As a Jewish lesbian in the California Assembly, Carole Migden will be a minority voice on two counts.
About 10 percent of the assembly is Jewish. Only one other assembly member, Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), is openly lesbian.
Migden, the newest member of the assembly, considers it her duty to educate fellow assembly members on issues of concern to both groups.
As a Jew, “it’s a matter of building awareness and attunement and sensitivity to our issues,” said Migden, who was sworn to serve the 13th District late last month. “As a lesbian, I will join Sheila Kuehl and will endeavor to promote awareness and understanding.”
Migden may have already taken a step in that direction. She and East Bay attorney Cristina Arguedas, Migden’s partner of 10 years, are now listed as spouses in the Capitol Inquiry, a directory of members of the legislature. This marks the first time a lesbian or gay man has listed a spouse in the publication.
In some cases, Jewish and gay concerns overlap, stressed Migden, a tough-talking former San Francisco County supervisor elected to serve the remaining nine months of Mayor Willie Brown’s term.
Take hate crimes, whose perpetrators are often equally intolerant of gays and Jews.
“I think we have to smoke out anti-Semitism,” the Democratic assemblywoman said. “People are more comfortable being forthright about their homophobia than they are about their anti-Semitism, which is just a thin layer beneath their hatred of lesbians and gays.”
Migden — a former New Yorker often described as pragmatic, brassy, energetic and ambitious — steers clear of specifics on accomplishing such goals. For now, the 47-year-old politician is busy acquainting herself with her fellow assembly members and their districts. She is also setting up her office and part-time home in Sacramento, where she will spend the first half of every week.
“I say this without a bid for sympathy; I’m a kid moving in the middle of the school year,” she said. “I’m not part of a new class.”
Migden is still waiting for a committee assignment. Though she hesitates to predict where she might land, it is likely to be in one of her areas of particular interest — financial and budgetary matters, health care, environmental protection and public education.
One thing Migden does predict is that come November, she will be giving her all to help fellow assembly Democrats capture a majority in the legislative body. Republicans currently enjoy a narrow majority status.
“Both sides will be engaged in zealous, competitive campaigning efforts to win the majority in November,” Migden predicted.
She herself will not have to worry about re-election, since along with being elected to fill the former mayor’s seat last month, she simultaneously won the primary election for the two-year term beginning next year in the San Francisco district. There is no Republican challenger.
Has “Da Mayor” offered her any advice? “He said be prepared, be myself, work hard, and that he had full confidence in my capabilities.”