Laura Friedman Bio
Laura Syril Friedman (born December 3, 1966) is an American politician and former film producer who serves as the United States representative for California’s 30th congressional district. A Democrat, she previously represented California’s 44th State Assembly district from 2016 to 2024. Before entering politics, Friedman worked in film development in Hollywood and built an online art glass business.
During her career in the California State Assembly, Friedman authored high-profile legislation on housing, animal welfare, and infrastructure. She is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and resides in Glendale, California, where she previously served on the Glendale City Council and as mayor.
Early Life and Background
Laura Syril Friedman was born on December 3, 1966, in New York City, New York, and grew up in a Jewish family in the state of New York. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester in New York, completing her undergraduate education before relocating to the West Coast to pursue a career in entertainment.
In 1992, shortly after finishing her studies, Friedman moved to Hollywood to enter the film industry. She later relocated to Glendale, California, in 2000, the city that has remained her home and the base of her political career.
Path to US Politics
After more than a decade working in film development and producing, Friedman shifted her focus to civic life in Glendale. She was elected to the Glendale City Council, where she served from 2009 to 2016, representing her community on local issues ranging from land use to transportation.
In April 2011, Friedman became the mayor of Glendale, California, serving in that role until 2012. Her time on the council and as mayor established her reputation as a policy-oriented local leader and prepared the ground for her move to state-level office in 2016.
Laura Friedman Career
Early Career (1992-2000)
Friedman began her professional life in Hollywood after moving from New York in 1992. Between 1994 and 1997, she served as vice president of development at Rysher Entertainment, where she oversaw the production of approximately ten feature films each year along with a slate of television programming.
In 1995, Friedman was co-producer of the Warner Brothers release It Takes Two. The following year, 1996, she took on multiple producing roles, including executive producer of Foxfire and the family film Zeus and Roxanne, and associate producer of House Arrest and the independent film Aberration. From 1998 to 1999, she was vice president of development at the Cort/Madden Company, and since 2000 she has owned and managed PlanetGlass.net, a web-based art glass dealership.
Glendale and California State Assembly (2009-2024)
Friedman’s political breakthrough came with her election to the Glendale City Council in 2009, followed by her tenure as mayor of Glendale from 2011 to 2012. In 2016, she won election to the California State Assembly, representing the 44th district, and she held that seat through 2024.
During her Assembly tenure, Friedman authored several landmark bills. In 2019, she authored legislation supported by animal rights organizations to prohibit the sale of new fur products in California; the bill was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2019, making California the first state to ban fur sales. In 2022, she authored a bill to eliminate minimum parking requirements for housing near mass transit stations, which was signed into law.
Friedman also took on major infrastructure issues. On September 7, 2021, she delayed the release of $4 billion of voter-approved bonds for the California High-Speed Rail, citing the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s lack of detailed expenditure plans. In 2024, she co-authored legislation with Assemblymember Steve Bennett to prohibit commercial octopus farming in California, enacted in September 2024. She is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.
U.S. House of Representatives (2025-Present)
In January 2023, Friedman launched her candidacy in the 2024 election for California’s 30th congressional district after the incumbent, Adam Schiff, vacated the seat to run successfully for the United States Senate. She went on to defeat physician Alex Balekian in the general election, receiving 68.4 percent of the vote.
Friedman represents California’s 30th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, bringing her experience from the California State Assembly and Glendale City Council to federal office. Her legislative priorities continue to focus on housing, environmental policy, and consumer protection.
Notable Events and Milestones
Friedman’s signature legislative achievement came in 2019, when her bill made California the first state in the nation to ban the sale of new fur products. Her 2022 law eliminating minimum parking requirements near mass transit has been cited as a model for housing reform, and her 2024 ban on commercial octopus farming positioned California as a national leader in animal welfare policy.
Laura Friedman Career Wins
Laura Syril Friedman has built a record of electoral and legislative victories spanning local office, the state legislature, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Her wins include election to the Glendale City Council in 2009, election as mayor of Glendale in 2011, election to the California State Assembly in 2016, and her 2024 election to Congress with 68.4 percent of the vote.
US Politics Highlights
Friedman served on the Glendale City Council from 2009 to 2016 and was mayor of Glendale from 2011 to 2012. She represented California’s 44th State Assembly district from 2016 to 2024 and currently represents California’s 30th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond elected office, Friedman has succeeded in passing high-impact legislation, including California’s 2019 fur sales ban, a 2022 law eliminating minimum parking requirements near mass transit, and a 2024 law banning commercial octopus farming in the state.
Laura Friedman Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Laura Syril Friedman was raised in a Jewish family in New York before relocating to California. Her path into public service was shaped by her years in Glendale, where she raised her family and built the local political base that carried her to the state Assembly and eventually to Congress.
Personal Life
Friedman is married to Guillaume Lemoine, a professional landscape designer. The couple has a daughter, Rachel, born in 2013, and the family resides in Glendale, California.