Sydney Kamlager-Dove

Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Born	Sydney Kai Kamlager 20 7, 1972
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Title	U.S. Representative from California's 37th congressional district
Known for	U.S. Representative for California's 37th congressional district
Education	Carnegie Mellon University (MA) University of Southern California (BA)
Website	[kamlager-dove.house.gov Official site]

Sydney Kai Kamlager-Dove (Template:IPAc-en; née Kamlager; born July 20, 1972) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 37th congressional district since January 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she succeeded Karen Bass, who vacated the seat upon becoming Mayor of Los Angeles. Before entering Congress, Kamlager-Dove built a record in California state politics, serving in the California State Senate representing the 30th district, the California State Assembly representing the 54th district, and as a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College District. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised with connections to both the arts and community advocacy, Kamlager-Dove has focused her legislative work on criminal justice reform, higher education access, civil rights, and foreign affairs. In the 119th Congress, she serves as the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia. Her district encompasses much of South Los Angeles, including portions of Culver City, Inglewood, Ladera Heights, and surrounding communities.

Early Life

Sydney Kai Kamlager was born on July 20, 1972, in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up with ties to the arts and culture; her stepfather is the acclaimed artist Kerry James Marshall, whose work has been exhibited at major institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Kamlager-Dove's upbringing informed her later interest in community advocacy and public service. She eventually relocated to the Los Angeles area, where she would become deeply embedded in the civic life of South Los Angeles and the surrounding communities. Her early experiences navigating the education system, including attendance at a community college, shaped her commitment to expanding access to higher education, particularly for underserved populations.

Education

Kamlager-Dove began her higher education at Compton College, a community college in the Los Angeles area. She subsequently transferred to the University of Southern California, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She later pursued graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University, earning a Master of Arts degree. Her experience as a community college student became a central element of her public identity and informed her advocacy for community college systems throughout her political career.

Career

Early Career and Community Engagement

Before entering elected office, Kamlager-Dove was involved in community organizing and advocacy in the Los Angeles area. She developed a particular interest in education policy and the role of community colleges in providing pathways to economic mobility for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her involvement in local civic organizations and community development councils helped establish her reputation in the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles and Culver City.

Los Angeles Community College District Trustee

In 2014, Kamlager-Dove announced her candidacy for a seat on the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), one of the largest community college systems in the United States. She ran on a platform emphasizing accountability, student success, and improved governance of the district's nine colleges.

Her candidacy attracted attention from local media, including the Los Angeles Times, which in a 2015 editorial discussed the governance challenges facing the LACCD. During her tenure as a trustee, Kamlager-Dove advocated for policies to improve student outcomes and increase transparency within the district's administration.

California State Assembly

On April 16, 2018, Kamlager-Dove was sworn in as the representative for the California State Assembly's 54th district, succeeding Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. The 54th district encompassed communities in South Los Angeles, including portions of Culver City, Ladera Heights, Baldwin Hills, Leimert Park, and surrounding areas.

During her time in the Assembly, Kamlager-Dove focused on a range of policy issues, including criminal justice reform, civil rights, and education.

Criminal Justice and Policing Reform

Kamlager-Dove was active in efforts to reform policing and the criminal justice system in California. She co-authored legislation aimed at restricting the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers, a measure that was among the first of its kind in the nation.

She also took an interest in the conditions faced by incarcerated women in California, drawing attention to the unique challenges of female inmates within the state's prison system.

In February 2019, Kamlager-Dove co-authored legislation to restore the right to vote for people on parole, an effort aimed at re-enfranchising formerly incarcerated individuals and reducing barriers to civic participation.

Anti-Discrimination Legislation

In June 2019, Kamlager-Dove introduced legislation to address discrimination based on natural hairstyles, supporting measures related to the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair). The legislation, known as SB 188, sought to prohibit discrimination in workplaces and schools against individuals wearing natural hairstyles, including braids, locs, and twists.

Fair Pay to Play Act

Kamlager-Dove was involved in the legislative effort behind California's Fair Pay to Play Act, a landmark bill that allowed college athletes to earn compensation from the use of their name, image, and likeness. The measure represented a significant challenge to existing NCAA rules prohibiting such payments and attracted national attention as a potential model for other states.

Committee Assignments

During her tenure in the Assembly, Kamlager-Dove served on multiple legislative committees, engaging with policy areas spanning public safety, education, and governance.

California State Senate

In November 2020, following the election of Holly Mitchell to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Kamlager-Dove announced her intention to run for Mitchell's vacated seat in the California State Senate, representing the 30th district. She was subsequently elected and took office on March 11, 2021, succeeding Mitchell in the upper chamber of the California Legislature.

During her time in the State Senate, Kamlager-Dove continued her legislative focus on criminal justice reform, civil rights, and education policy. Her tenure in the Senate was relatively brief, as she pursued and won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. She departed the State Senate on December 5, 2022, and was succeeded in a redistricted version of the seat by Bob Archuleta.

U.S. House of Representatives

Election to Congress

In 2022, following the decision by U.S. Representative Karen Bass to run for Mayor of Los Angeles, Kamlager-Dove entered the race for California's 37th congressional district. The district, reconfigured following the 2020 census and redistricting process, included much of South Los Angeles and neighboring communities that Kamlager-Dove had represented at the state level. She won the general election and took office on January 3, 2023.

Foreign Affairs Committee

In Congress, Kamlager-Dove has taken on a role in foreign policy. She serves as the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, a position from which she has engaged with issues of international security, diplomacy, and trade.

In February 2026, Kamlager-Dove, alongside Representative Gregory Meeks, the Ranking Member of the full House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requesting clarification regarding a reported pause on security actions directed at China. The representatives expressed concern about the suspension of security measures and sought detailed answers from the administration.

Trade and Tariff Policy

In February 2026, following a Supreme Court ruling striking down tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Kamlager-Dove issued a statement commenting on the decision. In her capacity as Ranking Member of the South and Central Asia Subcommittee, she addressed the implications of the ruling for U.S. trade policy and its impact on American consumers and international relations.

Advocacy for Survivors of Abuse

In February 2026, Kamlager-Dove announced that her guest to the State of the Union address would be Jena-Lisa Jones, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse. The selection was intended to highlight the experiences of Epstein's survivors and draw attention to ongoing advocacy for accountability and justice for victims of trafficking and exploitation.

Interaction with Attorney General Pam Bondi

In 2026, a congressional hearing exchange between Kamlager-Dove and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi attracted media attention. During the hearing, Kamlager-Dove raised questions of the Attorney General, and the resulting exchange generated public commentary and media coverage.

Personal Life

Sydney Kamlager married and adopted the surname Kamlager-Dove. Her stepfather is the artist Kerry James Marshall, who is recognized for his paintings depicting the African American experience and whose work has been exhibited at major museums worldwide.

Kamlager-Dove has spoken publicly about her experience as a community college student and how it shaped her understanding of the barriers faced by students from underserved communities. She has maintained her residence in the South Los Angeles area throughout her political career.

Legacy

Sydney Kamlager-Dove's political career has been characterized by a trajectory from local education governance to national office. Her path from community college trustee to the U.S. House of Representatives reflects an emphasis on grassroots community engagement and upward mobility through the Democratic Party's state-level infrastructure in California.

Her legislative record in the California State Assembly included involvement in several measures that attracted national attention, including the Fair Pay to Play Act, which altered the landscape of college athletics compensation, and the CROWN Act, which addressed discrimination based on natural hairstyles. Her efforts on criminal justice reform, including co-authoring measures to restrict deadly force by police and restore voting rights for parolees, contributed to a broader movement in California toward reforming the state's approach to policing and incarceration.

In Congress, her appointment as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia has placed her in a position to influence U.S. policy toward a region of significant geopolitical importance. Her willingness to engage in oversight activities, including pressing the executive branch on matters of national security and trade policy, reflects an active approach to her committee responsibilities.