Cruz Bustamante
Cruz Bustamante | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 45th California | |
| In office January 4, 1999 – January 8, 2007 | |
| Governor | Gray Davis Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Preceded by | Gray Davis |
| Succeeded by | John Garamendi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 4, 1953 Dinuba, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Arcelia |
Cruz Miguel Bustamante (born January 4, 1953) is an American politician. He was the 45th Lieutenant Governor of California, a former Speaker of the State Assembly and a member of the Democratic Party. He served with Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger and was succeeded by John Garamendi on January 8, 2007.
Early life and family
The eldest of six children, Cruz Bustamante was born in Dinuba, California. His family later moved to San Joaquin, California. He attended and graduated from Tranquillity High School in the 1970s, where he excelled in both football and wrestling, and later attended Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno.
With his wife Arcelia, Bustamante has three daughters. Nao Bustamante, Cruz's youngest sister, is an internationally known contemporary performance artist.
Political career
Bustamante was elected to the California State Assembly in a special election in 1993, and became the Speaker of the Assembly in 1996. He was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1998, the first Latino elected to statewide office in California in more than 120 years. He was also the highest-ranking elected Latino officeholder in the United States until Bill Richardson became Governor of New Mexico in 2003. Bustamante earned his B.A. via correspondence school from the California State University, Fresno in 2003.
2003 recall election
He was the most prominent Democrat to run in the 2003 California recall election to remove Governor Gray Davis, and placed second to Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, with about 2.7 million votes, 31.5% of votes cast (see full election results).
Bustamante had an apparently icy relationship with Governor Davis, a fellow Democrat,, during his tenure. They reportedly had not talked in months before the recall election approached. Bustamante's decision to run in the recall election was controversial, as many supporters of Governor Davis had urged prominent Democrats not to run, in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the event. During the recall election, Bustamante ran on a platform slogan of "No on Recall, Yes on Bustamante,"[1][2] indicating he opposed the recall.
Bustamante drew some criticism during the election for his involvement with the Chicano organization MEChA in the 1970s. He also was accused of accepting donations above the state's contribution cap by funneling money through former campaign accounts. He was also criticized for accepting many contributions from Native American casinos.
Bustamante is a liberal Democrat, yet in the 2004 presidential primary served as California campaign chair for the campaign of U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, who has been oft criticized by other Democrats for his support of Bush administration policies. In contrast, other statewide elected officials generally endorsed John Kerry or Howard Dean.
2006 Insurance Commissioner election
Bustamante was the Democratic candidate for California Insurance Commissioner.
In Bustamante's official candidate statement, he says "I want to become an example to others to lead healthier lives by losing weight myself. Obesity in California costs $7.7 billion a year."
Bustamante claims to have recently shed 43 pounds to 235 pounds by means of diet and exercise. His campaign Web site features recipes that include "Cruz's Healthy Breakfast Frittata" and also includes tips on fitness.
Bustamante easily won the June 6, 2006 Democratic primary, receiving 70.5% of the vote and defeating his challenger, John Kraft. Bustamante ran against Republican Steve Poizner in November. In the June Primary Bustamante received 1,606,913 Democratic votes, Kraft 674,309 democratic votes, and Poizner 1,472,729 Republican votes. Many political analysts believed that Kraft, who ran a low-key campaign where he took no campaign contributions, received those votes as a protest for Bustamante's behavior during the 2003 recall election. [1] The key issue was whether Poizner was effective in swaying the 674,309 Kraft Democratic voters into believing that John Garamendi did not provide effective change in the Worker's Compensation crisis which was driving businesses out of California. However, Kraft planned to actively campaign for Bustamante, and donated a significant portion of his fortune as an heir to Kraft Foods to Bustamante. [2]
Bustamante announced that he would not be returning insurance industry contributions to his campaign, a position criticized by Poizner and campiagn ethicists. Bustamante also failed to meet a deadline to submit a campaign statement to voters. According to the Field Poll, on November 3, 2006, Bustamonte trailed Poizner by 9%. [3] Cruz Bustamante officially lost to Steve Poizner.
Criticism
In 2001, Bustamante was speaking before a group of approximately 400 black labor activists when, reciting a list of black labor groups which came to existence over a hundred years ago, many which still had "Negro" in their title, he mentioned the National Negro American Labor Council, but the word "nigger" slipped out. Realizing the mistake, he immediately apologized to his audience: "If you heard what I think I heard, I want you to know it wasn't me," he said. "It's not the way I was raised, it's not the way I was taught, it's not the way I raised my children and it's not what's in my heart." [3]
In April of 2004, The Fair Political Practices Commission fined Bustamante a record $263,000 for violating campaign finance laws. [4]
Bustamante made his weight-loss regimen the centerpiece of his campaign for state insurance commissioner in 2006. He states in his TV ad, "I was really fat. I promised my family I would lose 70 pounds. I kept that promise. I'll keep this promise: I'll lower your insurance rates." In his second ad he states, "I worked hard to lose weight because our individual behavior matters. That's why your driving record, not where you live, should lower your car insurance."[5]
Electoral history
- 2006 Insurance Commissioner General Election
- Steve Poizner (R), 50.6%
- Cruz Bustamante (D) 38.9%
- 2006 Insurance Commissioner Primary
- Cruz Bustamante (D), 70.5%
- John Kraft (D) 29.5%
- 2003 Recall Election for Governor
- Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), 49%
- Cruz Bustamante (D), 32%
- Tom McClintock (R), 13%
- 2002 Election for Lieutenant Governor
- Cruz Bustamante (D), 50%
- Bruce McPherson (R), 42%
- 1998 Election for Lieutenant Governor
- Cruz M. Bustamante (D) 53%
- Tim Leslie (R), 39%
References
- "Office of the Lt. Governor - About Cruz Bustamante". Retrieved Nov. 14, 2006.
- ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=5891
- ^ http://www.capitolweekly.net/news/article.html?article_id=781
- ^ Mark DiCamillo and Mervin Field; November 3, 2006; "Lt. Governor's race deadlocked"; ''Field Research Corporation; url accessed November 4, 2006.
