Candidate for
United States Representative; District 53

Biography of Congresswoman Susan A. Davis

In 2000, Susan A. Davis was elected to represent California's 49th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives after upsetting a three-term incumbent. Now running for re-election in the newly re-drawn 53rd district, an area encompassing much of the heart of the City of San Diego, as well as Imperial Beach, Coronado, Lemon Grove, and La Presa, Susan hopes to continue representing San Diego's priorities in Congress.

Susan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and grew up in Richmond, California. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in sociology and then went on to earn a master's degree in social work from the University of North Carolina.

After graduation, Susan learned firsthand about the unique experiences of military families. She and her husband, Steve, were stationed in Japan with their two children, Jeffery and Benjamin, while Steve served as a doctor in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.

In 1983, Susan's desire to improve our local schools compelled her to run for a seat on the San Diego School Board, where she served as President or Vice-President for five years of her nine-year tenure. Susan continued her close involvement with San Diego youth as the first Executive Director of the Aaron Price Fellows Program, a program designed to teach leadership and citizenship skills to multi-ethnic high school students.

In 1994, Susan was elected to the California State Assembly. During her six-year tenure in the Assembly, Susan authored several pieces of landmark legislation, including the law that requires HMOs to give women direct access to their OB/GYN, and the laws that made it easier to dismiss poorly performing teachers and reward teachers who demonstrate excellence in classroom instruction.

Now in Congress, Susan proudly represents San Diego's interests on the House Armed Services, the Veteran's Affairs, and the Education and the Workforce Committees. Building on her success at the state level, Susan has advocated for a patients' bill of rights, sound environmental policies, and education reform that stresses accountability and improves teacher quality.

Listening to the needs of San Diego's communities continues to be Susan's number one priority. In order to keep in touch, she hosts neighborhood days in every area of her district, allowing constituents to meet with her and discuss their concerns within their own community. By regularly shuttling between Washington, DC and San Diego, Susan translates the concerns of her constituents back home into sensible legislation that will solve problems and improve lives.

Susan and Steve have been married for 33 years and have lived in San Diego since 1972. The newest addition to the family, Susan's first grandchild Henry Sloane Davis, was born just last year.