Rep. John Garamendi (D)

The new congressman from the 10th District is John Garamendi, a Democrat who had been California’s lieutenant governor. He won the San Francisco Bay-area seat in the Nov. 3, 2009 special election to replace Democrat Ellen Tauscher, who left Congress in June to join President Obama’s State Department. At age 64, Garamendi is among the older freshmen in the House, but he is also one of the most politically seasoned, with more than 30 years of public service, most of it in California. At House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s request, Garamendi made haste to Washington to be sworn in on Thursday, putting him in a position to vote on the Democrats’ pending health care overhaul bill. He is a longtime supporter of a government-run, single-payer system and was expected to vote for the legislation. “I would be very happy to make that yes vote my first vote in Congress,” Garamendi told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Garamendi was raised on his family’s cattle ranch in Calaveras County, Calif. At the University of California at Berkeley, he was an All-American offensive guard in football and was also a competitive wrestler. After graduating, he joined the Peace Corps in Ethiopia, where his wife, Patti, also was a volunteer. The experience launched him on a career in public service. After returning to California, he won his first campaign in 1974 to the state Assembly. In 1976, he was elected to the state Senate, where he eventually became majority leader. During his career, he did two stints as the state’s insurance commissioner, and also was President Bill Clinton’s deputy secretary of the Interior. But he ultimately failed twice in his bid to become governor of California. In the 2006 Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, Garamendi narrowly defeated Jackie Speier, who represents the 12th District in the House. He went on to beat Republican Tom McClintock in the general election. Garamendi was planning another run for governor in 2010 when Tauscher resigned her House seat in June 2009 to become Obama’s undersecretary for state for arms control and international security.

In the jockeying before the all-party primary in September, state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier was an early favorite among Democrats and gained endorsements from Tauscher and from neighboring 7th District Rep. George Miller, a prominent California Democrat and close ally of Democratic House Speaker Pelosi. While DeSaulnier was better known locally, Garamendi had higher name identification from numerous statewide campaigns, and he also had endorsements from Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore. Garamendi was criticized for living outside the district, although California does not make residency a requirement. He insisted that he did live in the district, at least partially. Garamendi said that his front lawn was in the 10th District although his house was not.

In the September 1 primary, Garamendi prevailed among Democrats, winning 26% to DeSaulnier’s 18%. But no candidate received the requisite 50%, and Garamendi moved on to a runoff election against Republican attorney David Harmer, who earned the most votes among the Republican candidates.

Harmer had some name recognition as the son of former GOP Lt. Gov. John Harmer, but otherwise was not well known. He was competitive financially, raising $800,000 to Garamendi’s $1 million. Still, he faced an uphill battle in a suburban San Francisco district where Democrats hold an 18-percentage-point advantage over Republicans. During the campaign, Garamendi embraced Obama’s agenda, including support for the public option in the health care legislation. Harmer campaigned in opposition to the president, criticizing the government bailouts of the financial and auto industries. “This election offered voters a very clear choice of direction,” Garamendi said at his victory party in downtown Walnut Creek, Calif. He won on Tuesday with 53% of the vote to Harmer’s 43%.