Dick Ackerman
Encyclopedia
Richard Charles Ackerman (born December 5, 1942) is a Republican
U.S.
politician
, who was a California State Senator
for the 33rd District, representing inland Orange County
, from 2000 to 2008.
Born in Long Beach, California
, Ackerman earned a B.A.
in Mathematics
from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1964 and a J.D.
from Hastings College of the Law in 1967. He currently practices law at Nossaman
LLP in Orange County where he is a partner in the firm and focuses on regulatory issues facing clients across multiple industries. Ackerman and his wife, Linda, who married in 1968, have three children, Lauren, Marc, and Brett, and two granddaughters, Caitlin and Elizabeth.
Elected to the Fullerton
City Council in 1980, Ackerman served three terms on the council, also serving as Mayor in 1982 and 1986.
from the 72nd District in a 1995 special election to replace Assemblyman Ross Johnson
, who vacated the seat after winning a special election to the State Senate
. He was unopposed for re-election in 1996 and won 68% of the vote in 1998. During his tenure in the Assembly, Ackerman served as Assistant Republican Leader, Republican Caucus
Whip
, Vice Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources
Committee, Vice Chair of the Assembly Judiciary
Committee, a member of Appropriations
Committee, and a member of the Legislative Ethics
Committee.
in the central part of his Senate District. In 2002, Ackerman agreed to run as a sacrificial lamb
against incumbent
Democratic
Attorney General
Bill Lockyer
in the latter's bid for a second term, as no Republican sought the nomination for Attorney General and Ackerman could retain his Senate seat since it was not up for election until 2004. As expected, Lockyer won re-election and Ackerman stayed in the Senate. On May 10, 2004, Ackerman was unanimously
elected to serve as Senate Minority Leader
. Six months later, he won re-election to the Senate with 69% of the vote. On April 15, 2008, Ackerman officially handed over California Senate GOP leadership to fellow Long Beach-born State Senator Dave Cogdill
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who was a California State Senator
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
for the 33rd District, representing inland Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, from 2000 to 2008.
Born in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Ackerman earned a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1964 and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Hastings College of the Law in 1967. He currently practices law at Nossaman
Nossaman
Nossaman LLP is a national law firm with over 150 attorneys and lobbyists located in seven offices throughout the United States. The Firm’s expertise is focused in distinct areas of law and policy, as well as in specific industries, ranging from transportation, healthcare and financial services to...
LLP in Orange County where he is a partner in the firm and focuses on regulatory issues facing clients across multiple industries. Ackerman and his wife, Linda, who married in 1968, have three children, Lauren, Marc, and Brett, and two granddaughters, Caitlin and Elizabeth.
Elected to the Fullerton
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
City Council in 1980, Ackerman served three terms on the council, also serving as Mayor in 1982 and 1986.
California State Assembly career
Ackerman was elected to the California State AssemblyCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
from the 72nd District in a 1995 special election to replace Assemblyman Ross Johnson
Ross Johnson (politician)
James Ross Johnson is a Republican United States political figure from California who most recently served as chairperson of the California Fair Political Practices Commission...
, who vacated the seat after winning a special election to the State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
. He was unopposed for re-election in 1996 and won 68% of the vote in 1998. During his tenure in the Assembly, Ackerman served as Assistant Republican Leader, Republican Caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, Vice Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
Committee, Vice Chair of the Assembly Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
Committee, a member of Appropriations
Appropriation bill
An appropriation bill or running bill is a legislative motion which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending...
Committee, and a member of the Legislative Ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
Committee.
California State Senate career
After those three terms in the Assembly, Ackerman was elected to the State Senate in 2000. In first year in the Senate, he became Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Ackerman and his family moved from their long-time Fullerton residence in the northern part of his Senate District to IrvineIrvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
in the central part of his Senate District. In 2002, Ackerman agreed to run as a sacrificial lamb
Sacrificial lamb
A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession, but is offered to God as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of Sin.-In politics:In politics, a...
against incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Bill Lockyer
Bill Lockyer
William Westwood "Bill" Lockyer is an American politician. He is the current 32nd State Treasurer of California, elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2010. He has also served as California Attorney General and President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate...
in the latter's bid for a second term, as no Republican sought the nomination for Attorney General and Ackerman could retain his Senate seat since it was not up for election until 2004. As expected, Lockyer won re-election and Ackerman stayed in the Senate. On May 10, 2004, Ackerman was unanimously
Unanimity
Unanimity is agreement by all people in a given situation. When unanimous, everybody is of the same mind and acting together as one. Though unlike uniformity, it does not constitute absolute agreement. Many groups consider unanimous decisions a sign of agreement, solidarity, and unity...
elected to serve as Senate Minority Leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
. Six months later, he won re-election to the Senate with 69% of the vote. On April 15, 2008, Ackerman officially handed over California Senate GOP leadership to fellow Long Beach-born State Senator Dave Cogdill
Dave Cogdill
David Ellis Cogdill, Sr. is a Republican politician who served as a State Senator from California's 14th State Senate district from December 2006 to December 2010...
.