Scott H. Peters
DemocratU.S. Representative, CA-50| Age | 68 (b. 1958-06-17) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2013-01-03 (~13 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Christian – Lutheran (member of Christ Lutheran Church, San Diego) |
| Education | B.A. (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), Duke University, 1980; J.D., New York University School of Law, 1984 |
| Prior occupation | Economist (U.S. EPA); Deputy County Counsel, San Diego County; Environmental attorney in private practice (~15 years) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Springfield, Ohio |
| Marital status | Married — Lynn E. Gorguze |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | La Jolla, California |
| Notable relatives | Father-in-law Vincent T. Gorguze, La Jolla industrialist and founder of Cameron Holdings |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2012 |
| Previous offices | San Diego City Council, 1st District (2000–2008) · President, San Diego City Council (2006–2008) — first City Council President · Port Commissioner, Unified Port of San Diego (2009–2012); Board Chair (2011) |
| Committees | Committee on Energy and Commerce (119th Congress) · Committee on the Budget (119th Congress) |
| Caucuses | New Democrat Coalition (Vice Chair) · Problem Solvers Caucus · Climate Solutions Caucus (Democratic Co-Chair, as of July 2025) · Congressional Equality Caucus · Congressional Arts Caucus · Congressional Algae Caucus (Co-Founder and Co-Chair) · Congressional Life Sciences Caucus · Congressional Special Operations Forces Caucus · Build America Caucus (Founder, 2025) · No Labels Problem Solvers |
| Leadership | Vice Chair, New Democrat Coalition · Climate Task Force Chair, New Democrat Coalition · Democratic Co-Chair, Climate Solutions Caucus (2025–present) · Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Congressional Algae Caucus |
| Ideology | Self-described moderate Democrat; Vice Chair of centrist New Democrat Coalition; described by National Journal as the 'fourth most independent Democrat' by party-vote deviation; positioned to the right of most House Democrats on GovTrack sponsorship analysis |
| Signature legislation | Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act (framework incorporated into Inflation Reduction Act, 2022) · Advanced Reactor Fee Reduction Act (included in Atomic Energy Advancement Act, 2024) · Global Nuclear Energy Assessment and Cooperation Act (included in Atomic Energy Advancement Act, 2024) · Employer Participation in Repayment Act (student loan employer tax incentive – included in CARES Act, 2020) · POWER ON Act (renewable energy transmission – included in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 2021) · USEIT Act (carbon utilization and direct air capture – enacted in FY2021 omnibus) · Purple Heart GI Bill Access Act · Methamphetamine Response Act (signed 2022) · 21st Century Cures Act (co-author; $1.75 billion/year NIH funding) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2022) · estimate
| ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2022 |
| American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement Fund | fund · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2022 |
| Allocate Premier Access Fund | fund · $100,001–$250,000 · 2022 |
Top donors: Pharmaceuticals/Health Products industry (PACs and employees) (~$225,000 per election cycle on average; career total ~$860,465) · Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla ($5,800 (2021)) · Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks ($5,000 (2021)) · Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier ($2,900 (2021)) · Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Giovanni Caforio ($2,900 (2021))
Top industries: Pharmaceuticals/Health Products (#1 industry source since 2018) · Health Services/HMOs · Securities & Investment · Telecom/Utilities · Energy
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.