care workers at SEIU ULTCW (which is now part of SEIU Local 2015). Her work included fighting for fair wages for caregivers who provide seniors and people with disabilities the dignity to stay in their homes as well as better working conditions and staffing ratios for nursing home workers, for healthcare for all, wage increases, immigration reform and protecting families during the foreclosure crisis.
Wendy arrived to the Eastside of Los Angeles after fleeing the civil war in El Salvador. From the ages of 5-13, she was undocumented, but was able to receive residency and later, became a citizen in her early 20’s. Her parents taught her to work hard and to be committed to the community that helped raise her.
Wendy grew up in Boyle Heights and City Terrace, is the eldest of five daughters, a first generation American and is a proud graduate of local public schools including Harrison Elementary, El Sereno Middle School and Roosevelt High School. She attended East Los Angeles College, California State University Los Angeles, where she earned her BA in Rhetorical Communications and the University of Southern California, where she earned her MA in Demography and Politics.
Fun fact: Wendy won her first campaign in 10th grade when she was elected to serve as Class President at Roosevelt High School. She also has an adorable dog named Lulu.