Antonio Mendoza (born April 22, 1971) is an American politician who served in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represented the 32nd Senate District, which encompasses Buena Park and the Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County. In January 2018, the State Senate voted to suspend him for 60 days to investigate allegations of sexual harassment. He could not vote on legislation during that period, while contesting the suspension. Before a vote for expulsion was to be taken by the State Senate due to the released findings of an investigation that determined he likely engaged in a pattern of unwanted advances and sexually suggestive behavior toward six women, including four subordinates, over the last decade, Mendoza resigned on February 22, 2018. He was a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. Prior to being elected to the State Senate in 2014, Mendoza served in the California State Assembly, representing the 56th Assembly District. Before his service in the Legislature, Mendoza was a fourth grade teacher in East Los Angeles, and served as a Mayor and City Councilmember in Artesia. After resigning from the State Senate, in 2019 he was appointed as the general manager of the Artesia Cemetery, one of the few publicly owned and operated cemeteries in California. Career After receiving his bachelor's degree in Political Science: Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach and his Multiple Subject Bilingual Teaching Credential from California State University, Los Angeles, Mendoza taught elementary school for ten years in East Los Angeles. During his teaching years with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Mendoza served as a member of the board of directors with United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and as a representative with the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the National Education Association (NEA). In 1997, Mendoza ran a grassroots campaign in his hometown of Artesia as a candidate for city council. His platform of securing Artesia neighborhoods from gangs resonated with the community, and Mendoza became the youngest, and first Latino member, of the Artesia city council, and the youngest to serve as mayor at the age of 26. Mendoza served three terms on the Artesia city council before running for the State Assembly in 2006. Mendoza represented the communities of Artesia, Buena Park, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, Lakewood, Los Nietos, and South Whittier. Legislative Accomplishments Mendoza authored several bills that were signed and adopted into