Republican Senator Understands Business, Demonstrates Bipartisan Leadership
(February 1, 2010) With the departure of Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi to Congress, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has selected Republican state Senator Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria to fill that position.
Senator Maldonado’s qualifications make him an excellent candidate for lieutenant governor. Let’s go through them.
Business Background
First, Senator Maldonado is a businessman with hands-on experience in growing a small business.
The oldest son of immigrant field workers, the senator worked as a child picking strawberries with his father. After graduating from Santa Maria High School, Maldonado attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, majoring in crop science.
He took what he learned in college back to the family farm, and has seen that farm grow from a half-acre of strawberries into a 6,000-acre operation that employs more than 250 people and ships produce around the globe.
Leadership in Government
Second, the senator has extensive experience in the operations of government, starting with his election to the Santa Maria City Council at age 26. Maldonado ran for office after slogging through the city’s bureaucracy for months when the family farm applied for a building permit to construct a new 35,000 square-foot cooling facility.
Two years after his election to city council, voters elected Maldonado mayor of the city rather than the incumbent and a former mayor.
In 1998, Maldonado was elected to the California Assembly. District voters re-elected him in both 2000 and 2002, then sent him on to the Senate in 2004.
During Maldonado’s time in the Legislature, he has consistently supported jobs-friendly policies and questioned costly mandates on employers.
He also has been a strong supporter of government reforms, including authoring the top two candidates open primary measure on the June ballot. This California Chamber of Commerce-supported measure will increase voter participation and empowers Californians in all state legislative districts to elect candidates who represent the broadest views in their district.
Office Continuity
Given Senator Maldonado’s background, you may be asking why I even need to write this commentary. Why is there any question on whether the senator should fill out the remainder of John Garamendi’s term as Lieutenant Governor for the rest of the year?
After all, the state Constitution gives the Governor authority to fill the vacancy, subject to approval by both houses of the Legislature, so the duties of the office can continue to be carried out until the next election. Senator Maldonado’s background indicates that he possesses both the qualifications and character for appointment to this office. He has served his constituents and the people of California well and honestly.
What it all comes down to is perhaps he’s too attractive a candidate because his qualifications as a temporary fill-in also make him a good candidate for election: He is a strong representative of business. He has extensive legislative experience. He is representative of the expanding Latino voter base in California. He has developed bipartisan solutions to issues facing California.
Good for California
I have known and worked with Senator Maldonado since he was first elected to the Legislature in 1998. He’s ethical. He’s an informed decision maker. He’s a leader.
Not only would it be in the best interests of California to confirm Senator Maldonado as Lieutenant Governor; it would be a black mark against California to not confirm him for political reasons.
Senator Abel Maldonado’s qualifications are beyond reproach. A vote to confirm his appointment as Lieutenant Governor will show the rest of the country that California can make decisions based on substance and policy, not on pure politics.
Allan Zaremberg is president and chief executive officer of the California Chamber of Commerce.