Bill Leonard served in the State Legislature for 24 years. He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1978 running as a Prop. 13 tax cut advocate. In 1988 he was elected to the Senate where he served in leadership and authored a tough anti-drunk driving bill. He returned to the State Assembly in 1996 and served as Republican Leader. During all that time, he became well known as a fighter for low taxes, quality schools and a better business climate, as well as capitol wallyball games, sponsoring Legislative Ski Day, and serving on the host committee for the California Prayer Breakfast.

Bill Leonard was elected to serve on the Board of Equalization in 2002 and was re-elected in 2006 with more than one million votes. He has fought for justice for taxpayers, and has advocated for taxpayer rights and public accountability. In addition, Bill has spearheaded a pro bono assistance program to provide advice to individual taxpayers appearing before the Board.

In private life, he is husband to Sherry; father to Tim, Mike, and Jacob; and grandfather to Katie and Gavin. Bill is teaching Katie and Gavin some of his favorite things in life: faith in God and American history. As the grandkids grow older, Bill is sharing with them his favorite outdoor pursuits: hiking, biking, boating, skiing, and golf. He worships at Warehouse Ministries in Sacramento.