Jim Costa, a Democrat, represents California’s 21st Congressional District, covering Fresno and Tulare County areas in the San Joaquin Valley, and has served continuously in Congress since taking office in January 2005. The grandson of Portuguese immigrant dairy farmers, he grew up working on the family dairy and later farmed almonds in the San Joaquin Valley before entering politics. He holds a B.A. in political science from Fresno State and served in the California State Assembly from 1978 to 1994 and the State Senate from 1994 to 2002, including a period as Senate President pro Tempore.
In Congress, Costa serves on the House Agriculture Committee as Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry and on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, with a legislative focus reflecting his district’s agricultural economy, including water infrastructure and farm policy.
In 2023, the House Office of Congressional Ethics investigated a complaint from a former congressional intern alleging Costa made unwanted advances toward her in 2020, including repeated requests to dance and to “shimmy,” followed by him giving her his personal phone number and suggesting dinner; she also said she witnessed a similar uncomfortable interaction between Costa and a different intern in 2021. The matter was referred to the House Ethics Committee, which voted to dismiss it citing insufficient evidence, though reporting later indicated the committee’s four women members had pushed for a public admonishment that the broader panel did not issue. Costa’s office has said he “fully cooperated” with the review and that the committee’s findings “speak for themselves.”
