Buffy Wicks, a Democrat representing Assembly District 14 in California's East Bay, has built a political career rooted in grassroots organizing and progressive advocacy [1]. First elected in 2018 after defeating Richmond City Councilmember Jovanka Beckles [1], Wicks rose to prominence as one of the architects of Barack Obama's field organizing model during the 2008 presidential campaign [2]. Before entering the Legislature, she served as Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Obama [3]. Now chairing the powerful Assembly Appropriations Committee [4], she has become one of the most influential Democrats in the lower chamber, focusing heavily on housing production and homelessness policy [5]. Her legislative record reflects consistent alignment with progressive organizations and labor unions, while earning a CFC scorecard rating of approximately 13-15%, indicating she has frequently taken positions that diverge from CFC's family-focused policy priorities on matters including parental rights, the sanctity of life, and religious liberty [6]. With a 19% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, her legislative record has placed her at considerable distance from the California Family Council's worldview framework, particularly on the sanctity of life (Chapter 6) and parental rights in education (Chapter 8).
Buffy Jo Christina Wicks was born on August 10, 1977, in Foresthill, a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Placer County [2]. Raised in a working-class family living in a mobile home, her father served as a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service [3]. Wicks began her college education at Sierra College, where she competed on the women's water polo and swim teams [3], before transferring to the University of Washington, where she earned a bachelor's degree in political science and history in 1999 [1]. She later enrolled in a master's program in Peace, Conflict, and Development Studies at Universitat Jaume I in Spain, though she did not complete the degree [2].
After Clinton's defeat, Wicks ran for the California State Assembly in 2018 and won the open District 15 seat with 53.6% of the vote [1]. Following redistricting, she has represented District 14 since 2022 and was reelected in 2024 with 68.5% of the vote [1]. She gained international attention in August 2020 when she appeared on the Assembly floor holding her newborn baby while casting a vote on housing legislation, after being denied the ability to vote by proxy [2]. Her legislative work has centered on housing production, most notably through major CEQA reform efforts including AB 609 in 2025 and the broader Fast Track Housing package aimed at streamlining California's construction permitting process [5].
Their 12.0% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 104 scored floor votes reflects consistent divergence from CFC's worldview framework. Their voting record has supported abortion access expansion over the sanctity of human life, government-directed education over parental authority and school choice, and progressive social mandates over religious liberty protections.
On issues central to CFC's mission, Wicks has consistently taken positions that differ from a family-centered, pro-life perspective. She authored AB 2223, the abortion-related services Act signed into law in 2022, which provides legal protections against criminal prosecution related to pregnancy outcomes including abortion and perinatal death [7]. The California Family Council strongly opposed this measure, calling it one of the most concerning bills introduced in the Legislature [6]. Her voting record shows 100% alignment with Planned Parenthood Affiliates and the ACLU, and 0% alignment with the American Conservative Union and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association [4]. She received a CFC scorecard score in the 13-15% range for 2025, reflecting consistent support for abortion expansion and positions CFC views as undermining parental rights [6]. She lives in Oakland with her husband, Peter, and their two daughters [2].
