My friend, Barbara Alby (pictured above with her husband, Dennis), is running to succeed her boss as our representative on the country’s only elected tax commission, the California Board of Equalization.

Barbara is a bulldog when it comes to fighting for what’s right. Read her bio below, and you’ll see what I mean: a former welfare mom and domestic violence victim decided not to live her life on government handouts, and instead turned herself into the state legislator who authored Megan’s law and has been a staunch protector of the taxpayers.

From welfare mom and domestic violence victim to successful businesswoman, legislator and leader, Barbara Alby’s life is truly an American success story. Barbara marks two occasions as significant turning points in her life. The first occurred when the newly elected California Governor, Ronald Reagan, cut her welfare benefits while she was a single mother, living in poverty. The second was when she met and married Dennis Alby and they started their life together building a new family and later working side-by-side to build their own business.

That same tenacity and inner strength that helped her at critical moments in her early life served her well in 1993 when she was elected to the State Assembly, representing the Sacramento area. Foremost among Barbara’s legislative accomplishments are laws to protect women and children from sexual predators. She authored legislation that established the Child Molester Hotline as well as “Megan’s Law.” Barbara fought to protect our children from criminals on school campuses after a young woman was murdered on a high school campus in her district. That legislation is known as the “Michelle Montoya” law. She defended patient’s rights in healthcare when she ended the practice of HMO’s writing gag orders in their contracts with providers that would keep doctors from discussing all treatment options with their patients.

Knowing first hand the day to day operation of a small business, she was a champion for small businesses in California. The National Tax Limitation Committee named her “Taxfighter of the Year” every year for her efforts on behalf of California’s working families.

Today Barbara serves as Chief Deputy to Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard.

She is mother of five, grandmother of ten and spouse of one.

I’m proud to be supporting her, and I hope you will too.