Richard Bloom
| Richard Bloom | |
|---|---|
 Bloom speaking before committee | |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 50th district | |
|
Assumed office December 3, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Betsy Butler |
| Mayor of Santa Monica | |
|
In office December 2010 – December 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Terry O'Day |
| Succeeded by | Gleam Davis |
| Member of the Santa Monica City Council | |
|
In office 1999–2012 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 22, 1953 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Robbie Black |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Santa Monica, California |
| Alma mater |
University of California, Berkeley (BA) Loyola Law School (JD) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Website |
www |
Richard Hershel Bloom (born June 22, 1953) is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 50th Assembly District, which encompasses West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Agoura Hills, Malibu, Topanga, Pacific Palisades, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hancock Park, and Hollywood.
Bloom is a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2012, he was Mayor of Santa Monica and served on the Santa Monica City Council for 13 years.
Early Life and Education
Bloom grew up in Altadena and West Los Angeles and attended Fairfax High School, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Loyola Law School. He holds a B.A. in Communication and Public Policy and a Juris Doctor degree.
Santa Monica City Council
First elected in 1999, Bloom served on the Santa Monica City Council for 13 years, serving as mayor three times and mayor pro tempore twice. Bloom also served as Chair of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.
Assembly
Bloom defeated incumbent Assemblymember Betsy Butler in 2012.
Bloom serves on the following Assembly Committees: Transportation, Budget, Arts & Entertainment, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, and Higher Education. He also serves on Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation and is the Chairman of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources and Transportation.
In 2013, Bloom authored the Bobcat Protection Act, which has since been signed into law.
On March 7, 2014, Bloom introduced legislation to ban live performances and captive breeding of orcas. The legislation, if passed into law, would affect SeaWorld San Diego's "Shamu" performances.[1][2]
On November 4, 2014, Bloom was re-elected to a second term with nearly 72% of the vote.
In the 2015 legislative session, Bloom introduced legislation to ban plastic microbeads in personal care products. The bill has been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.
In the 2016 legislative session, Bloom re-introduced legislation to ban captive orca shows. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature overwhelmingly.
2014 California State Assembly
| California's 50th State Assembly district election, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary election | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Richard Bloom (incumbent) | 42,332 | 73.4 | |
| Republican | Bradley S. Torgan | 15,370 | 26.6 | |
| Total votes | 57,702 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Richard Bloom (incumbent) | 78,093 | 71.5 | |
| Republican | Bradley S. Torgan | 31,113 | 28.5 | |
| Total votes | 109,206 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2016 California State Assembly candidacy
| California's 50th State Assembly district election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary election | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Richard Bloom (incumbent) | 92,315 | 79.6 | |
| Republican | Matthew Gene Craffey | 23,613 | 20.4 | |
| Total votes | 115,928 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Richard Bloom (incumbent) | |||
| Republican | Matthew Gene Craffey | |||
| Total votes | ' | ' | ||
Personal
Bloom resides in Santa Monica with his wife, Robbie Black, a healthcare professional and administrator at Cedars-Sinai Health Center in Los Angeles. He has two young adult children, Zac and Emmett.
