Was elected to the California State Assembly in 2002 and served until 2008 when she had reached the term limit. She was the first Latina to represent her district and the only Latina Republican in the California State Legislature. In 2004, she became a member of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s transition team after the recall election against Governor Gray Davis and was named as one of California’s delegates to the Republican National Convention. In 2008, she was appointed to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board by the Governor.