Meet the woman Rep. Barbara Lee literally passed the congressional baton to

When Lateefah Simon, a congressional candidate for California’s 12th District, stopped by outgoing Rep. Barbara Lee’s election headquarters in Oakland on Super Tuesday, she intended to bring well wishes to the veteran congresswoman in her run for the U.S. Senate.

“I’d been told she was catching a flight back to Washington, D.C.,” said Simon, whose campaign shared the same office building downtown. “I wanted to say hello and show my support.”

But it was the congresswoman who surprised Simon with a gift. She took the candidate by the hand during a news conference and, as supporters and media looked on, she passed her the baton — literally.

“Barbara gave me an actual baton,” said Simon, 47, of the shiny blue cylinder that she accepted to cheers and applause. “I was humbled. It is an honor and great responsibility, one that I feel I must live up to.”

Earlier this month, Simon emerged as the top vote-getter in a field of nine, officially garnering 55% of the vote in the primary for the seat Lee represented for 26 years. Simon will face her closest contender, fellow Democrat Jennifer Tran, in November’s general election.

Simon is currently the president of Meadow Fund, which provides grants and funding to organizations focused on race, gender, justice reform and voting rights. She also serves as a member of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors, an elected post she said stemmed from her “reliance” on public transportation.

Her prior roles as a civil rights advocate and nonprofit leader in the last two decades have largely focused on equity initiatives.

“I have spent my career fighting for people who traditionally have not had a voice in places of power,” the San Francisco native said.

Simon said she gleans