Josh Becker
Josh Becker is a public policy innovator working at the nexus of community activism, technology, and social justice. Elected to the State Senate in November 2020, he represents the residents of California's 13th Senate District, which comprises most of San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Clara County. His district includes the cities of Burlingame, Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Los Altos, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale.
Becker was born on April 13, 1969. He attended Williams College before going on to Stanford University, where he cofounded the Stanford Board Fellows — a program training students to serve on local nonprofit boards — and graduated with a joint JD-MBA degree in 1999. His formation at Stanford proved formative not just academically but personally: it was there that he developed his conviction that businesses, nonprofits, and government must work in concert to solve social problems.
After graduating, Becker's career unfolded at the intersection of entrepreneurship and civic purpose. In 2000, he founded Full Circle, an organization that funds nonprofits in the Bay Area focused on economic opportunity, education, and environmental sustainability. After losing his father to brain cancer, he helped start a biotech company researching cancer cures. Uniting entrepreneurial expertise with his passion for social change, he then cofounded New Cycle Capital, a pioneer in building socially responsible businesses.
In 2011, Becker joined Lex Machina, a legal technology company with a mission of bringing openness and transparency to the law. As CEO, he grew the company from a Stanford University public interest project into a nationally recognized platform. He subsequently founded a legal tech accelerator to support entrepreneurs seeking to innovate in the legal and public policy space — continuing his pattern of using the tools of Silicon Valley to advance the public interest.
Before his election to the Senate, Becker accumulated extensive appointed experience. Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, he served seven years on the California State Workforce Development Board and served on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County. He also served as a founding trustee at the University of California, Merced — helping to establish the newest campus in the UC system — and has been recognized nationally for his work expanding math and science education in K-12 schools.
He was sworn into office on December 7, 2020, replacing Jerry Hill, who was termed out. He won reelection in the November 5, 2024 general election, with his current term ending December 4, 2028.
In Sacramento, Becker chairs the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, the Senate Committee on Human Services, and the Select Committee on Economic Development and Innovation. He serves on the Senate Committees on Energy, Utilities and Communications; Insurance; and Transportation; and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. His legislative record centers on three core themes. On climate, he has authored multiple bills accelerating California's transition to clean energy and net-zero emissions. On technology and privacy, he introduced the Digital Dignity Act — landmark legislation protecting Californians from harmful AI-generated digital replicas — and has advanced new consumer data privacy protections building on his earlier Delete Act. On economic mobility, he has championed workforce development, legal technology innovation, and voter access reforms.
Becker is Vice Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. He is a 28-year resident of Menlo Park, where he lives with his wife Jonna, their two children Leo and Aaron, and the family dog Percy. His blend of Stanford-trained legal and business acumen, nonprofit leadership, and tech entrepreneurship makes him one of Sacramento's most distinctively Silicon Valley legislators — a lawmaker who speaks the language of both venture capital and social justice with equal fluency.