Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring) is a United States Senator from Massachusetts, first elected in 2012 and becoming the first female U.S. Senator from the state. A prominent progressive voice on economic and financial regulation, antitrust, and consumer protection issues, she advocates for consumer protection, financial regulation reforms, equitable economic opportunity, strengthening the social safety net, and campaign finance reform, and is known for criticism of big tech and wealthy donors' influence. Born on June 22, 1949, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, she grew up in a working-class family and worked as a waitress during her teenage years. She earned a B.S. in speech pathology from the University of Houston in 1970 and a J.D. from Rutgers Law School in 1976. Before entering politics, she was a prominent law professor specializing in bankruptcy and commercial law, teaching at several universities including Harvard University where she was the Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law. She gained national attention for her research on middle-class financial struggles and played a pivotal role in creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau following the 2008 financial crisis. As a senator, she is known as a consumer protection advocate and key figure in financial regulation, leading efforts against Wall Street excesses. She serves on key committees including the Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. A progressive Democrat, she has been critical of some Israeli policies. She ran unsuccessfully as a candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.