Gray Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gray Davis
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Davis in 2010
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| 37th Governor of California | |
| In office January 4, 1999 – November 17, 2003 |
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| Lieutenant | Cruz Bustamante |
| Preceded by | Pete Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| 44th Lieutenant Governor of California | |
| In office January 2, 1995 – January 4, 1999 |
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| Governor | Pete Wilson |
| Preceded by | Leo T. McCarthy |
| Succeeded by | Cruz Bustamante |
| 28th Controller of California | |
| In office January 5, 1987 – January 2, 1995 |
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| Governor | George Deukmejian Pete Wilson |
| Preceded by | Kenneth Cory |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen Connell |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 43rd district |
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| In office December 6, 1982 – November 30, 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Berman |
| Succeeded by | Terry B. Friedman |
| Chief of Staff to the Governor of California | |
| In office 1975–1981 |
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| Governor | Jerry Brown |
| Preceded by | Edwin Meese |
| Succeeded by | B. T. Collins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Graham Davis Jr.
December 26, 1942 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) Columbia University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1967–1969 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Bronze Star |
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American lawyer and former politician. He served as the 37th Governor of California from 1999 to 2003. He was removed from office in 2003 after a special vote called a recall election. He was the second state governor in U.S. history to be recalled.
Davis is a member of the Democratic Party. He studied history at Stanford University and law at Columbia Law School. He was a captain in the Vietnam War and received a Bronze Star Medal for his service. Before becoming governor, Davis held several important roles. He was chief of staff for Governor Jerry Brown (1975–1981). He also served as a California State Assemblyman (1983–1987). Later, he was the California State Controller (1987–1995). Finally, he was the 44th Lieutenant Governor of California (1995–1999).
As governor, Davis focused on improving education. California spent billions more on schools during his first term. Test scores for students in California went up for five years in a row. Davis also signed the first state law in the U.S. that required car makers to limit pollution from vehicles. He supported laws to ban certain types of weapons. He also worked to improve California's relationship with Mexico. Davis started his time as governor with high public support. However, his popularity dropped. Many voters blamed him for the California electricity crisis, a state budget problem, and an increase in car taxes.
On October 7, 2003, voters decided to remove Davis from office. About 55% of voters supported his removal. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an actor, took his place as governor on November 17, 2003. After leaving office, Davis became a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Affairs. He also worked as a lawyer.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Military Service in Vietnam
- Starting His Political Career
- Serving in the State Assembly
- California State Controller
- Lieutenant Governor of California
- Governor of California
- Life After Being Governor
- Personal Life
- See also
Early Life and Education
Gray Davis was born in the Bronx, New York City, on December 26, 1942. His birth name was Joseph Graham Davis Jr. He was the oldest of five children. His family moved to California in 1954.
Davis went to the Harvard School for Boys, a military academy in North Hollywood. He also attended public and Catholic schools. These experiences helped him understand different school systems.
He was a strong student and was accepted into Stanford University. He played on the Stanford golf team. Davis graduated from Stanford in 1964 with a degree in history. He then went to Columbia Law School in New York City. He earned his law degree in 1967.
Military Service in Vietnam
After law school, Davis joined the United States Army in 1967. He served in the Vietnam War until 1969. He saw combat during his time there. Davis returned home as a captain and received a Bronze Star Medal for his good service.
Friends noticed that Davis, like many veterans, seemed changed by the war. He became more serious and focused on his goals. He was surprised to see that many soldiers in Vietnam were from different backgrounds than his own. This made him want to work towards making America more fair. Davis is a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Starting His Political Career
Davis began his political journey by volunteering for a campaign in 1970. He also helped create a statewide neighborhood crime watch program. His first major political experience was helping Tom Bradley become the first Black mayor of Los Angeles in 1973. This historic win inspired Davis to pursue a career in politics.
From 1975 to 1981, Davis worked as the chief of staff for Governor Jerry Brown. Davis was known for being very organized and focused. He even said he ran the state when Governor Brown was away campaigning.
Serving in the State Assembly
Davis was elected as an Assemblyman for the 43rd district. He represented parts of Los Angeles County, including West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, from 1983 to 1987.
During this time, Davis led a popular effort to help find missing children. He suggested putting their pictures on milk cartons and grocery bags. This idea helped raise awareness for missing children.
California State Controller
In 1986, Davis ran for State Controller and won. He served in this role for eight years, until 1995. As the state's main financial officer, he worked to save taxpayers money. He did this by stopping fraud and finding wasted government funds.
He was the first controller to stop paychecks for all state elected officials, including himself. He did this until the governor and lawmakers agreed on a state budget. He also helped return over $1.8 billion in forgotten money to Californians. This included old bank accounts and insurance payments.
Lieutenant Governor of California
After losing a U.S. Senate campaign in 1992, many thought Davis's political career was over. However, he built a new campaign team. He won the election for lieutenant governor in 1994 by a large amount. He received more votes than any other Democratic candidate in the country that year.
As lieutenant governor until 1999, Davis focused on California's economy. He worked to bring new businesses to the state. He also helped keep college education affordable for families. He oversaw the largest reduction in student fees in California's history. He also served as President of the State Senate and a Regent of the University of California.
Governor of California
Winning the Governor's Race
In 1998, Davis ran for governor. He surprised many by winning the Democratic primary election. His campaign slogan was "Experience Money Can't Buy." He then won the general election for governor with 57.9% of the vote. He became the first Democratic governor of California in 16 years.
After his win, Davis promised to end the "divisive politics" of the past. He emphasized improving California's public schools, which voters cared about most.
First Term as Governor
Focus on Education
Davis started his time as governor with strong public support. His first official action was to call a special meeting of lawmakers. He wanted to make sure all California children could read by age 9.
He used the state's growing money surplus to spend more on education. He signed laws for new statewide testing programs and supported the high school exit exam. He also expanded a program that helps students pay for college. California started giving $1,000 scholarships to top students.
Davis also signed a law that guaranteed admission to a University of California school for students who finished in the top 4% of their high school class. Public schools received $8 billion more than required by law during his first term. He increased spending to hire more qualified teachers. He also helped pass a law that made it easier for local schools to get money for improvements.
In 2001, Governor Davis signed a bill that set nutrition rules for elementary schools. It also banned the sale of sugary drinks in elementary and middle schools.
Important Laws and Policies
In 1999, Davis signed a law that expanded retirement benefits for public employees. This law was based on predictions that the state's pension fund would grow a lot. However, the stock market later dropped, causing financial problems for the pension system.
Davis also recognized domestic partnerships in 1999. In 2001, he gave same-sex partners some of the same rights as married couples. This included making health care decisions and inheriting property. He also signed a bill to prevent people from being removed from a jury because of their sexual orientation.
Improving Relations with Mexico
Davis worked to improve California's relationship with Mexico. He believed that past issues had hurt trade. He met with Mexican presidents to build stronger ties. Under his leadership, Mexico became California's top export market. Trade between California and Mexico grew significantly.
Health, Environment, and Transportation
Davis expanded health coverage for low-income children. He signed laws giving patients more rights with their health insurance plans. He also increased spending on AIDS prevention. California's anti-tobacco campaign became one of the largest in the nation under his leadership.
He approved laws to make sure age was verified for tobacco sales online. He also expanded smoke-free areas around public buildings. In 2003, he approved a law creating a "do-not-call" list for telemarketing calls. Benefits for injured and unemployed workers also increased. The minimum wage went up by $1 to $6.75.
Davis is seen as supportive of the environment. He increased spending for parks and signed laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars. He also opposed offshore drilling. In 2002, he signed the first state law in the U.S. to require carmakers to limit car emissions.
He also approved $5.3 billion for over 150 public transportation and highway projects. This included work on the Bay Bridge.
California Electricity Crisis
Soon after Davis took office, the first new power plant in 12 years began construction in 1999. However, it was not ready before the California electricity crisis hit.
Energy companies, like Enron Corporation, were found to have illegally limited power supply. This caused rolling blackouts across California. On January 17, 2001, Davis declared a state of emergency. The state had to buy power at very high prices. California agreed to pay $43 billion for power over the next 20 years.
During the crisis, Davis's government started a power saving program. This included TV ads and money incentives to use less energy. These efforts helped reduce electricity use by over 14%.
Critics blamed Davis for not reacting fast enough. His supporters said the crisis was caused by corporate fraud. Some argued that Davis signed overpriced energy contracts. The electricity crisis was a major reason for his recall.
In 2003, Davis apologized for being slow to act during the crisis. But he strongly blamed the energy companies. He said the federal government did not help. He also mentioned that these companies were meeting with the Vice President to plan energy strategy.
In 2006, the Los Angeles Times said that Davis's long-term energy contracts helped prevent future blackouts. They also provided California with cheaper energy as costs rose. A 2003 federal report blamed energy trading companies for the crisis.
Budget Challenges
During California's economic boom, the state budget grew. This allowed Davis to fund his new programs. Voters supported increased spending on education. Davis also cut taxes by over $5.1 billion, including a sales tax cut.
However, the dot-com boom ended. California's tax revenues dropped sharply. This created large budget deficits. Davis had to restore vehicle licensing fees to help close the budget gap. This decision was very unpopular. The budget shortfall for 2002-2003 was $23.6 billion.
Declining Popularity
Davis's popularity began to fall in 2001 during the electricity crisis. By April 2003, his approval rating was very low. The main reasons for his drop in popularity were the electricity crisis and the increase in car registration taxes.
Davis tried to take a middle path in politics. But this ended up making both liberals and conservatives unhappy. Many were upset that he cut school spending while increasing prison spending to balance the budget.
2002 Re-election Campaign
Davis started raising money for his 2002 re-election campaign very early. He raised record amounts of money. His fundraising efforts drew a lot of attention and some criticism.
During the campaign, Davis took the unusual step of running ads against a Republican opponent, Richard Riordan, during the Republican primary. Polls showed Riordan would be a tougher opponent for Davis in the general election. Davis's ads helped defeat Riordan in the primary. This led to a race against a more conservative candidate, Bill Simon.
Davis won re-election in November 2002. The campaign was long and difficult. It was the most expensive gubernatorial race in California history. Davis's campaign highlighted his work on education, environmental protection, and health insurance for children. He won with 47.4% of the vote. However, many voters still did not approve of his job performance. This low approval contributed to the later recall effort.
Second Term and Recall
Davis's second term lasted only ten months. It was dominated by the recall election. He was criticized for raising car registration fees to deal with the budget crisis. He also signed a law allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses. These actions were seen by some as attempts to gain support from certain groups.
Davis was governor during the large Cedar Fire in Southern California in October 2003. He declared a state of emergency and sent the National Guard to help. This was the last major event during his time as governor. Both Davis and the incoming governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, worked together to help with disaster relief.
During his time as governor, Davis signed 5,132 bills and vetoed 1,112 bills.
The Recall Election
In July 2003, enough signatures were collected to hold a recall election. This was the first time a California governor faced a recall vote. Davis called the recall an "insult" to the millions of voters who elected him in 2002.
His campaign tried to focus on the "Yes/No" vote on the recall itself. He argued that the recall was a waste of $66 million. He also said it could allow someone with very few votes to become governor. Davis tried to show himself as a hard-working governor who had improved education and healthcare.
In September 2003, Davis admitted he had lost touch with voters. He held many town hall meetings to fix this. Some thought his efforts were helping his image. Davis also blamed some state problems on his predecessor. He called the recall a "right-wing power grab" by Republicans.
On October 7, 2003, voters recalled Gray Davis. About 55.4% of voters supported his removal. Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected to replace him. Davis is the second governor in U.S. history to be recalled.
On the night of the recall, Davis accepted his defeat. He thanked Californians for electing him five times. He spoke about his administration's achievements in education, environment, and health care. He promised to help Schwarzenegger with the transition. His last day in office was November 17, 2003.
Life After Being Governor
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In December 2004, Davis joined a law firm. He has also given several media interviews about his time as governor. He appeared in a documentary about the Enron scandal.
The discussion about his legacy and his role in the energy crisis continues. In 2005, Davis said he felt proven right because of the revelations about Enron's actions. He also said he was not interested in running for governor again.
Davis was a guest lecturer at UCLA's School of Public Policy in 2006. He also wrote an introduction for a book about the Amber Alert system for missing children, a cause he supported. In 2007, he joined the board of directors for an animation company. In 2009, he was a main speaker at a Columbia Law School graduation. In September 2024, he signed an open letter with other former governors. The letter urged current governors to confirm their states' votes after the upcoming election.
Personal Life
Gray Davis met his wife, Sharon Ryer, on an airplane in 1978. They got married in 1983.
See also
