Ted Lieu Bio
Ted Win-Ping Lieu is an American lawyer, Air Force officer, and Democratic politician who has represented California in the United States House of Representatives since 2015. He served the 33rd congressional district from 2015 to 2023 and has represented the 36th congressional district since 2023, covering South Bay and Westside regions of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and the Beach Cities. A vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Lieu is also one of only a few members of Congress who are naturalized United States citizens. He is widely recognized for his work on technology, national security, and civil liberties policy.
Early Life and Background
Ted Win-Ping Lieu was born on March 29, 1969, in Taipei, Taiwan. His family immigrated to the United States when he was three years old, settling in Cleveland, Ohio, where he spent his formative years. He later moved to the San Francisco Bay Area for college and built his legal and political career in California.
Lieu graduated from Saint Ignatius High School in 1987. He then attended Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science and a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1991. At Stanford, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. He went on to attend Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Law Journal and graduated in 1994 with a Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude.
Path to US Politics
After law school, Lieu clerked for Judge Thomas Tang of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1994 to 1995. He then joined the United States Air Force in 1995, serving four years on active duty as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. As a military prosecutor and adviser to commanders, he earned the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Lieu transitioned to elected office in 2002, when he was elected to the Torrance City Council, where he served until 2005. That same year, he won a special election to the California State Assembly for the 53rd district, launching a legislative career that would eventually take him to Washington, D.C.
Ted Lieu Career
Early Career (2002–2010)
Ted Win-Ping Lieu was elected to the Torrance City Council on March 5, 2002, alongside Mike Mauno and Pat McIntyre, and served until his election to the state assembly. On September 13, 2005, he won a special election to fill the 53rd Assembly district seat following the death of incumbent Mike Gordon, defeating three Republicans, including physician Mary Jo Ford and fellow Torrance councilman Paul Nowatka.
Lieu was reelected to the Assembly in 2006 and 2008. He chaired the Assembly Rules Committee and the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, and served on the Governmental Organization, Judiciary, and Veterans Affairs Committees. In 2010, he sought the Democratic nomination for California Attorney General, finishing fourth in the June primary that was won by Kamala Harris.
California Senate Breakthrough (2011–2014)
On February 15, 2011, Ted Win-Ping Lieu won a special election to fill the 28th Senate district seat following the death of incumbent Jenny Oropeza, defeating four Republicans, one Democrat, and two independents. During his tenure in the California State Senate, he focused on technology, veterans’ affairs, and consumer protection issues.
Lieu served in the State Senate from 2011 to 2014, building a record that positioned him for a run at federal office. His statewide name recognition and fundraising network grew considerably during this period, paving the way for his successful 2014 congressional campaign.
U.S. House of Representatives Era (2015–Present)
Ted Win-Ping Lieu entered Congress in 2015 after winning California’s 33rd congressional district seat vacated by the retiring Henry Waxman. He placed second in the June primary and defeated Republican Elan Carr in the general election. Lieu was elected alongside Grace Meng as one of two Taiwanese American members of the 114th United States Congress, and he was voted Democratic Freshman Class president by his House colleagues, succeeding Joaquín Castro.
In Congress, Lieu serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and was appointed assistant whip of the 115th Congress by House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi in 2017. He has been vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus since 2023. He also served in the Air Force Reserve from 2000 to 2021, attaining the rank of colonel in December 2015.
Notable Events and Milestones
On January 12, 2021, Ted Win-Ping Lieu was named an impeachment manager for the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Earlier, in 2017, he introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent states from forcing companies to weaken encryption, earning praise from the online privacy community. He also co-led a 2017 bill with Justin Amash to reduce funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Cannabis Eradication Program and, in 2024, voted in favor of three military aid package supplementals for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Ted Lieu Career Wins
Ted Win-Ping Lieu has built a record of electoral victories spanning local, state, and federal office since 2002, winning every race he has entered at the state and federal levels since his initial Assembly special election.
U.S. House of Representatives Highlights
Lieu has won reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives multiple times since 2015, first representing the 33rd congressional district and, after redistricting, the 36th congressional district beginning in 2023. His 2014 victory succeeded the legendary Henry Waxman, and he and Waxman are the only persons to represent the 33rd district since its creation in 1974.
Other Wins and Achievements
Before Congress, Ted Win-Ping Lieu won a 2005 California State Assembly special election, was reelected in 2006 and 2008, and won a 2011 California State Senate special election. In 2023, he was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Great Immigrants Award.
Ted Lieu Family
Family Background and Public Service
Ted Win-Ping Lieu’s family emigrated from Taiwan to the United States when he was a young child, eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio. His path from immigrant to colonel in the United States Air Force and senior member of Congress reflects a strong tradition of public service.
Personal Life
Ted Win-Ping Lieu married Betty Lieu in 2002; she is a former California deputy attorney general. The couple resides in Torrance, California, with their two sons, Brennan and Austin. Lieu is Catholic.