John Garamendi

John Garamendi
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
Incumbent
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 (1945-01-24) January 24, 1945 (age 79) 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
John Garamendi's voice John Garamendi speaks on the significance of the Affordable Care Act Recorded June 28, 2012

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.^[1]

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.^[2] 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,^[3] 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,^[4] Garamendi won the November 2009 special election to succeed her.^[5][6]