Ira Ruskin was elected to the Assembly in 2004, representing the twenty-first district, encompassing much of Silicon Valley, including the Almaden Valley of San Jose, Atherton, East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Monte Sereno, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos and Woodside. In his first term, Assemblymember Ruskin was one of five freshmen members to chair a standing committee, the Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials. As chair he established himself as a leader on environmental issues and helped shepherd legislation to improve water and air quality and protect people from toxic chemicals.
| Types | Person, Political Candidate, Elected Representative |
| Website | http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a21/ |