San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who is running unopposed for the state’s 13th Assembly District, claimed an easy victory in the June 3 primary. Ammiano will be replacing Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) who has his sight set on Carole Migden’s (D-San Francisco) 3rd District Senate seat. Both Ammiano and Leno are expected to win their respective districts in the November general election.

Ammiano, a long-time San Francisco Democratic leader, has served nearly three decades as a teacher, civil rights leader, educator and city-wide supervisor. He was first elected to the San Francisco school board in 1990, where he served until 1994. He was then elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and served as President from 1998 to 2002. Ammiano, who is openly gay, will help strengthen the legislative LGBT caucus, ensuring that it will not fold in the coming year. Once as large as six members, it has recently seen its ranks decrease to four.

Among his accomplishments on the Board of Supervisors is the creation of the San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance, which was passed by a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors and signed by Mayor Gavin Newsom on August 7, 2006. This made San Francisco the first city in the nation to provide universal healthcare access. Aside from his teaching and political activities, Tom Ammiano has also been a stand-up comedian since 1980.

Born in New Jersey, Ammiano earned his bachelor’s from Seton Hall and his Master’s Degree in Special Education from San Francisco State University. He is endorsed by the entire San Francisco delegation, including State Senator Leland Yee, State Senator Carole Migden, Assemblyman Mark Leno and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma.