George Deukmejian
Encyclopedia
Courken George Deukmejian, Jr. (icon;
born June 6, 1928) is an Armenian American politician
from California
who as a Republican
served as the 35th Governor of California
(1983–1991) and as California Attorney General
(1979–1983).
, New York
, where he spent his childhood. His parents were Armenians who immigrated from the Ottoman Empire
in the early 1900s; his father was born in Gaziantep
and his mother in Erzurum
. The family name "Deukmejian" originates from the Turkish language
word "Dökmeci" which means "molder." His father was a rug merchant, while his mother worked in Montgomery Ward
and later for New York State. Deukmejian graduated a B.A.
in Sociology
from Siena College
in 1949. He then earned a Juris Doctor
(J.D.) from St. John's University in 1952. From 1953 to 1955, he served in the U.S. Army
, assigned to the Judge Advocate General's Corps
.
He moved to California in 1955. His sister, Mrs. Anna Ashjian, was there, and introduced him to Gloria Saatjian
, whose parents were also immigrants from Armenia
. They married in 1957 and had three children: two daughters, born in 1964 and 1969 and one son, born in 1966.
. He was elected to represent Long Beach
, California
in the State Assembly
in 1962. In 1966, he became a State Senator
. By 1969, he was the majority leader
in the State Senate. He first ran for Attorney General of California in 1970, finishing fourth in the Republican primary. He won the election for Attorney General in 1978 and served from 1979 to 1983. During this time, he led a high-profile campaign against marijuana in northern California, at one point descending by helicopter along with flak-jacketed, gun-toting agents on a marijuana farm.
, having defeated Lieutenant Governor
Michael Curb, a recording company owner, in the Republican primary (1,165,266 or 51.1 percent to 1,020,935 or 44.8 percent). One of Deukmejian's early primary backers was former gubernatorial candidate Joe Shell
of Bakersfield
, California
, a conservative who had opposed Richard M. Nixon in the 1962 primary.
In the general election, he ran as a conservative supporter of public safety and balanced budgets. In addition, he was strongly critical of outgoing Governor Jerry Brown
and promised to run a very different administration. He also strongly criticized the state Supreme Court, which was dominated by Brown appointees, notably controversial Chief Justice Rose Bird
.
Deukmejian narrowly defeated Los Angeles
Mayor
Tom Bradley
in the general election. Deukmejian won the election by about 100,000 votes, about 1.2% of the 7.5 million votes cast. The victory came despite opinion poll
s leading up to the election which consistently showed Bradley with a lead, and despite exit polling conducted after voting closed which led some news organizations on the night of the election to make early projections of a Bradley victory. The discrepancy between the polling numbers and the election's ultimate results would come to be termed "the Bradley effect
," which refers to a hypothesized tendency of white voters to tell interviewers or pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate, but then actually vote for his opponent.
His governorship was a departure from his predecessor, Jerry Brown
. Deukmejian vowed not to raise taxes, appealing to the business community by repealing some consumer and environmental requirements. He presented himself as law and order candidate proposing new efforts to fight crime. He faced a Democrat-dominated California State Legislature
during his two terms as governor. He was the sole Republican statewide officeholder until Thomas W. Hayes
was appointed California State Treasurer
, following the death of Treasurer Jesse Unruh.
In 1983, Deukmejian abolished the Caltrans Office of Bicycle Facilities and reduced state spending for bicycle projects from 5 million to the statutory minimum of 360,000 per year. In 1984, he vetoed A.B. 1, the first bill to ban discrimination against gays and lesbians, which passed the Legislature. There were rallies and protests statewide.
During his first term, Deukmejian won the voters' approval. In 1986, Bradley sought a rematch and Deukmejian defeated him by a 61% to 37% percent margin, a record not broken until 1998. Deukmejian served as Governor from 1983 to 1991. He is generally regarded as a moderate-to-conservative
Republican.
The Deukmejian administration entered office during a national economic recession. California had a $1.5 billion budget deficit with an unemployment rate of 11.2%. He first halted the hiring of new state employees and banned out of state travel for those in government. He rejected the legislature's demands for tax hikes, and pared $1.1 billion from its budget by selectively vetoing spending items. One year later, further cuts, along with a booming defense industry, created a billion dollar surplus
for 1985. At one point his approval ratings had reached 76%. His 1985 budget increased spending in education, highway construction and environmental projects. However, health and welfare program spending was criticized.
However, just three years later Deukmejian faced his own billion dollar deficit. He supported a raise in the state minimum wage in 1989. During Deukmejian's administration, the general fund budget grew by 98% without any increase in general tax rates. (California State general fund budget: 1982–1983 $21.7 billion; 1990–1991 $42.9 billion.)
Deukmejian largely made his career by being tough on crime. When he was in the legislature, he wrote California's capital punishment
law. As a candidate for reelection, in 1986 he opposed the retention election of three Brown-appointed justices of the California Supreme Court due to their consistent opposition to the death penalty in any and all circumstances. One of them (the best known) was Rose Bird
, the first female Chief Justice of the Court (and the first one to be voted off). Deukmejian proceeded to elevate his friend and law partner, Malcolm M. Lucas
, from Associate Justice to Chief Justice, and appointed three new associate justices. Under Deukmejian, the California prison population nearly tripled – as of December 31, 1982, the total prison population stood at 34,640 inmates. By the end of 1991 the population had reached 97,309. He increased spending for the building of new prisons.
In 1988, then-Vice President
George H. W. Bush
considered Governor Deukmejian as a possible running mate for the Presidential election
that year. During a trade mission to South Korea
in August, Deukmejian sent a letter saying he "cannot be considered" for nomination, refusing to leave the governorship to Democratic Lieutenant Governor Leo T. McCarthy
. Deukmejian didn't seek reelection to a third term as governor in the 1990 gubernatorial elections, and was succeeded by fellow Republican then-United States Senator Pete Wilson
on January 7, 1991.
In 1991, in his last two hours in office, he vetoed the property tax exemption bill passed by both houses of the Legislature which applied to companies building thermal solar plants in California. Although the Legislature enacted the exemption in early 1991, companies would still face significant levels of property tax and other taxes. This exemption was focused towards the SEGS (Solar Electric Generating Stations) plants built by Luz Limited International (LUZ) in the late 1980s. His veto resulted in LUZ' bankruptcy and a 15-year hiatus in the construction of large solar power projects worldwide.
.
He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from California State University, Long Beach
in 2008 because of his support for education, state law, and Long Beach.
born June 6, 1928) is an Armenian American politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
who as a Republican
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...
served as the 35th Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
(1983–1991) and as California Attorney General
California Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
(1979–1983).
Early life
Deukmejian was born in MenandsMenands, New York
Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,990 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Louis Menand...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he spent his childhood. His parents were Armenians who immigrated from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the early 1900s; his father was born in Gaziantep
Gaziantep
Gaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
and his mother in Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
. The family name "Deukmejian" originates from the Turkish language
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
word "Dökmeci" which means "molder." His father was a rug merchant, while his mother worked in Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
and later for New York State. Deukmejian graduated 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 Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Siena College
Siena College
Siena College is an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Loudonville, in the town of Colonie, New York, United States. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and...
in 1949. He then earned a Juris Doctor
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...
(J.D.) from St. John's University in 1952. From 1953 to 1955, he served in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, assigned to the Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
.
He moved to California in 1955. His sister, Mrs. Anna Ashjian, was there, and introduced him to Gloria Saatjian
Gloria Saatjian
Gloria Saatjian Deukmejian is a former first lady of California and the wife of former California governor George Deukmejian. Saatjian married her husband in 1957. They have two daughters and one son. The name "Saatjian" is derived from the Turkish word "saatçi" which means "watchmaker."-...
, whose parents were also immigrants from Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. They married in 1957 and had three children: two daughters, born in 1964 and 1969 and one son, born in 1966.
Political beginnings
In California, Deukmejian entered politics after a short period of private practice in Long Beach alongside Malcolm M. LucasMalcolm M. Lucas
Malcolm Millar Lucas was the 26th Chief Justice of California. He was appointed to the position after his predecessor, Rose Bird, was removed by the electorate in 1986 for reasons including her staunch opposition to capital punishment, which was reflected in her voting for reversal in all 61...
. He was elected to represent Long Beach
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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the State Assembly
California 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...
in 1962. In 1966, he became a 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...
. By 1969, he was the majority leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
in the State Senate. He first ran for Attorney General of California in 1970, finishing fourth in the Republican primary. He won the election for Attorney General in 1978 and served from 1979 to 1983. During this time, he led a high-profile campaign against marijuana in northern California, at one point descending by helicopter along with flak-jacketed, gun-toting agents on a marijuana farm.
Governorship
In 1982, he was elected to his first term as Governor of CaliforniaGovernor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
, having defeated Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
Michael Curb, a recording company owner, in the Republican primary (1,165,266 or 51.1 percent to 1,020,935 or 44.8 percent). One of Deukmejian's early primary backers was former gubernatorial candidate Joe Shell
Joe Shell
Joseph Claude Shell, Sr. was an American oil producer and lobbyist who represented District 58 in the California State Assembly from 1953-1963. During 1961-62 he was the Assembly Republican Minority Leader...
of Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, a conservative who had opposed Richard M. Nixon in the 1962 primary.
In the general election, he ran as a conservative supporter of public safety and balanced budgets. In addition, he was strongly critical of outgoing Governor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
and promised to run a very different administration. He also strongly criticized the state Supreme Court, which was dominated by Brown appointees, notably controversial Chief Justice Rose Bird
Rose Bird
Rose Elizabeth Bird served for 10 years as the 25th Chief Justice of California. She was the first female Justice, and first female Chief Justice, on that court, appointed by then Governor Jerry Brown...
.
Deukmejian narrowly defeated Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Mayor
Mayor of Los Angeles, California
The mayor of Los Angeles is the chief executive officer of the city. He is elected for a four-year term and limited to serving no more than two terms. Under the California Constitution, all judicial, school, county, and city offices, including those of chartered cities, are nonpartisan...
Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
in the general election. Deukmejian won the election by about 100,000 votes, about 1.2% of the 7.5 million votes cast. The victory came despite opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
s leading up to the election which consistently showed Bradley with a lead, and despite exit polling conducted after voting closed which led some news organizations on the night of the election to make early projections of a Bradley victory. The discrepancy between the polling numbers and the election's ultimate results would come to be termed "the Bradley effect
Bradley effect
The Bradley effect, less commonly called the Wilder effect, is a theory proposed to explain observed discrepancies between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in some United States government elections where a white candidate and a non-white candidate run against each other...
," which refers to a hypothesized tendency of white voters to tell interviewers or pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate, but then actually vote for his opponent.
His governorship was a departure from his predecessor, Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
. Deukmejian vowed not to raise taxes, appealing to the business community by repealing some consumer and environmental requirements. He presented himself as law and order candidate proposing new efforts to fight crime. He faced a Democrat-dominated California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
during his two terms as governor. He was the sole Republican statewide officeholder until Thomas W. Hayes
Thomas W. Hayes
Thomas W. Hayes was the 28th California State Treasurer. A Republican, he was nominated by Governor George Deukmejian to fill the vacancy created by the August 4, 1987 death of Democrat Jesse M. Unruh. He took office in 1989, upon confirmation by both houses of the California Legislature...
was appointed California State Treasurer
California State Treasurer
The California State Treasurer is responsible for the state's investment and finance. The post has more narrow responsibilities and authority than the California State Controller...
, following the death of Treasurer Jesse Unruh.
In 1983, Deukmejian abolished the Caltrans Office of Bicycle Facilities and reduced state spending for bicycle projects from 5 million to the statutory minimum of 360,000 per year. In 1984, he vetoed A.B. 1, the first bill to ban discrimination against gays and lesbians, which passed the Legislature. There were rallies and protests statewide.
During his first term, Deukmejian won the voters' approval. In 1986, Bradley sought a rematch and Deukmejian defeated him by a 61% to 37% percent margin, a record not broken until 1998. Deukmejian served as Governor from 1983 to 1991. He is generally regarded as a moderate-to-conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Republican.
The Deukmejian administration entered office during a national economic recession. California had a $1.5 billion budget deficit with an unemployment rate of 11.2%. He first halted the hiring of new state employees and banned out of state travel for those in government. He rejected the legislature's demands for tax hikes, and pared $1.1 billion from its budget by selectively vetoing spending items. One year later, further cuts, along with a booming defense industry, created a billion dollar surplus
Economic surplus
In mainstream economics, economic surplus refers to two related quantities. Consumer surplus or consumers' surplus is the monetary gain obtained by consumers because they are able to purchase a product for a price that is less than the highest price that they would be willing to pay...
for 1985. At one point his approval ratings had reached 76%. His 1985 budget increased spending in education, highway construction and environmental projects. However, health and welfare program spending was criticized.
However, just three years later Deukmejian faced his own billion dollar deficit. He supported a raise in the state minimum wage in 1989. During Deukmejian's administration, the general fund budget grew by 98% without any increase in general tax rates. (California State general fund budget: 1982–1983 $21.7 billion; 1990–1991 $42.9 billion.)
Deukmejian largely made his career by being tough on crime. When he was in the legislature, he wrote California's capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
law. As a candidate for reelection, in 1986 he opposed the retention election of three Brown-appointed justices of the California Supreme Court due to their consistent opposition to the death penalty in any and all circumstances. One of them (the best known) was Rose Bird
Rose Bird
Rose Elizabeth Bird served for 10 years as the 25th Chief Justice of California. She was the first female Justice, and first female Chief Justice, on that court, appointed by then Governor Jerry Brown...
, the first female Chief Justice of the Court (and the first one to be voted off). Deukmejian proceeded to elevate his friend and law partner, Malcolm M. Lucas
Malcolm M. Lucas
Malcolm Millar Lucas was the 26th Chief Justice of California. He was appointed to the position after his predecessor, Rose Bird, was removed by the electorate in 1986 for reasons including her staunch opposition to capital punishment, which was reflected in her voting for reversal in all 61...
, from Associate Justice to Chief Justice, and appointed three new associate justices. Under Deukmejian, the California prison population nearly tripled – as of December 31, 1982, the total prison population stood at 34,640 inmates. By the end of 1991 the population had reached 97,309. He increased spending for the building of new prisons.
In 1988, then-Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
considered Governor Deukmejian as a possible running mate for the Presidential election
United States presidential election, 1988
The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the...
that year. During a trade mission to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in August, Deukmejian sent a letter saying he "cannot be considered" for nomination, refusing to leave the governorship to Democratic Lieutenant Governor Leo T. McCarthy
Leo T. McCarthy
Leo Tarcissus McCarthy was a New Zealand-born American politician and businessman. He served as the 43rd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1983 to 1995....
. Deukmejian didn't seek reelection to a third term as governor in the 1990 gubernatorial elections, and was succeeded by fellow Republican then-United States Senator Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
on January 7, 1991.
In 1991, in his last two hours in office, he vetoed the property tax exemption bill passed by both houses of the Legislature which applied to companies building thermal solar plants in California. Although the Legislature enacted the exemption in early 1991, companies would still face significant levels of property tax and other taxes. This exemption was focused towards the SEGS (Solar Electric Generating Stations) plants built by Luz Limited International (LUZ) in the late 1980s. His veto resulted in LUZ' bankruptcy and a 15-year hiatus in the construction of large solar power projects worldwide.
Post-governorship
Deukmejian was a partner in Sidley & Austin, a national and international law firm, from 1991 to 2000 when he retired. He reentered public life by serving on special committees, including one to reform the California penal system, and a charter-reform committee in his hometown of Long Beach. He oversaw a revamping of the UCLA Willed Body Program after a scandal involving the sale of human body parts donated for scienceBody donation
Body donation is the donation of the whole body after death for medical research and education. For years, only medical schools accepted whole bodies for donation, but now private programs also accept donors....
.
He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
in 2008 because of his support for education, state law, and Long Beach.
Quotation
- "Attorneys General don't appoint judges Governors do." – Deukmejian explaining why he ran for Governor instead of running for a second term as Attorney General