John Garamendi

John Garamendi
46th Lieutenant Governor of California IncumbentAssumed office
January 8, 2007Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerPreceded by Cruz BustamanteBorn January 24, 1945(1945-01-24) (age 63)
Mokelumne Hill, CaliforniaPolitical party DemocraticSpouse Patricia W. Garamendi

John Raymond Garamendi (born January 24, 1945) is a U.S. politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He became the 46th Lieutenant Governor of California on January 8, 2007. He had previously been the California State Insurance Commissioner from 2003–2007, having previously been the first occupant of that office from 1991–1995. He was the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995–1998.

1 Early years
2 Political career
3 Electoral history
4 Family
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Early years

Born in Mokelumne Hill, California of Basque descent, Garamendi received a Bachelor's degree in business from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. He served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968. Garamendi is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. Garamendi is also a member of Sigma Chi, as a brother of the Alpha Beta Chapter at Berkeley.

Political career

Garamendi won election to the California State Assembly in 1974, representing most of Sacramento County as well as all or part of seven other counties to the east and south, and to the State Senate in 1976. He ran unsuccessfully in the 1982 Democratic gubernatorial primary, where he was defeated by Tom Bradley, and in the 1986 Democratic primary for California State Controller, when he lost to Gray Davis; but in 1990 he was successful in his campaign to become California's first Commissioner of Insurance, an office that brought him much controversy due to the state seizure of Executive Life Insurance Company, a bankruptcy that was coincidental with the creation of the state Department of Insurance and the American River College American College Testing Service (ACT) score Black Chalks deletion scandal.

Instead of seeking re-election to the Insurance Commissioner's office in 1994, Garamendi ran for Governor of California but lost the Democratic primary by 15% to State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, [1] who in turn lost the general election by incumbent Republican Governor Pete Wilson. [2]

Shortly thereafter, President Bill Clinton appointed Garamendi to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Interior, the second-highest post in the U.S. Department of the Interior.

After four years in the private sector, Garamendi won election to a second term as Insurance Commissioner by less than 5% [3]. Seven months into his term as Insurance Commissioner, on August 7, 2003, Garamendi announced his candidacy for Governor in the gubernatorial recall election but dropped out two days later in favor of Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante.

Halfway through his term as Insurance Commissioner, on July 16, 2004, Garamendi announced his candidacy for the 2006 race to replace the term-limited Bustamante as Lieutenant Governor [4]. Bustamante had run to replace Garamendi as Insurance Commissioner.

Former Vice President Al Gore had endorsed Garamendi for Lt. Governor. Garamendi was also endorsed by the Sierra Club, the California Teachers Association, the California League of Conservation Voters, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the California Professional Firefighters Association, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, to name a few.

In the June 6, 2006 Democratic primary, Garamendi defeated state senators Liz Figueroa and Jackie Speier, receiving 43% of the vote. The margin of votes between Garamendi and Speier was very tight during much of the election night, with each receiving about 40% of the vote, but in later returns Garamendi pulled ahead. In November 2006 he faced Republican Tom McClintock and several candidates from smaller political parties in the general election. California elects governors and lieutenant governors separately; state treasurer Phil Angelides was the Democratic nominee for Governor, but Garamendi could not, in any formal sense, be called Angelides' running mate. Garamendi was elected Lieutenant Governor with 49% of the vote to 45% for Tom McClintock.

Electoral history

Public Offices Office Type Location Elected Term began Term ended State Assemblyman Legislature Sacramento1974 December 7, 1974 December 2, 1976 State Senator Legislature Sacramento1976 December 2, 1976 December 8, 1980 State Senator Legislature Sacramento1980 December 8, 1980 December 3, 1984 State Senator Legislature Sacramento1984 December 3, 1984 December 5, 1988 State Senator Legislature Sacramento1988 December 5, 1988 December 3, 1990 Insurance Commissioner Executive Sacramento1990 January 7, 1991 January 2, 1995 Insurance Commissioner Executive Sacramento2002 January 6, 2003 January 8, 2007 Lieutenant Governor Executive Sacramento2006 January 8, 2007 January 3, 2011

California State Legislatureservice Session Chamber Majority Governor Committees District 1975–1976 Assembly Democratic Jerry Brown7 1977–1978 Senate Democratic Jerry Brown13 1979–1980 Senate Democratic Jerry Brown13 1981–1982 Senate Democratic Jerry Brown13 1983–1984 Senate Democratic George Deukmejian5 1985–1986 Senate Democratic George Deukmejian5 1987–1988 Senate Democratic George Deukmejian5 1989–1990 Senate Democratic George Deukmejian5

California Insurance Commissioner general election, 1990 Party Candidate Votes % ±% DemocraticJohn Garamendi 3,770,717 52.2 RepublicanWes Bannister 2,736,577 37.9 LibertarianTed Brown 431,317 6.0 Peace and FreedomTom Condit 281,276 3.9 Total votes 7,220,508 Majority 1,034,140 14.3 Turnout Democraticwin (new constituency)

California Insurance Commissioner general election, 2002 Party Candidate Votes % ±% DemocraticJohn Garamendi 3,346,937 46.5 RepublicanGary Mendoza 2,998,243 41.6 GreenDavid Ishmael Sheidlower 277,667 3.9 LibertarianDale F. Ogden 236,688 3.3 Natural LawRaul Calderon 192,001 2.7 American IndependentSteven A. Klein 148,893 2.1 Total votes 7,200,429 Majority 348,694 4.9 Turnout Democratichold Swing

California Lieutenant Governor primary election, 2006 Party Candidate Votes % ±% DemocraticJohn Garamendi 1,045,097 42.5 Democratic Jackie Speier975,530 39.7 Democratic Liz Figueroa436,849 17.8 Total votes 2,457,476 Majority 69,567 2.8 Turnout

California Lieutenant Governor general election, 2006 Party Candidate Votes % ±% DemocraticJohn Garamendi 4,189,584 49.1 Republican Tom McClintock3,845,858 45.1 GreenDonna J. Warren 239,107 2.8 LibertarianLynnete Shaw 142,851 1.7 American IndependentJim King 68,446 0.8 Peace and FreedomTom Condit 43,319 0.5 Total votes 8,529,165 Majority 343,726 4.0 Turnout Democratichold Swing

Family

Garamendi is married and has six children. His wife, Patti, ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress in 1992 against Republican Richard Pombo.

References

"Notable Former Volunteers / Government". Peace Corps official site. Accessed 5 January 2007.

v • d • e Lieutenant Governors of California McDougall• Broderick* • Purdy• R. Anderson• Walkup• Downey• Quinn* • de la Guerra* • Chellis• Machin• Holden• Pacheco• Irwin* • Johnson• Mansfield• Daggett• Waterman• White* • Reddick• Millard• Jeter• Neff• A. Anderson• Porter• Wallace• Eshleman• Stephens• Young• Fitts• Carnahan• Merriam• Hatfield• Patterson• Houser• Knight• Powers• G. Anderson• Finch• Reinecke• Harmer• Dymally• Curb• McCarthy• Davis• Bustamante• Garamendi
* denotes Acting

v • d • e Insurance Commissioners of CaliforniaGaramendi • Quackenbush• Kelso • Low • Garamendi • Poizner

v • d • e Current lieutenant governors of states and overseas possessions of the United States

AL: Jim Folsom, Jr. (D)
AK: Sean Parnell (R)
AR: Bill Halter (D)
CA: John Garamendi (D)
CO: Barbara O'Brien (D)
CT: Michael Fedele (R)
DE: John C. Carney, Jr. (D)
FL: Jeff Kottkamp (R)
GA: Casey Cagle (R)
HI: James Aiona (R)

ID: Jim Risch (R)
IL: Pat Quinn (D)
IN: Becky Skillman (R)
IA: Patty Judge (D)
KS: Mark Parkinson (D)
KY: Daniel Mongiardo (D)
LA: Mitch Landrieu (D)
MD: Anthony G. Brown (D)
MA: Tim Murray (D)
MI: John D. Cherry (D)

MN: Carol Molnau (R)
MS: Phil Bryant (R)
MO: Peter Kinder (R)
MT: John Bohlinger (R)
NE: Rick Sheehy (R)
NV: Brian Krolicki (R)
NJ: Created as of 2010
NM: Diane Denish (D)
NY: vacant note
NC: Beverly Perdue (D)

ND: Jack Dalrymple (R)
OH: Lee Fisher (D)
OK: Jari Askins (D)
PA: Catherine Baker Knoll (D)
RI: Elizabeth H. Roberts (D)
SC: André Bauer (R)
SD: Dennis Daugaard (R)
TN: Ron Ramsey (R)
TX: David Dewhurst (R)
UT: Gary R. Herbert (R)

VT: Brian Dubie (R)
VA: Bill Bolling (R)
WA: Brad Owen (D)
WI: Barbara Lawton (D)
WV: Earl Ray Tomblin (D)
United States Possessions
AS: Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia (D)
GU: Michael W. Cruz (R)
NMI: Timothy P. Villagomez (R)
VI: Gregory R. Francis (D)

v • d • eCurrent Government of CaliforniaStatewide Elected Officials and Legislative Leaders Senior United States Senator
Junior United States Senator Dianne Feinstein
Barbara Boxer Governor of California
Lieutenant Governor of California
California Attorney General
Secretary of State of California
California State Controller
California State Treasurer
California Insurance Commissioner
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Arnold Schwarzenegger
John Garamendi
Jerry Brown
Debra Bowen
John Chiang
Bill Lockyer
Steve Poizner
Jack O'Connell SenatePresident pro tempore
Senate Majority Leader
Senate Minority Leader Don Perata
Gloria Romero
Dave Cogdill Assembly Speaker
Assembly Majority Leader
Assembly Minority Leader Karen Bass
Alberto Torrico
Michael Villines

PersondataNAME Garamendi, John ALTERNATIVE NAMES SHORT DESCRIPTION Californiapolitician DATE OF BIRTH January 24, 1945PLACE OF BIRTH Mokelumne Hill, CaliforniaDATE OF DEATH PLACE OF DEATH