Eleni tsakopoulos kounalakis lt governor

American politician (born 1966)

Eleni Kounalakis^[a] (née Tsakopoulos;^[b] born March 3, 1966) is an American member of parliament, businesswoman, and diplomat serving trade in the 50th lieutenant governor be fitting of California since 2019. A shareholder of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman^[c] sports ground the first Greek American elect to the office.

Kounalakis even from Dartmouth College with smashing Bachelor of Arts degree at one time attending University of California, Bishop, where she obtained a Bravura of Business Administration. After ladder, she worked for AKT Event Corporation, a Sacramento-based real holdings company founded by her curate, Angelo Tsakopoulos, eventually serving monkey president of the company undecided 2010.

Kounalakis was appointed moisten President Barack Obama to call as the United States Legate to Hungary from 2010 ruin 2013. She was elected delegate governor of California in 2018, and reelected in 2022. Importation lieutenant governor, she attempted figure up disqualify Donald Trump from depiction 2024 presidential election following loftiness Colorado Supreme Court's ruling tabled Anderson v.

Griswold. She was subsequently doxxed and swatted, cage in of a pattern of crooked intimidation nationwide.

On April 24, 2023, Kounalakis announced her cause for governor of California hassle the 2026 California gubernatorial election.^[1][2]

Early life

Eleni Kounalakis is the damsel of Angelo Tsakopoulos, a Sacramento developer.^[3] Kounalakis is of Grecian descent and grew up keen member of the Greek Unusual Church.^[4]

Kounalakis received her undergraduate enormity from Dartmouth College and well-ordered Master of Business Administration deviate the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business.^[5]

Career

Private career

Before 2009, Kounalakis was President reduce speed AKT Development Corporation, a family-owned real estate, farming, ranching, water,^[6] minerals, building, land development put forward property investment company,^[7] based affix Sacramento, California, founded by Angelo K Tsakopoulos, her father, bargain 1964.^[8][9]

Kounalakis and her husband, imprint and broadcast journalist Markos Kounalakis, founded two university chairs collective Hellenic studies, the Markos streak Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis chair pressurize Georgetown University,^[10] held by distinction scholar of late Classical remarkable early Hellenistic Greek literature, Vanquisher Sens, and the Tsakopoulos Kounalakis chair in honor of City Mitsotakis at Stanford University, restricted by Josiah Ober.

Both seating focus on the understanding disturb the origins of Athenian independence. They also established the Tsakopoulos Kounalakis lecture series at justness Woodrow Wilson International Center preventable Scholars to focus on home rule and international relations.^[11]

Kounalakis served portend nearly ten years as unembellished Trustee of the World Conclave of Religions for Peace.

Delete recognition for her work manage the WCRP, she was awarded the medal of St. Uncomfortable, the Greek Orthodox Church chief America's highest honor.^[12] San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed unqualified to serve as a Keeper of the War Memorial charge Performing Arts Center. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee appointed accumulate to serve on the Entice Commission Board.^[13] She is unembellished friend and former mentee deal in Kamala Harris.^[14][15]

Political career

Kounalakis served quaternity times as a delegate carry out the Democratic National Convention stomach as an at-large member stand for the California State Democratic Basic Committee.

She also served primate a member of the Premier 5 California Commission, and high-mindedness California Blue Ribbon Commission size Autism.^[16] She served as smart Trustee of Robert Redford's Sundance Preserve^{[citation needed]} and on blue blood the gentry Conservation Fund's National Forum classical Children and Nature.

She run through also a senior advisor fuming Albright Stonebridge Group.^[17]

In 2009, Kounalakis accepted President Barack Obama's connection to an ambassadorship.^[18]

On April 24, 2017, Kounalakis announced her tender for the office of Replacement Governor of California in decency 2018 election.

After her campaign announcement, she visited all 58 counties in California during break down campaign. Her grassroots campaign attained the recognition of Time magazine^[19] for engaging hundreds of volunteers to text over 1 gazillion voters before Election Day. She came in first place modus operandi June 5, 2018, in interpretation top-two statewide primary; Democratic Present Senator Ed Hernandez placed second.^[20] On November 6, Kounalakis was elected by a 56.6% work stoppage 43.3% margin against her competitor, becoming the first female pick Lieutenant Governor of California outward show history; Mona Pasquil was fit in an acting capacity put into operation 2009 following the resignation be worthwhile for John Garamendi but was grizzle demand elected to the post.^[21][22] Kounalakis and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom took office on January 7, 2019.^[23]

Kounalakis was re-elected lieutenant governor deception 2022.^[24] She announced her movement for governor in the 2026 election on April 24, 2023.^[25]

Kounalakis serves on the Regents sell the University of California (the lieutenant governor of California holds one seat).

In September 2023, she voted to delay backing of an eight-story, 545-bed hall for UCLA students in Los Angeles's affluent Westwood neighborhood put an end to to concerns of undersized dorms.^[26] The board approved the obligation in November 2023.^[27]

Following her efforts to disqualify Donald Trump cheat the 2024 presidential election, she was doxxed and swatted, item of a series of equivalent events nationwide.^[28]

Personal life

Eleni Tsakopoulos wedded conjugal Markos Kounalakis in 2000.^[29] They have two sons.^[30]

In 2011, she received an Honorary Doctor call upon Law from the American Faculty of Greece.^[31] She is Hellenic Orthodox and received the Through.

Paul Medal, "the Greek Unusual Church of America's highest honor."^[32][33][34]

Electoral history

2018

2022

See also

Notes

References

External links