Noreen Evans

Noreen Marie Evans (born April 22, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician who was a member of the California State Senate.[2] As a Democrat, she represented the 2nd district, encompassing Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake and Napa counties, as well as parts of Sonoma and Solano counties.

Noreen Evans
Member of the California State Senate
from the 2nd district
In office
December 6, 2010 – November 30, 2014
Preceded byPat Wiggins
Succeeded byMike McGuire
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 7th district
In office
December 6, 2004 – December 6, 2010
Preceded byPat Wiggins
Succeeded byMichael Allen
Member of the Santa Rosa City Council
In office
2000–2004
In office
1996–2000
Personal details
Born
Noreen Marie Evans[1]

(1955-04-22) April 22, 1955
Livermore, California
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceSanta Rosa, California
Alma materCalifornia State University, Sacramento
University of the Pacific
OccupationAttorney

Early life and education

Evans attended California State University, Sacramento, graduating in 1978 with an undergraduate degree in government. She then attended the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, graduating with a J.D. in 1981.[3]

Career

Private law

In 1982, Evans was admitted to the California bar.[4] After graduation, she studied international business at the University of Salzburg and worked in Ireland at a Dublin firm of solicitors.[5] In the United States, she practiced law as a civil litigator, arguing cases before both trial and appellate courts.[6] She was a litigation partner in the Santa Rosa law firm of O’Brien, Watters, & Davis, and then an attorney with the Santa Rosa law firm Lanahan & Reilley, LLP. She was admitted to practice in various federal district courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.[7]

Political

Evans began her political career in 1996, when she was elected to the Santa Rosa City Council.[8] In March 2000 she lost to incumbent Tim Smith in a primary contest for the 3rd District seat on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, 52% to 48%.[9] In November 2000 she was reelected to the city council.

When Evans completed her second city council term in 2004, the 7th Assembly District seat in the California State Assembly was open, because the incumbent, Pat Wiggins, was barred by term limits from seeking reelection. Evans ran for the seat and was elected in November 2004,[10] and was re-elected in 2006 without facing any opposition.[11] She was re-elected in 2008; in 2010 she was barred by term limits from seeking reelection.

In August 2009, Wiggins, who had been elected to the State Senate in 2006, announced that she would not run for re-election in 2010.[12] Evans ran for the seat being vacated, and was nominated in June 2010 as the Democratic candidate.[13] She won the general election in November 2010.

Evans is the chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary Committee, which also includes a seat on the Judicial Council, the policy making body for all California courts. She also chairs the Senate Select Committee on Wine and the Senate Select Committee on Food: Local, Organic, and Sustainable Systems.

On August 12, 2013, Evans announced that she would not be a candidate for reelection and that she would return to private law practice.[14]

In January 2016 Evans entered the race for supervisor in Sonoma County's 5th District.[15] However, she was defeated by organic farmer Lynda Hopkins 23,259 votes to 19,601.

References
  1. California Birth Index
  2. Noreen Evans. California Senate District 2, 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  3. "Noreen Evans, California State Senator, Year Graduated: 1981". University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  4. http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/102385
  5. "Noreen Evans to speak at Current Events Forum". Kenwood Press. November 15, 2005. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  6. http://sd02.senate.ca.gov/biography
  7. "Legislator Profile: Assembly Member Noreen Evans" (PDF). The Capital Connection. February 2005. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  8. "Election Results - Sonoma County". San Francisco Chronicle. November 7, 1996.
  9. "March 7, 2000 Election, County Supervisor; County of Sonoma; Supervisorial District 3". League of Women Voters. March 21, 2000. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  10. R. V. Scheide (November 10–16, 2004). "Democrats Fight Back; North Bay politicos weigh in on divisive election and what comes next". North Bay Bohemian.
  11. Rachel Raskin-Zrihen (November 8, 2006). "Veteran Democrats take California races". Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA).
  12. Procter, Richard (August 24, 2009). "Wiggins will not seek re-election, cites health". San Francisco Chronicle.
  13. "Open CA legislative seats provide measure of drama". San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. June 8, 2010.
  15. Angela Hart, "Evans enters District 5 contest," Press Democrat, January 14, 2016, pp. A1, A6.
California Senate
Preceded by
Pat Wiggins		 Member of the California State Senate
2nd District
2010 – 2014		 Succeeded by
Mike McGuire
California Assembly
Preceded by
Pat Wiggins		 Member of the California State Assembly
7th District
2004–2010		 Succeeded by
Michael Allen
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