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Eleni Kounalakis
American politician (born 1966) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Eleni Kounalakis[lower-alpha 1] (née Tsakopoulos;[lower-alpha 2] born March 3, 1966) is an American politician, businesswoman, and diplomat serving as the 50th lieutenant governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman[lower-alpha 3] and the first Greek American elected to the office. She previously served as the United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2010 to 2013 under President Barack Obama.
Quick Facts 50th Lieutenant Governor of California, Governor ...
Eleni Kounalakis | |
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![]() Kounalakis in 2021 | |
50th Lieutenant Governor of California | |
Assumed office January 7, 2019 | |
Governor | Gavin Newsom |
Preceded by | Gavin Newsom |
United States Ambassador to Hungary | |
In office January 11, 2010 – July 20, 2013 | |
President | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | April H. Foley |
Succeeded by | Colleen Bell |
Personal details | |
Born | Eleni Tsakopoulos (1966-03-03) March 3, 1966 (age 58) Sacramento, California, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Angelo Tsakopoulos (father) George Tsakopoulos (uncle) George Demos (brother-in-law) |
Education | Dartmouth College (BA) University of California, Berkeley (MBA) |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | Government website |
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On April 24, 2023, Kounalakis announced her candidacy for governor of California in the 2026 California gubernatorial election.[1][2]