Emilio J. Huerta is a lifelong resident of the Central Valley and lives in Bakersfield, California. Emilio witnessed firsthand the organizing leadership his mother Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, while learning to appreciate the value of committing to a life of service to others. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from California State University Bakersfield and a Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. As a Civil rights attorney he has dedicated his more than 20- career to improving the lives of working men and women.
Before attending college, he served as a labor negotiator, representing farmworkers throughout California who won their right to organize and collectively bargain under the Agricultural Labor Relations Act. He served as a Court Appointed Child Advocate (CASA), general counsel of the Cesar Chavez Foundation, and is a national representative for the United Farm Workers union. During his career he has helped establish primary health care clinics in low-income areas in California and develop more than $400 million in affordable housing across the United States.
His daughter, Ana, continues to carry on the family tradition of service to others as an attorney whose focus is on Native American rights and issues affecting minority communities.
In Congress, Emilio will work to ensure that the people of the Central Valley have good jobs with fair wages, access to health care services and coverage, a clean and safe environment, and educational opportunities that puts their dreams and aspirations within reach.