Jim Beall (California politician)

Jim Beall

Beall in 2011
Member of the California State Senate
from the 15th district
Assumed office
December 3, 2012
Preceded by Elaine Alquist (redistricted)
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 24th district
In office
December 4, 2006  November 30, 2012
Preceded by Rebecca Cohn
Succeeded by Rich Gordon
Member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors from the 4th District
In office
December 5, 1994  December 4, 2006
Preceded by Rod Diridon
Succeeded by Ken Yeager
Personal details
Born James Thomas Beall, Jr.
(1952-12-07) December 7, 1952
San Jose, California
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Pat Lafkas
Residence San Jose, California
Alma mater San Jose State University

James Thomas "Jim" Beall, Jr. (born December 7, 1951) is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 15th Senate District, which encompasses the South Bay and Silicon Valley.

Prior to being elected to the State Senate in 2012, Beall served as a member of the California State Assembly representing the 24th Assembly District. Before his time in the Legislature, he served a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, as well as a member of the San Jose City Council.

Local government

Beall served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors from 1994 until 2006, prior to which he served 14 years on the San Jose City Council. As a councilman and county supervisor, Beall served two decades on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, where he lobbied commissioners to select the extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system to San Jose as a top priority project, enabling it to eventually receive $900 million in federal funding. In the spring of 2012, Valley Transportation Authority and BART officials broke ground on the extension.

2012 elections

In 2011, Beall announced his candidacy for the new District 15 seat of the California State Senate. He won the June 2012 primary election, finishing more than 11 percent ahead of his opponent, fellow Democrat Joe Coto, and again in the general election in November 2012, defeating Coto 57% to 42%..

Personal life

On July 9, 1983, he and Patricia F. "Pat" Lafkas were married. He has two stepsons, Gregory B. Chubb (born November 7, 1967) and Mark J. Chubb (born June 16, 1970). Beall is a vegetarian.[1] Beall Jr. also graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Political Science.[2]

Awards

Notes

  1. Thomas, Mat (October 2010). "Meat-Free Politicians". VegNews. San Francisco: Joseph Connelly. Archived from the original on 2011-04-18. Retrieved 2011-04-18. Jim Beall may look like he routinely scarfs down steaks at every meal, but no—he's been meatless since 1993.
  2. "SJSU Distinguished Alumni". sjsu.edu. Retrieved 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
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