Senator Polanco was the former California State Senate Majority Leader and Chairman of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. First elected in 1986, Richard Polanco served sixteen years in the California Legislature. In 1994 he was elected to the State Senate and served as Senate Majority Leader from 1998 to his retirement in 2002.

Senator Richard Polanco is best known for his work with the Latino Legislative Caucus, which he chaired from 1990 to 2002. Under his leadership, the Senator led efforts to increase the number of Democratic Latino legislators from seven to 24, contributing significantly to the first Latino Speaker of the Assembly years later. Senator Polanco fought tirelessly on behalf of underserved communities throughout the State of California. He has spent a lifetime advocating for low-income communities and authored significant legislation creating policy in the areas of Congregate Living Facilities for HIV Populations, Accessibility Emergency Services Information for the Hearing Impaired, Small Business Innovation Research Program, Water Desalination Facilities, California Business Preference Bond Act, California Aerospace and Advanced Transportation Supplier Program, Farmworker Housing Attorney Fees Act, Community Colleges Economic Development Program, Community College –California /Mexican International Trade Centers, Cesar Chavez Community Service Holiday, and The California Voting Rights Act.

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