John Garamendi
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John Raymond Garamendi ( ; born January 24, 1945) is an American businessman, politician and member of the Democratic Party who has represented areas of
Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
between San Francisco and
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
, including the cities of Fairfield and
Vacaville Vacaville is a city located in Solano County, California, United States. It is located from Sacramento, California, Sacramento and from San Francisco, it is on the edge of the Sacramento Valley in Northern California. The city was founded in ...
in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
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 The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest Executive (government), executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The Lieutenant governor (United States), lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-yea ...
from 2007 until his election to Congress in late 2009. 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 The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
and an MBA from
Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...
then served in the
Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...
in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968. He was elected to the
California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...
in 1974, serving a single term before being elected in 1976 to the
California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...
where he served four terms until 1990. During this time he had a stint as Majority Leader and ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nominations for
governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...
in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
and
California State Controller The state controller of California is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of California, government of the U.S. state of California. Thirty-three individuals have held the office of state controller since statehood. T ...
in 1986. In 1990, Garamendi became the first elected California insurance commissioner, serving from 1991 to 1995. He ran for governor in the
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
election, losing in the Democratic primary. He left elective office and served as President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
'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 Cruz Miguel Bustamante (born January 4, 1953) is an American politician. He served as the 45th lieutenant governor of California from 1999 to 2007, under governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A member of the Democratic Party, Bustaman ...
. 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 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, but after U.S. Representative
Ellen Tauscher Ellen O'Kane Tauscher (November 15, 1951 – April 29, 2019) was an American businesswoman, diplomat, and Democratic Party politician who was the U.S. representative for California's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2009. From 2009 to 20 ...
of resigned, Garamendi won the November 2009 special election to succeed her.


Early life and education

Garamendi was born in Camp Blanding, Florida, and was raised in Mokelumne Hill, California. Both his father and his paternal grandfather ultimately moved back to the Basque Country in the 1960s. Garamendi received a Bachelor of Arts in business from the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, where he was a football
offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tende ...
and wrestler, and a
Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...
degree from
Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...
. He served in the
Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...
in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968. Garamendi is an Eagle Scout and a member of
Sigma Chi Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American social Fraternities and sororities, fraternities. The fraternity has 244 active undergraduate chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has ...
, as a brother of the Alpha Beta Chapter at Berkeley.


California legislature (1974–1991)


State Assembly

In 1974, Garamendi decided to run for
California's 7th State Assembly district California's 7th State Assembly district is one of 80 California California State Assembly, State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by California Republican Party, Republican Josh Hoover of Folsom, California, Folsom. District ...
. Six-term Republican incumbent William T. Bagley did not run for reelection, instead running unsuccessfully for
California State Controller The state controller of California is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of California, government of the U.S. state of California. Thirty-three individuals have held the office of state controller since statehood. T ...
. In the election to succeed Bagley, Garamendi faced Republican State Assemblyman Douglas F. Carter, who had won a special election in the 12th Assembly district in July 1973 to succeed Robert T. Monagan. In the general election, Garamendi defeated Carter, 60,380 votes (64.08%) to 33,842 (35.92%), as Democrats won a supermajority in the
California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...
for the first time since the 1800s.


State Senate

In 1976, Garamendi decided to retire after one term to run in
California's 13th State Senate district California's 13th senatorial district is one of 40 California California State Senate, State Senate districts. It is currently represented by California Democratic Party, Democrat Josh Becker (politician), Josh Becker of Menlo Park, California, ...
. He defeated Republican Bob Whitten, 53% to 47%. He was reelected in 1980 (60%), 1984 (69%), and 1988 (69%). While in the
California Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. N ...
, Garamendi served as Majority Leader. He chaired the Joint Committee on Science and Technology, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, and the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.


1982 gubernatorial election

Garamendi first ran for
governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...
in 1982. In the Democratic primary, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley defeated him, 61% to 25%.


1986 controller election

In the 1986 Democratic primary for
California State Controller The state controller of California is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of California, government of the U.S. state of California. Thirty-three individuals have held the office of state controller since statehood. T ...
, Garamendi lost to Assemblyman
Gray Davis Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American attorney and former politician who served as the 37th governor of California from 1999 until he was recalled and removed from office in 2003. He is the second state governor ...
, 50% to 38%.


Insurance commissioner (1991–1995)


1990 election

Garamendi first ran for California Insurance Commissioner in 1990. He won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 36% of the vote. His closest challenger was radio talk show host Bill Press, who got 28% of the vote. In the general election, he defeated Republican Wes Bannister, 52% to 38%. In fact, he was so confident of winning that he resigned his state senate seat early to give an advantage to his wife Patti, over her top rival for the seat, assemblyman Patrick Johnston (D-Stockton) for the upcoming special election to replace him.California Journal Vol. XXI, No.12 (December 1990) "Complete District By District Results". StateNet Publications, December 1990.


Tenure

In 1991, while serving as California Insurance Commissioner, Garamendi seized Executive Life, a failing life insurance company, and resold it to French investors who turned out to be fronts for a government-owned French bank. They made billions of dollars selling off the company's portfolio of junk bonds while the Californians with Executive Life policies were very negatively affected. This became a scandal in both the U.S. and France, with the U.S. government filing criminal charges, because it was illegal for a government-owned bank to own a U.S. insurer. Policyholders blamed Garamendi for putting them in this position. Eventually the U.S. government reached a settlement with the French bankers, and in 2005 Garamendi agreed to a settlement, the terms of which further angered Executive Life policyholders, who, according to the ''
Sacramento Bee ''The Sacramento Bee'' is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its foundation in 1857, ''The Bee'' has become the largest newspaper in Sacramento, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 2 ...
'', "had been damaged to the tune of perhaps $5 billion." A leader of the policyholders' interest group, Sue Watson, said, "We are shocked and outraged that the largest financial fraud in California history would be settled for so little and without even a fight." ''The Bee'' editorialized that "Garamendi cannot simultaneously assert that the sale was a good deal and a multibillion-dollar fraud, and then defend a cents-on-the-dollar settlement that left the buyers with billions of dollars in windfall profits. It just does not make sense."


1994 gubernatorial election

Garamendi ran for California governor a second time in 1994. In the Democratic primary,
State Treasurer In the state and territorial governments of the United States, 54 of the 56 states and territories have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the office of New York State Treasurer in 1926, in which the duties were transfer ...
Kathleen Brown defeated him, 48% to 33%.


1995–2003

After Garamendi's tenure as insurance commissioner, President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
appointed him Deputy Secretary of the Interior, the second-highest post in the U.S. Department of the Interior. He resigned in 1998 and became a partner at
Yucaipa Companies The Yucaipa Companies, LLC is an American private equity firm founded in 1986 by Ronald Burkle. It specializes in a private equity and venture capital, with a focus on middle-market companies, growth capital, industry consolidation, leveraged ...
, which had deals financed by Leon Black. Also from 1998 to 2000, Garamendi returned to the Peace Corps, leading groups of volunteers that helped negotiate peace treaties in the
Eritrean–Ethiopian War The Eritrean–Ethiopian War, also known as the Badme War, was a major armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea that took place from May 6, 1998 to June 18, 2000. After 1993 Eritrean independence referendum, Eritrea gained independence from E ...
and
Second Congo War The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War or the Great War of Africa, was a major conflict that began on 2 August 1998, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just over a year after the First Congo War. The war initially erupted ...
.


Insurance commissioner (2003–2007)


2002 election

Garamendi ran for California insurance commissioner for a second time in 2002. He won the Democratic primary with 39% of the vote. In the general election, he defeated Republican Gary Mendoza 46% to 42%.


2003 gubernatorial recall election

On August 7, 2003, Garamendi announced his candidacy for governor a third time in the gubernatorial recall election, but dropped out two days later to endorse
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Cruz Bustamante Cruz Miguel Bustamante (born January 4, 1953) is an American politician. He served as the 45th lieutenant governor of California from 1999 to 2007, under governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A member of the Democratic Party, Bustaman ...
.


Lieutenant governor (2007–2009)


2006 election

On July 16, 2004, Garamendi announced his candidacy for
lieutenant governor of California The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest Executive (government), executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The Lieutenant governor (United States), lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-yea ...
. He was endorsed by former Vice President
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
, the
Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...
, the California Teachers Association, the California League of Conservation Voters, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the California Professional Firefighters Association, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Tom Daschle Thomas Andrew Daschle ( ; born December 9, 1947) is an American politician and lobbyist who represented South Dakota in the United States Senate from 1987 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he led the Senate Democratic Caucus during the ...
, and former U.S. Interior Secretary
Bruce Babbitt Bruce Edward Babbitt (born June 27, 1938) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 47th United States secretary of the interior from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as the List of governors of Arizo ...
. Garamendi won the Democratic primary by defeating state senators Jackie Speier and Liz Figueroa 43% to 40% to 18%. In the general election, he defeated Republican state senator Tom McClintock 49% to 45%.


U.S. House of Representatives (2009–present)


Elections


2009 special

Initially, Garamendi planned to run for governor in the 2010 election. However, Representative
Ellen Tauscher Ellen O'Kane Tauscher (November 15, 1951 – April 29, 2019) was an American businesswoman, diplomat, and Democratic Party politician who was the U.S. representative for California's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2009. From 2009 to 20 ...
resigned from her U.S. House seat for
California's 10th congressional district California's 10th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. Currently, the 10th district encompasses parts of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area. It is currently represented by Democratic Party (United ...
to become
under secretary of state for arms control and international security The under secretary of state for arms control and international security (T) is a position within the U.S. Department of State that serves as a senior adviser to the President of the United States, president and the United States Secretary of St ...
. Garamendi announced his intention to run in the 2009 special election there despite living outside the district. There was some confusion about the location of Garamendi's residence. Garamendi said: "My front yard is in the district, our bedroom is not." He continued to fuel speculation about his residence when he said the same thing to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' in July. Later reports confirmed that his home was outside district boundaries. In the September election, no candidate reached the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. Garamendi ranked first among Democrats with 26% of the vote, defeating State Senator Mark DeSaulnier (18%) and Assemblymember
Joan Buchanan Joan T. Buchanan (born October 4, 1952) is an American politician and former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party public official and former school board member from Alamo, California. She was a member of the California State Assem ...
(12%). In the runoff on November 3, Garamendi defeated Republican nominee David Harmer, 53% to 43%. Garamendi was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives on November 5, 2009.


2010

Garamendi was reelected to his first full term, defeating Republican nominee Gary Clift 59% to 38%.


2012

After redistricting, Garamendi filed papers in March 2012 to run in the newly redrawn 3rd district. Garamendi was running in a district that was over 77% new to him. While the old 10th district traditionally favored Democrats, the new 3rd was somewhat more of a swing district. But the bulk of its vote was in Democratic-leaning territory between the Bay Area and Sacramento, Garamendi's base. Garamendi defeated Republican Kim Vann 54.2% to 45.8%.


2014

Garamendi was reelected, 53% to 47%, over Republican Assemblyman Dan Logue of Yuba County.


Political positions

Garamendi voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a ''
FiveThirtyEight ''FiveThirtyEight'', also rendered as ''538'', was an American website that focused on opinion poll analysis, politics, economics, and sports blogging in the United States. The website, which took its name from the number of electors in the U ...
'' analysis.


Abortion

Garamendi supports abortion access for everyone. He called ''Roe v. Wade'' a "fundamental human right to bodily autonomy". He opposed the 2022 overturning of ''Roe v. Wade'', calling the decision "devastating".


Donald Trump

Garamendi was critical of President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, suggesting in December 2016 that because of his international real-estate business, Trump was weighed down by conflicts of interest. He also said he was disturbed by the placement of "generals, ex-generals in every one of the key positions dealing with the military, dealing with international affairs." At a July 2017 town hall in Davis, Garamendi said that developments in the Trump administration were "far more serious" than
Watergate The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Nixon's resignation in 1974, in August of that year. It revol ...
. In July 2017, Garamendi said that during recent visits to Vietnam, South Korea, and Australia, he had encountered "angst, worry and concern about what's happening in America." Garamendi said in January 2018 that he was "angry" when Trump referred to certain Third World nations as "shithole countries".


Environment

On February 24, 2019, Garamendi announced on Facebook that he had become a co-sponsor of H.Res.109, also known as the
Green New Deal The Green New Deal (GND) calls for public policy to address climate change, along with achieving other social aims like job creation, economic growth, and reducing economic inequality. The name refers to the New Deal, a set of changes and ...
. This decision came after pressure from community members. The post read, "I welcome the energy and commitment of the supporters of H.Res.109, and I join with them as I continue my decades-long effort to stop Climate Change and save our planet." In late 2022, Garamendi introduced a bill to strengthen the Jones Act when dismantling offshore oil&gas platforms and installing offshore wind farms. Industry commentators noted the risk of delaying such projects and/or increasing their costs due to lack of US vessels and personnel.


Health care

On December 9, 2021, Garamendi became a cosponsor of H.R.1976, the Medicare for All Act of 2021.


Joe Biden

As of November 2021, Garamendi had voted in line with President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
's stated position 100% of the time.


Economic policy

In January 2018, Garamendi called the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 The Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018, , is a congressional revenue act of the United States originally introduced in Congress as the Tax Cuts and Jobs ...
a "tax scam" that would primarily benefit the so-called "1 percent". He asserted that House "deficit hawks" wanted to "cut out the social safety net" to pay for the bill. In a January 2018 interview, Garamendi said of the U.S. treasury: "There's no money. They gave it all away." He complained that current economic policies, including the large 2017 tax cuts, benefited the rich and corporations, not the middle class.


Immigration

In January 2018, Garamendi expressed the desire to "make sure every person is identified" and charged that E-Verify, a system intended to curtail undocumented employment, had "not really been enforced". He said that it was possible to compromise on the issue between conservative and progressive House members, and expressed concern about the fate of "undocumented immigrants who are not considered Dreamers."


Military

In May 2011, by a vote of 60–1, the House Armed Services Committee approved a $553 billion military funding bill that would increase pay and fund new aircraft, ships, and submarines. Garamendi cast the sole "no" vote. The same month, he introduced an amendment to the
National Defense Authorization Act The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is any of a series of United States federal laws specifying the annual budget and expenditures of the U.S. Department of Defense. The first NDAA was passed in 1961. The U.S. Congress oversees the de ...
that would withdraw 90% of troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2013. Along with eight other members of Congress he wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to end the war. With
Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel Feinstein (; June 22, 1933 – September 29, 2023) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1992 until her death in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 38th ...
and
Martin Heinrich Martin Trevor Heinrich ( ; born October 17, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Mexico, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Heinrich served as the ...
, Garamendi sponsored the Due Process Guarantee Act, a 2012 bill that would bar the military from indefinitely detaining U.S. citizens or residents within the country without charge or trial. Garmendi actively opposed a GOP-backed construction of a
missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear weapon, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic mi ...
site on the East Coast, saying it was fiscally irresponsible to be "spending up to $5 billion in the next three years on a missile defense system that doesn't work." He voted against extending the Patriot Act.


National security

In a May 2011 article, Garamendi wrote, "our national security is much more dependent on ending desperate poverty, funding good schools, and empowering women in the developing world while eradicating international terrorist networks like
al Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
. With bin Laden dead and al Qaeda in Afghanistan largely extinguished, it's time we revisited the wisdom of continuing the war in Afghanistan." In April 2018, he expressed opposition to building a border wall and said, "If you want to go where the problem is, fund the Coast Guard."


Student loans

In the fall of 2017, Garamendi and Brian Fitzpatrick co-introduced H.R. 4001, the Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculating Act. "For many Americans, the price of a college education is too high," he said.


Syria

On November 19, 2015, Garamendi voted for HR 4038, legislation that would effectively halt the resettlement of refugees from Syria and Iraq to the United States. On March 31, 2018, he described Trump's approach to Syria as "helter-skelter" and "chaos".


Water supply

In a June 2017 article, Garamendi rejected the proposal known as California WaterFix, calling it an "expensive boondoggle", and instead expressed support for Proposition 1.


Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress: * Committee on Armed Services ** Subcommittee on Readiness (Ranking Member) ** Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces ** Subcommittee on Strategic Forces * Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ** Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation ** Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management ** Subcommittee on Highways and Transit ** Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment * Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government


Caucus memberships

* House Democratic Caucus * Congressional Progressive Caucus *American Sikh Caucus (co-chair) *Air Force Caucus *Alzheimer's Task Force * Blue Collar Caucus *Military Families Caucus * Peace Corps Caucus (co-chair) * Rare Disease Caucus *Shipbuilding Caucus *Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition * United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus * Veterinary Medicine Caucus *Wine Caucus


Electoral history


Personal life

Garamendi is married to Patricia Wilkinson who has worked as agriculture specialist for the California Exposition and State Fair and as deputy secretary of California's Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. President Clinton appointed her to serve as associate director of the Peace Corps in 1993 and as deputy administrator in the Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service in 1998. Garamendi and Wilkinson live in Walnut Grove and have six children and 13 grandchildren. In July 2024, Garamendi announced that he had been diagnosed with
multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibody, antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone ...
.


See also

* List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress *
List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States This is a list of minority governors and lieutenant state governors in the United States. In the United States, an ethnic minority is anyone who has at least one parent who is not of non-Hispanic white descent (such as African Americans, Asian Am ...


References


External links


Congressman John Garamendi
official U.S. House website
John Garamendi for Congress
campaign website * , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Garamendi, John 1945 births American people of Basque descent American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent California Democrats California Golden Bears football players California insurance commissioners Democratic Party California state senators Candidates in the 1982 United States elections Candidates in the 1986 United States elections Candidates in the 1994 United States elections Clinton administration personnel Haas School of Business alumni Harvard Business School alumni Lieutenant governors of California Living people Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California People from Clay County, Florida People from Sacramento County, California People from Walnut Grove, California United States deputy secretaries of the interior University of California regents American people of Spanish descent American politicians of Basque descent 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the California State Legislature