John Garamendi

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John Garamendi
46th Lieutenant Governor of California
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 8, 2007
Governor	Arnold Schwarzenegger
Preceded by	Cruz Bustamante
United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior
In office 1995 – 1998
President	Bill Clinton
California Insurance Commissioner
In office January 6, 2003 – January 8, 2007
Governor	Gray Davis Arnold Schwarzenegger
Preceded by	Harry W. Low
Succeeded by	Steve Poizner
In office January 7, 1991 – January 2, 1995
Governor	Pete Wilson
Preceded by	New Position
Succeeded by	Chuck Quackenbush
Born	January 24, 1945 (1945-01-24) (age 64) Mokelumne Hill, California
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Patricia W. Garamendi
Alma mater	UC Berkeley, B.A. Harvard Business School, M.B.A.

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 to 2007, having previously been the first occupant of that office from 1991 to 1995. He was the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998.

Garamendi was temporarily a candidate for governor of California in the 2010 election after announcing his candidacy on July 31, 2008.^[1] However, he suspended his candidacy on April 29, 2009, to run for Congress in California's 10th congressional district.^[2] This seat has been vacated by Ellen Tauscher, who had accepted the position of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.^[3] The date for this special election has yet to be determined.

[edit] Early years

Born in Mokelumne Hill, California of Basque descent, Garamendi received a Bachelor's degree in business from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was both a football player and wrestler, and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.^{[citation needed]} He served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968.^[4] Garamendi is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.^{[citation needed]} Garamendi is also a member of Sigma Chi, as a brother of the Alpha Beta Chapter at Berkeley.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 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.

Instead of seeking re-election to the Insurance Commissioner's office in 1994, Garamendi ran for Governor of California but lost the Democratic primary to State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, who in turn lost the general election by incumbent Republican Governor Pete Wilson.^[5]

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. 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. Bustamante ran 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.

On April 22, 2009, Garamendi announced that he would run in the special election for California's 10th congressional district seat vacated by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, should she be confirmed as undersecretary of state.

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] Family

Garamendi is married and has six children.

[edit] See also

• 2003 California recall

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Campaign Website
• Article About Primary Win

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 Current statewide elected officials and legislative leaders of California U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein · Barbara Boxer State government Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor · John Garamendi, Lieutenant Governor · Jerry Brown, Attorney General · Debra Bowen, Secretary of State · John Chiang, Controller · Bill Lockyer, Treasurer · Steve Poizner, Insurance Commissioner · Jack O'Connell, Superintendent of Public Instruction Senate Darrell Steinberg, President pro tempore · Dean Florez, Majority Leader · Dennis Hollingsworth, Minority Leader Assembly Karen Bass, Speaker · Alberto Torrico, Majority Leader · Sam Blakeslee, Minority Leader Supreme Court (appointed) Ronald M. George, Chief Justice · Marvin R. Baxter · Ming Chin · Carol Corrigan · Joyce L. Kennard · Carlos R. Moreno · Kathryn Werdegar