Alan Lowenthal

Alan Lowenthal (born March 8, 1941) is an American clinical psychologist and politician who represented California's 47th congressional district as a Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023. Prior to his federal service, he held seats on the Long Beach City Council from 1992 to 1998, in the California State Assembly from 1998 to 2004, and in the California State Senate from 2004 to 2012. Lowenthal's congressional work emphasized environmental protection, particularly efforts to curb emissions from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles through incentives for cleaner technologies and opposition to expanded offshore oil drilling. He co-sponsored legislation such as the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act to promote recycling infrastructure and restrict single-use plastics, as well as measures to transition ocean shipping to zero-emission operations. His tenure included service on the House Committee on Natural Resources, where he chaired the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, and involvement in bipartisan initiatives like resolutions against gerrymandering. Lowenthal drew criticism for multiple violations of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, failing to timely disclose personal stock trades on at least four occasions between 2021 and 2022. He opted not to seek reelection in 2022, citing a desire to focus on remaining priorities before retirement.

Alan Lowenthal was born on March 8, 1941, in New York City to a Jewish family. He was raised in the Queens borough amid urban working-class conditions.

A pivotal personal influence stemmed from his father's recurring heart attacks beginning in Lowenthal's youth, which instilled a heightened sense of urgency regarding health vulnerabilities and the need for proactive intervention in community well-being. This experience, occurring amid a post-World War II urban Jewish family environment in New York, fostered an orientation toward addressing individual and societal challenges through structured support systems, aligning with his subsequent academic pursuit of psychology during the early 1960s.

Born to a Jewish family in Queens, New York, Lowenthal has identified as a cultural Jew, with family traditions including Shabbat dinners featuring music such as Bob Dylan songs.