John Garamendi
John Raymond Garamendi (/ˌɡærəˈmɛndi/ GARR-ə-MEN-dee; born January 24, 1945) is an American businessman, politician, and member of the Democratic Party who has represented areas of Northern California between San Francisco and Sacramento, including the cities of Fairfield and Vacaville, in the United States House of Representatives since 2009. Garamendi was the California insurance commissioner from 1991 to 1995 and 2003 to 2007, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the 46th lieutenant governor of California from 2007 until his election to Congress in late 2009.
John Garamendi | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| Assumed office November 5, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Ellen Tauscher |
| Constituency | 10th district (2009–2013) 3rd district (2013–2023) 8th district (2023–present) |
| 46th Lieutenant Governor of California | |
| In office January 8, 2007 – November 3, 2009 | |
| Governor | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Preceded by | Cruz Bustamante |
| Succeeded by | Mona Pasquil (acting) |
| 1st and 5th Insurance Commissioner of California | |
| In office January 6, 2003 – January 8, 2007 | |
| Governor | Gray Davis Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Preceded by | Harry Low |
| Succeeded by | Steve Poizner |
| In office January 7, 1991 – January 2, 1995 | |
| Governor | Pete Wilson |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Quackenbush |
| 1st United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office August 15, 1995 – April 1998 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | David J. Hayes |
| Member of the California Senate | |
| In office December 3, 1976 – November 30, 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Al Alquist |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Johnston |
| Constituency | 13th district (1976–1984) 5th district (1984–1990) |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 7th district | |
| In office December 7, 1974 – November 30, 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Bagley |
| Succeeded by | Norman S. Waters |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Raymond Garamendi January 24, 1945 Camp Blanding, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Patricia Wilkinson (m. 1965) |
| Children | 6 |
| Residence(s) | Walnut Grove, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
| Website | House website |
Garamendi was born in Camp Blanding, Florida, and raised in Mokelumne Hill, California. He earned a B.A. in business from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Harvard Business School, then served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 1974, serving a single term before being elected in 1976 to the California State Senate, where he served four terms until 1990. During this time he had a spell as Majority Leader and ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nominations for governor of California in 1982 and California State Controller in 1986.
In 1990, Garamendi became the first elected California insurance commissioner, serving from 1991 to 1995. He ran for governor in the 1994 election, losing in the Democratic primary. He left public office and served as President Bill Clinton's deputy secretary of the interior from 1995 to 1998, then worked for the Peace Corps again. He was elected insurance commissioner again in 2002 and briefly ran for governor again in the 2003 recall, before dropping out to support Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante. In 2006, he was elected lieutenant governor to succeed the term-limited Bustamante.
Garamendi had planned to run for governor a fourth time in 2010, but after U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher of California's 10th congressional district resigned to become under secretary of state for arms control and international security, Garamendi won the November 2009 special election to succeed her.