About Mike

Mike Honda has represented the 15th Congressional District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2001. His diverse district includes Silicon Valley, the birthplace of technology innovation and the leading region for the development of the technologies of tomorrow.

Mike was born in California, but spent his early childhood with his family in an internment camp in Colorado during World War II. His family returned to California in 1953, becoming strawberry sharecroppers in San Jose.

In 1965, Mike interrupted his college studies to answer President John F. Kennedy's call for volunteer service. He served in the Peace Corps for two years in El Salvador, returning with a passion for teaching and fluent in Spanish.

Mike earned Bachelor's degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish, and a Master's degree in Education from San José State University. In his 30 years as an educator, Mike was a science teacher, served as a principal at two public schools, and conducted educational research at Stanford University.

In 1971, then-Mayor Norm Mineta appointed Mike to San Jose's Planning Commission. In 1981, he won his first election, gaining a seat on the San José Unified School Board. In 1990, Mike was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, where he led efforts to acquire and preserve open space in the county. He served in the California State Assembly from 1996 to 2000.

In 2000, Mike was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and serves on the Appropriations Committee, with postings on that body's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Legislative Branch Subcommittees. As an appropriator, Mike focuses on directing funding to critical areas such as: access to affordable healthcare; worker training; port and border security; law enforcement and the safety of our neighborhoods; health care for our veterans; recovery from natural disasters, particularly Hurricane Katrina and recently Hurricane Ike.

As an appropriator, Mike has been very concerned with the Bush administration’s negligence of education initiatives, particularly fully funding No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Mike is also a leading advocate in favor of educational policies that would American students more competitive in critical areas such as science, technology, engineering and math.

Mike is serving his second term as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, coordinating with his colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucuses to champion the causes of under-represented communities by promoting social justice, racial tolerance, and civil rights.

In February 2005, Mike was elected as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. In his role as DNC Vice-Chair, Mike works closely with DNC Chair Howard Dean to rejuvenate the Party's grassroots efforts and to incorporate new and emerging constituencies into the Party's agenda.

In January, 2007, he was named House Democratic Senior Whip by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC). Senior Whips are a select group of Members and Democratic Caucus opinion leaders tasked with strategic planning about how issues impact targeted Members or groups, and will help develop strategies to ensure legislative success.

Mike is widowed and has two grown children. His wife, Jeanne, was a teacher at Baldwin Elementary School in San Jose before her passing in 2004. His son, Mark, is an aerospace engineer and Michelle, his daughter, is a public health educator with three young boys, Trey, Brody and Zachary.