Karen Lorraine Jacqueline Speier ( ; born May 14 , 1950 ) is an American politician who currently serves as U.S. Representative for , serving in Congress since 2008 . She is a member of the Democratic Party . The district , numbered as the 12th District from 2008 to 2013 , includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco . She represents much of the territory that had been represented by her political mentor , Leo Ryan . In 1978 , while working as his aide , Speier survived five gunshot wounds during the assassination of Ryan , part of the Jonestown massacre
Jonestown massacre
Jonestown
Jackie Speier