Gloria Molina

March 12, 2024

American politician and community activist Gloria Molina (1948- 2023 ) was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Montebello. Her parents, Leonardo Molina and Concepción Molina grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico before immigrating to the United States. Gloria was the oldest of ten children and eventually the family moved to the nearby city of Pico Rivera. In 1966, Molina graduated from El Rancho High School and then went on to enroll at Rio Hondo College. She studied fashion design at Rio Hondo before transferring to East Los Angeles College (ELAC). Gloria Molina for Assembly campaign photograph, Frank del Olmo Collection, Box 150, Folder 34

Gloria went on to serve as a trailblazing politician at both the state and local levels. Special Collection & Archives holds many archival resources that highlight the important work of Gloria Molina. The Frank del Olmo Collection holds a number of Molina’s political campaign fliers. The Brad Pye Jr. Collection and Juana Beatriz Gutiérrez Mothers of East Los Angeles Collection both include correspondence with Molina. Plus, Molina can also be found in the materials in both the Mary Santoli Pardo Collection and the Tom Hayden Belmont Learning Complex Investigation Collection.

Gloria was a young adult during a time of massive social change in the United States. The East L.A. Student walkouts happened in 1968 and ignited the Chicano movement that swept across the nation. After graduating from ELAC, Molina went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles.

In her free time, Gloria assisted with the early State Assembly campaigns of Richard Alatorre and Art Torres. After Torres was sworn into the Assembly, he hired Molina as his Administrative Assistant. Gloria Molina was one of the founding members of Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional. This organization focused on empowering Chicana women in the United States. Gloria served as president of the organization from 1975-77. Gloria Molina for City Council door tag, Frank del Olmo Collection, Box 109 Folder 3 In this role, Molina was heavily involved in support of the federal class action lawsuit Madrigal v. Quilligan. The lawsuit involved the shameful practice of forced sterilization of Latina women in Los Angeles.

In 1976, Molina worked on Latino outreach for the presidential election campaign of Jimmy Carter. After Carter’s inauguration, Gloria joined the administration working in the White House Presidential Personnel Office. In 1979, Gloria Molina was appointed Director of Intergovernmental & Congressional Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services. California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown appointed Molina to lead his Southern California office in 1981.

In 1982, Molina ran her first political campaign for the California 56th State Assembly District. State Assemblyman Art Torres endorsed Molina in her campaign. She won the Assembly election and was sworn in to office on December 6, 1982.

In the mid-1980s, Ron Martinez and Gloria Molina were married and eventually they had a daughter together named Valentina. In the fall of 1986, Molina announced her candidacy for the Los Angeles City Council, 1st district. This was a new district created by redistricting. For the 1st district seat, she challenged Paul Moore, Larry Gonzalez and Leland Wong. The election was held on February 3, 1987 and Gloria Molina won the 1st district Los Angeles City Council seat. After the election, she delayed her swearing in until February 25th to wrap up business in Sacramento.

In the fall of 1991, Gloria Molina announced her candidacy for the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, District 1. Because of redistricting and the retirement of Peter Schabarum, the supervisorial district was left without an incumbent. Among many endorsements, she secured the endorsement of well-known Congressman Edward Roybal. On January 22 1991, Gloria Molina won the special election and became a Los Angeles County Supervisor. Molina went on to serve as the Chair Pro Tem, and then the Chair of the Board of Supervisors. She retired from the county board in 2014.

In March of 2023, Gloria announced she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away two months later.