Bruce McPherson
Bruce A. McPherson (born January 7, 1944) is an American politician who was the 30th California Secretary of State, sworn in on March 30, 2005. He was nominated to replace former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, who resigned on March 4. McPherson, a Republican from Santa Cruz County, served his term as Secretary until January 8, 2007. He was confirmed unanimously by both Democratic-controlled houses of the California State Legislature after being nominated to replace Shelley, a Democrat, by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He lost his bid for a full term to Democrat Debra Bowen in November 2006.
Bruce McPherson | |
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| Member of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors from the 5th district | |
| Assumed office January 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Stone |
| 30th Secretary of State of California | |
| In office March 30, 2005 – January 7, 2007 | |
| Governor | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Preceded by | Cathy Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Debra Bowen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 7, 1944 Santa Cruz, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent (2012-present) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (before 2012)[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Mary McPherson |
Previously, McPherson was a State Assemblyman from 1993 to 1996 and a State Senator from 1996 to 2004, when he retired due to term limits. McPherson was defeated in the 2002 election for Lieutenant Governor of California by incumbent Cruz Bustamante. Prior to his political career, he worked as the editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, a newspaper owned by his family. He and his wife have a daughter, Tori Kistler. Their son, Hunter, was murdered in a 2001 San Francisco street robbery.[2]
McPherson left the Republican Party in June 2012 to register as "no party preference".[1]
In November 2012, McPherson was elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.[3]
Electoral history
- 1996 Race for California State Senate, 15th District
- Bruce McPherson (R), 47.2%
- Rusty Areias (D), 45.8%
- 2002 Republican Primary for California Lt. Governor
- Bruce McPherson (R), 86.2%
- Ellie Michaels (R), 13.8%
- 2002 Race for California Lt. Governor
- Cruz Bustamante (D), (inc) 49.4%
- Bruce McPherson (R), 41.8%
- 2006 Race for California Secretary of State
- Debra Bowen (D), 48.4%
- Bruce McPherson (R), (inc.) 44.8%
- 2012 Race for Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, District 5
- Bruce McPherson (N/P) 50.10%%
- Eric Hammer (N/P), 49.51%
References
- Skelton, George (June 25, 2012). "California GOP sinking into third-party status". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
- Jaxon Van Derbeken, Murder verdict in case of state nominee's slain son, San Francisco Chronicle (March 3, 2005).
- Santa Cruz County Registrar of Voters, Santa Cruz County - Presidential General Election Archived April 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Santa Cruz County Registrar of Voters (December 4, 2012).
External links
- "Biography from the State of California". Archived from the original on May 2, 2006. Retrieved 2005-09-03.
- Biography from the California League of Women Voters
- McPherson's 2006 campaign website at the Wayback Machine (archived April 25, 2006)
- Man Found Guilty in Death of McPherson’s Son, Sac Union
- "Bruce McPherson… where are you?" - a revisited Q&A from Bruce to the residents of Boulder Creek
| California Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sam Farr |
California State Assemblyman 27th District 1993–1996 |
Succeeded by Fred Keeley |
| California Senate | ||
| Preceded by Henry J. Mello |
California State Senator 15th District 1996–2004 |
Succeeded by Abel Maldonado |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Cathy Mitchell |
California Secretary of State 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by Debra Bowen |
Authority control  |
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