Jared Huffman

Jared Huffman
Born	Jared William Huffman 18 2, 1964
Birthplace	Independence, Missouri, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Title	Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee
Known for	U.S. Representative for California's 2nd congressional district; Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee
Education	University of California, Santa Barbara (BA) Boston College (JD)
Spouse(s)	Susan Huffman
Children	2
Website	[https://huffman.house.gov/ Official site]

Jared William Huffman (born February 18, 1964) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for California's 2nd congressional district since January 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Huffman previously represented the 6th district in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2012, where he chaired the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee and the Assembly Environmental Caucus. Before entering elected office, he practiced environmental law and served on the board of the Marin Municipal Water District. In Congress, Huffman has focused extensively on environmental protection, natural resources management, and public lands policy. Since January 2025, he has served as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, succeeding Raúl Grijalva in the role. His congressional district spans much of Northern California's coast, stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge northward to the Oregon border. Huffman was first elected to Congress in 2012 with more than 70 percent of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Dan Roberts.

Early Life

Jared William Huffman was born on February 18, 1964, in Independence, Missouri. He grew up in a middle-class family in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As a young man, Huffman was an accomplished athlete. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he played on the men's volleyball team and earned recognition for his athletic abilities alongside his academic pursuits.

Huffman's upbringing in the Midwest and his subsequent move to California helped shape his perspective on environmental issues and public service. His experiences in Northern California, particularly in Marin County, would later become central to his political identity and legislative priorities.

Education

Huffman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a student-athlete. He subsequently attended Boston College Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor degree. His legal education provided the foundation for a career in environmental and natural resources law that preceded his entry into elected politics.

Career

Legal Career

After completing his law degree at Boston College, Huffman practiced as an attorney with a focus on environmental law and natural resources. He worked as a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the largest environmental advocacy organizations in the United States. In this capacity, he litigated cases involving water rights, endangered species protection, and other environmental matters. His legal work at the NRDC gave him substantive expertise in the policy areas that would define his later legislative career.

Marin Municipal Water District

Prior to serving in the California State Assembly, Huffman was elected to the board of directors of the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), the public utility that supplies water to much of southern and central Marin County. His service on the water district board deepened his engagement with water policy issues, a subject that would remain central to his work throughout his political career. At the MMWD, Huffman advocated for water conservation measures and sustainable management of the district's watershed resources.

California State Assembly (2006–2012)

Huffman was elected to the California State Assembly in 2006, representing the 6th Assembly District, which encompassed portions of Marin and Sonoma counties. He succeeded Assemblyman Joe Nation in the seat. Huffman took office on December 4, 2006, and served until November 30, 2012, when he transitioned to Congress.

During his tenure in the Assembly, Huffman chaired the Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee and the Environmental Caucus, positions that reflected his legislative priorities and expertise. He authored legislation on a range of issues, including water conservation, renewable energy, and wildlife protection.

One of Huffman's notable legislative achievements in the Assembly was Assembly Bill 376, which he authored to ban the sale, trade, and possession of shark fins in California. The bill addressed concerns about the practice of shark finning, in which sharks are caught, their fins removed, and the animals discarded. The legislation was signed into law and took effect in 2013.

Huffman also worked on water policy legislation during his time in Sacramento. He was involved in efforts to reform California's approach to water management and conservation, drawing on his background as both a water district board member and environmental attorney.

In addition to environmental legislation, Huffman was active on a variety of policy fronts in the Assembly, including public health, education, and government accountability. He earned a reputation as a policy-oriented legislator who was willing to engage in the technical details of complex issues.

Election to Congress (2012)

In 2012, Huffman ran for the U.S. House of Representatives seat being vacated by retiring Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, who had represented the North Coast district since 1993. The district, renumbered as California's 2nd congressional district following redistricting, covered a large swath of Northern California, stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge along the coast to the Oregon border and including all or parts of Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties.

Huffman won the general election decisively, garnering more than 70 percent of the vote against Republican nominee Dan Roberts. The margin of victory reflected the heavily Democratic composition of the district. He took office on January 3, 2013, succeeding Woolsey.

U.S. House of Representatives (2013–present)

Early Congressional Career

Upon arriving in Congress in January 2013, Huffman was assigned to the House Committee on Natural Resources, a committee assignment that aligned with his background in environmental law and his legislative focus in the California Assembly. He quickly established himself as a vocal advocate for environmental protection and public lands conservation.

In his first term, Huffman introduced legislation addressing a range of environmental and natural resources issues. He introduced H.R. 2824 in the 113th Congress, which dealt with federal land management and resource protection. He also engaged in debates over coal mining practices, water rights, and endangered species protections during his early years in Congress.

Water rights remained a central concern for Huffman, particularly as they related to federal lands and western states. He participated in legislative debates over the extent of federal authority to regulate water on public lands, an issue of significant importance to his Northern California district, which depends heavily on natural water systems for agriculture, fisheries, and municipal supply.

Natural Resources Committee Leadership

Over the course of successive terms in Congress, Huffman rose through the ranks of the House Natural Resources Committee. He became increasingly prominent as a Democratic voice on public lands, ocean policy, and environmental regulation. In January 2025, he assumed the role of Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, succeeding Raúl Grijalva of Arizona in the position. As Ranking Member, Huffman serves as the most senior Democrat on the committee, which has jurisdiction over national parks, forests, public lands, fisheries, wildlife, water resources, minerals, and territories.

In this leadership capacity, Huffman has been active in opposing what he has characterized as efforts to weaken environmental protections. In January 2026, he issued a statement opposing H.J. Res. 140, a Congressional Review Act resolution that he described as a "backdoor attempt to open Boundary Waters to toxic mining," referring to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota.

In February 2026, Huffman took to the House floor to oppose legislation he termed a "Big Tech Handout," criticizing what he described as provisions that would benefit technology companies at the expense of public resources.

Wilderness and Public Lands Legislation

One of Huffman's signature legislative efforts has been the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act, which he has introduced in multiple sessions of Congress. In December 2025, he reintroduced the legislation, which proposes to designate new wilderness areas, establish recreational areas, and protect working forests in the northwestern portion of California within his congressional district. The bill reflects his long-standing commitment to preserving public lands in Northern California while balancing the economic needs of rural communities that depend on forestry and outdoor recreation.

In January 2026, Huffman introduced legislation alongside U.S. Senator Adam Schiff and other Bay Area members of Congress to designate a new National Scenic Trail in the region. The proposed trail would highlight the natural and cultural resources of the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding communities.

Constituent Services and District Engagement

Huffman has maintained an active presence in his geographically expansive district. In 2026, following significant redistricting that altered the composition of his congressional district, Huffman and his wife Susan traveled to rural communities in the redrawn district to meet with constituents. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on his engagement with groups including Modoc Indivisible in Alturas, the seat of remote Modoc County. The redistricting presented new political challenges, as the redrawn district incorporated more conservative and rural areas that differed politically from the coastal communities that had long formed the core of Huffman's constituency.

Huffman has also focused on constituent concerns related to federal programs. In 2025, he partnered with Representative Mike Thompson to host a roundtable discussion on Social Security in Santa Rosa, California, addressing constituent concerns about the future of the federal retirement and disability program.

Other Legislative Activity

In September 2025, Huffman voted in favor of House Resolution 719 and issued a public statement explaining his position on the measure.

Throughout his congressional career, Huffman has been reelected multiple times by wide margins, reflecting the strong Democratic lean of his district. His successive electoral victories have allowed him to build seniority on the Natural Resources Committee and assume a more prominent role in shaping Democratic policy on environmental and public lands issues.

Personal Life

Jared Huffman resides in San Rafael, California, the largest city in Marin County and the county seat. He is married to Susan Huffman, and the couple has two children. Susan Huffman has accompanied her husband on constituent engagement trips, including visits to rural portions of his congressional district.

Huffman was a competitive volleyball player during his time at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his athletic background has been noted in profiles of the congressman.

Huffman has been open about his nontheistic worldview. He is a member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which he co-founded to promote reason, science, and evidence-based policymaking in government. His public identification as a humanist has made him one of the few openly nonreligious members of Congress.

Recognition

Huffman's legislative work on environmental issues has earned him recognition from conservation and environmental organizations. His consistent advocacy for public lands protection, ocean conservation, and climate policy has positioned him as one of the more prominent environmental voices in the U.S. House of Representatives.

His role as Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, assumed in January 2025, represents the highest leadership position he has held in Congress and places him at the center of Democratic messaging and strategy on natural resources and environmental policy.

In the California State Assembly, Huffman's authorship of AB 376, the shark fin ban, received national attention and was cited as a model for similar legislation in other states.

His ongoing efforts to pass the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act have drawn support from conservation groups and local stakeholders in Northern California, though the legislation has not yet been enacted into law as of early 2026.