Jim Costa

Snapshot

Jim Costa is a Democratic U.S. Representative serving California's 21st Congressional District, representing the San Joaquin Valley including parts of Fresno and Tulare counties. Born in Fresno on April 13, 1952, to a family of Portuguese immigrants from the Azores, Costa earned his B.A. in Political Science from California State University, Fresno in 1974. He served in the California State Assembly from 1978 to 1994 and the California State Senate from 1994 to 2002 before winning election to Congress in 2004. Now in his eleventh term, Costa serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He chaired the Blue Dog Coalition during the 116th Congress and the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture during the 117th Congress. Costa authored legislation creating the California High-Speed Rail Authority and has helped craft three Farm Bills as a senior Agriculture Committee member.