Tom J. Bordonaro Jr. (born March 22, 1959) is an American politician serving as the Assessor of San Luis Obispo County, California, since 2002. A Republican, he served two terms in the California State Assembly from 1994 to 1998, making him the first wheelchair-user to be elected to the legislative body.
Tom J. Bordonaro Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| San Luis Obispo County Assessor | |
| Assumed office 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Dick Frank |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 33rd district | |
| In office December 5, 1994 – November 30, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Andrea Seastrand |
| Succeeded by | Abel Maldonado |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 22, 1959 Fullerton, California |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Martha (m. 1990) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (BS) University of California, Davis (MS) |
Early life and education
editBorn in Fullerton, California, his father's family is from Italy and his mother's family came to California from East Texas during the Dust Bowl.[1] Bordonaro graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a bachelor's degree in agricultural management and a master's degree in agricultural economics from the University of California, Davis.[2]
In his first year of college, Bordonaro was left a quadriplegic after breaking his neck in a car crash.[1]
Career
editBordonaro was elected to the California State Assembly in 1994 representing the 33rd district, representing parts of the lower Central Coast. He was the first wheelchair-user elected to the legislative body.[2]
Bordonaro ran in the 1998 special election replacing Walter Capps, who died of a heart attack after taking office. Considered the more conservative candidate, he won the Republican nomination over Newt Gingrich-endorsed Assemblyman Brooks Firestone[1]. Gerald Ford had previously described Bordonaro as an "extremist" for his stance on abortion and Democratic nominee Lois Capps used the quote in media attacks against him.[3][4] Capps, Walter's widow, ultimately won with 53.46% to Bordonaro's 44.78% of the total vote. He ran in the regularly scheduled general election and lost again.
He was elected San Luis Obispo County Assessor in 2002, defeating 25-year incumbent Dick Frank, and has been unnoposed in every election besides 2018.[2]
Electoral history
edit1998 (special)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lois Capps | 93,392 | 53.46% | |
| Republican | Tom J. Bordonaro, Jr. | 78,224 | 44.78% | |
| Libertarian | Robert Bakhaus | 3,079 | 1.76% | |
| Total votes | 174,695 | 100.00% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Democratic hold | ||||
1998
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lois Capps (incumbent) | 111,388 | 55.09% | |
| Republican | Tom J. Bordonaro Jr. | 86,921 | 42.99% | |
| Libertarian | Robert Bakhaus | 2,618 | 1.29% | |
| Reform | Richard D. "Dick" Porter | 1,263 | 0.62% | |
| Total votes | 202,190 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Personal life
editBordonaro and his wife, Martha, live on a farm in Paso Robles. The couple have four children and two grandchildren.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c Skelton, George (December 4, 1997). "Renegade GOP Candidate Has Beaten Bigger Odds". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Holden, Lindsey (May 18, 2018). "SLO County Assessor Tom Bordonaro seeks 5th term. Here's where he stands on the issues". The Tribune (San Luis Obispo). Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Gizzi, John (March 20, 1998). "Bordonaro and Pauken lose in California and Texas". Human Events. Vol. 54, no. 11. p. 265 – via ProQuest Central.
- ^ Segura, Gary; Woods, Nathan (2002). "Targets of Opportunity: California's Blanket Primary and the Political Representation of Latinos". In Cain, Bruce; Gerber, Elisabeth (eds.). Voting at the Political Fault Line : California's Experiment with the Blanket Primary. University of California Press. p. 259. doi:10.1525/9780520935778-015. ISBN 978-0-520-93577-8.
- ^ "California Special Elections History 1998 to Present" (PDF). California Secretary of State.
- ^ "1998 election results" (PDF).
 | This article about a member of the California State Assembly is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |