Art Torres

Arthur Torres
Chairman of the California Democratic Party
In office 1996–2009
Preceded by	Bill Press
Succeeded by	John L. Burton
Personal details
Born	1946
Political party	Democrat
Domestic partner	Gonzalo Escudero
Children	Joaquin and Danielle
Residence	San Francisco

Arthur "Art" Torres (born 1946) is a former United States Democratic Party state senator. He is the Vice Chair of the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). CIRM, established in 2005 following the passage of Proposition 71, is charged with allocating US$3 billion to California universities and research institutions to support and advance stem cell research. He is a colon cancer survivor and serves on the Board as a patient advocate.

Torres served as the Chairman of the California Democratic Party from 1995 to 2009. He was the first Latino in the California Democratic Party to have been nominated for statewide office when he won the Democratic primary for insurance commissioner in 1994. He is openly gay. He is the father of a son and daughter.

Torres graduated from Montebello High School in 1964. He holds a Bachelor's degree from UC Santa Cruz and a Juris Doctor from University of California, Davis School of Law (King Hall). He also served as a John F. Kennedy teaching fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

In 1972, Torres was defeated in his first election for a seat in the California State Assembly by 615 votes. Soon after the election, he became the national legislative director for the United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO, at 25 years of age.

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