Bruce McPherson, left, pictured with wife Mary McPherson, will take over a troubled state elections office.
Posted on 02/11/2005 8:48:37 PM PST by SmithL
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday appointed former Santa Cruz lawmaker Bruce McPherson as Secretary of State -- picking an affable, moderate Republican to take over the state's troubled elections office.
A week ago, Democrat Kevin Shelley resigned his post as Secretary of State effective March 1 because he was unable to withstand a swirl of investigations, including probes into alleged misuse of federal funds.
``In filling this vacancy, I looked for someone with strong experience and unimpeachable integrity and somebody who is widely respected,'' Schwarzenegger said. ``That is exactly what Bruce McPherson brings to this job.''
McPherson, 61, left the state Senate at the end of last year, due to term limits.
He said he was ``honored and humbled'' by the nomination and would do his best to ``restore trust, confidence and efficiency to the office of Secretary of State.''
In naming McPherson, Schwarzenegger reportedly aimed to select someone with a good chance of legislative confirmation and a strong shot at being elected in 2006. McPherson said he didn't know whether he wanted to run for a full term.
Democrats now control all statewide elected offices except the governor's. Either house of the Democrat-controlled Legislature could block McPherson's appointment.
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, told Knight Ridder on Thursday that he would call a quick Senate vote on McPherson and expected easy confirmation there.
``There isn't anybody who has a greater sense of responsibility, personal integrity and fairness than Bruce McPherson,'' Perata said.
The unruly Assembly could be more of a challenge, observers predict. Earlier this week, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, urged the governor to pick a non-partisan elections expert, not a politician, for the post.
Just before the governor's announcement Friday, a spokesman for Núñez said his house did not intend to consider the nominee until Shelley actually leaves. That's when a 90-day timeline for legislative action begins, the spokesman said.
A former editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, McPherson surprised observers by winning an Assembly seat in 1993 in a famously liberal part of the state.
McPherson lost his son, 27-year-old Hunter, near the end of 2001. Hunter McPherson was killed in San Francisco during a botched robbery. The elder McPherson has been spending his days in a courtroom recently, watching the trial of his son's accused killer.
Bruce McPherson, left, pictured with wife Mary McPherson, will take over a troubled state elections office.
Ahhhnuld "tapping" anyone has to leave a mark!
Very good choice for this particular post.
Sweep on, Governor!
Bruce McPherson bio
STYLE IS FRIENDLY, FUNNY AND PRAGMATIC.
By Kate Folmar
Knight Ridder Sacramento Bureau
PERSONAL: A former editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Republican McPherson served 10 years in the state Legislature. He and Mary, his wife of 34 years, have a grown daughter. Their son, Hunter, was killed in 2001 when he and his girlfriend were held up by an armed man.
HIS ROLE: Heir apparent to a Secretary of State's Office beset by scandals. McPherson is known as a likable moderate, able to work with both parties. Fiscally conservative and socially moderate, McPherson carried several election-reform and good-government measures in the Legislature. He made a surprisingly strong, but ultimately unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor in 2002.
HIS STYLE: Friendly, funny and pragmatic. McPherson is seen as a classic ``Schwarzenegger Republican.''
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT HIM: ``Bruce has an outstanding reputation as a consensus builder. He is well respected across the political spectrum for his integrity and ability to work in a non-partisan way for the good of the state,'' said state Sen. Charles Poochigian, R-Fresno.
HIS BACKGROUND: McPherson was born in Santa Cruz in 1944. He was the longtime newspaper editor before he stunned the political establishment with a 1993 Assembly win in his liberal hometown.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: ```I am honored to be able to serve the people of California again. ... I will work hard to restore integrity, trust and confidence to the office of Secretary of State.''
While he is a RINO, in this position, he shouldn't be a problem. And at the very least, he should be a vast improvement over Shelley.
Not that anybody gives a hoot, other than having a little sniker at my expense... I hereby admit that I was obviously wrong about my prediction of his selecting Bill Jones. This is the second time I've been wrong!!!
From what I understand, supposedly Jones could not be appointed to the position because he had served the maximum two terms (1995-2003). Ah-nold's appointment of McPherson is a supreme DISappointment, both in that he appears to be another Sam Reed type (the RINO Sec of State of WA, who certified the fraudulent election of pretender Gov. Gregoire), and is utterly incapable of winning a statewide office (having lost in a landslide to incompetent Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante in '02, despite having spent a sizeable chunk of money).
RINO appoints RINO. What a surprise.
You got that sucker copyrighted? That was/is a GREAT THREAD!!!
Thank you... SIR!!!
He will definitely have a bit of work to do to restore confidence in the office, electoral and decision-making process that has existed and twisted the office to serve dems and their sad agenda, that's for sure.
I wish him well.
If it walks like a donkey, talks like a donkey, represents a donkey district...but says it's a republican....it's an effin donkey - you know how those donkeys lie, remember pinicchio?!
That's what's so intensely interesting on that other thread, is what Carry_Okie, NormsRevenge and especially calcowgirl dug up from the Secretary of State's website!!!
Then,,
Next up..
And on deck,,Chairman Mao Lockyer
Great reply. Oh! I must say I liked a couple of graphics over on that other thread, too!!! (don't tell Mrs. Wasp)
"I have declared war on Schwarzenegger" says Fabian Nunez
New Speaker of the California Assembly vows to terminate the 'terminator' if he continues with his anti-immigrant ways
I know of what you speak. ;-)
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