A LIFE OF SERVICE BEGINS (1988 - 2000)
Nicole Locklin was born on January 29, 1988, the middle child of three siblings. Nicole Locklin was raised in a family that believed a person’s life should reflect their values. She grew up watching her father live by a simple set of principles: love for family, generosity toward others, and the belief that doing the right thing matters, even when it is difficult. He taught his children that kindness is strength, that you treat people with dignity, and that your character is measured by how you show up for your community. Nicole carries those lessons with her today. She believes leadership should be grounded in integrity, service, and compassion; that government, like any life well lived, should be guided by honesty, responsibility, and a genuine commitment to improving the lives of others.
EARLY EDUCATION (2000-2012)
From an early age, Nicole demonstrated leadership and a strong sense of civic responsibility. As an eighth grader in 2001, in the days following the 9/11 attacks, Nicole organized a county-wide supply drive for victims and first responders, filling an entire semi-truck with donated supplies. Nicole graduated high school in 2006 as valedictorian, also having served as student council president, and captain of the basketball team. In 2006, she enrolled at the University of Oklahoma as an Oklahoma Academic Scholar. She graduated in December 2009, becoming a first-generation college graduate.
In 2010, shortly after graduating, Nicole moved to San Francisco, where she began her career working at a startup. She later returned home to spend the Fall of 2011 working with her father while saving money for law school. Before starting law school, Nicole embarked on a solo backpacking trip around the world, traveling to 17 countries and gaining a broader understanding of global cultures and politics.
LAW SCHOOL (2012 - 2015)
Nicole began law school at Santa Clara University in Fall 2012, where she joined the Jessup International Law Moot Court Team and focused her studies on technology law. During this time, her family faced significant health challenges when her older brother Greg was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome in October 2012, requiring open-heart surgery and multiple major surgeries over the following decade. Nicole graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in May 2015 with a High Tech Law Certificate with Honors, and was named to the Dean’s List. She passed the California Bar in November 2015.
LITIGATION (2016 - 2020)
In January 2016, Nicole began her legal career as a litigation associate at Lerch Sturmer LLP, where she practiced professional liability defense, representing attorneys in malpractice and complex litigation matters. Nicole’s life changed dramatically on May 30, 2018, when her father died in a plane crash. The tragedy forced her family to wind down their long-standing family crop-dusting business. At the same time, her brother Greg, who had attempted to keep the business running, was forced to step away due to the health risks associated with Marfan syndrome.
In September 2019, Nicole met her future husband, Chris, whose family embodies a deep tradition of military service. Chris was born in Germany while his parents were deployed overseas. His mother and father served in the U.S. Army, and his older sister served in the U.S. Navy. During Operation Desert Storm, both of Chris’s parents were deployed at the same time, and he spent two years living with his grandmother in Indiana. His father would later deploy multiple times during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chris’s mother is also a first-generation immigrant from Malaysia, adding another chapter of the American story to their family.
LAWYER IN BIG TECH (2020 - PRESENT)
Nicole joined Nextdoor in March 2020, a technology company focused on strengthening local communities. Chris proposed in July 2020, and the two were married in Miami, September 2021. Nicole later joined another Silicon Valley company in May 2022, continuing her work in the technology sector. Nicole and her family experienced another profound loss on March 8, 2023, when Nicole’s brother Greg died at age 37 from a brain aneurysm following heart surgery in Houston.
FLORIDA DISTRICT 26
In April 2024, Nicole and Chris moved to Miami full time, where Chris joined the Miami Dolphins organization after a lifetime of fandom. Nicole continued her role as Lead Counsel at Databricks. Her life has been shaped by leadership, public service, resilience through personal loss, and a deep belief that government should work for ordinary people. Together with Chris, whose life was shaped by the military, life as a Black man in America, and the immigrant experience, Nicole believes deeply in the promise of a country where hard work, integrity, and service to others still matter.
