Ricardo Lara (born November 5, 1974) is an American politician who is currently serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 33rd Senate District, which encompasses Long Beach and portions of the Gateway Cities region.Prior to his 2012 election to the State Senate, Lara served in the California State Assembly, representing the 50th Assembly District.He is a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, and served as Chair from 2013 to 2014. He is also vice chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, and currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Wikipedia