Pete Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Wilson
|
|
|---|---|
Wilson in 1993
|
|
| 36th Governor of California | |
| In office January 7, 1991 – January 4, 1999 |
|
| Lieutenant |
|
| Preceded by | George Deukmejian |
| Succeeded by | Gray Davis |
| United States Senator from California |
|
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 7, 1991 |
|
| Preceded by | S. I. Hayakawa |
| Succeeded by | John Seymour |
| 29th Mayor of San Diego | |
| In office December 6, 1971 – January 3, 1983 |
|
| Preceded by | Francis Earl Curran |
| Succeeded by | Roger Hedgecock |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 76th district |
|
| In office January 2, 1967 – December 5, 1971 |
|
| Preceded by | Clair Burgener |
| Succeeded by | Bob Wilson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Barton Wilson
August 23, 1933 Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
|
| Education | Yale University (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1955–1958 |
| Rank | First lieutenant |
| Unit | 1st Marine Division |
Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as a United States senator for California from 1983 to 1991. He was also the 36th governor of California from 1991 to 1999. Before that, he was the 29th mayor of San Diego from 1971 to 1983. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Wilson was born in Lake Forest, Illinois. He served in the United States Marine Corps before becoming a lawyer. He then moved to San Diego and started his political career. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 1966. In 1971, he became the mayor of San Diego. He held this job until 1983, when he was elected to the U.S. Senate. As a senator, he supported a missile defense system and civil rights laws.
In 1990, Wilson became the governor of California. During his time as governor, he signed a "three-strikes law" for criminals. He also supported term limits for politicians. He was a strong supporter of California Proposition 187. This law aimed to stop undocumented immigrants from using public services. Wilson was re-elected governor in 1994. He tried to become president in 1996 but left the race early. After two terms as governor, he retired from public office.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter Barton Wilson was born on August 23, 1933, in Lake Forest, Illinois. This town is a suburb north of Chicago. His parents were James Boone Wilson and Margaret Wilson. His father was an advertising executive. The family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, when Pete was young.
He attended private schools there. In 1951, Wilson went to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. He studied English and earned his degree. During college, he joined the United States Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He decided to join the Marine Corps after graduating.
After Yale, Wilson served three years in the United States Marine Corps. He was an infantry officer. After his military service, he earned a law degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law in 1962.
In 1962, Wilson worked for Republican candidate Richard Nixon. One of Nixon's aides, Herb Klein, suggested Wilson try politics in Southern California. So, in 1963, Wilson moved to San Diego. He became a lawyer and got involved in local politics. In 1966, at age 33, he won a seat in the California State Assembly. He was re-elected twice before becoming mayor of San Diego.
Mayor of San Diego
Wilson served three terms as mayor of San Diego, from 1971 to 1983. He won each election easily. As mayor, he made changes to the San Diego City Council. He also helped improve downtown San Diego. He played a role in keeping the Major League Baseball team, the San Diego Padres, in the city. He helped convince millionaire Ray Kroc to buy the team.
In 1972, San Diego was supposed to host the 1972 Republican National Convention. But the convention was moved to Miami. Wilson then started "America's Finest City Week." This became an annual event and gave San Diego its unofficial nickname.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
In 1982, Wilson won the Republican election in California for U.S. Senator. He ran against the current governor, Jerry Brown. The election was very close. Wilson focused on crime issues. President Ronald Reagan also campaigned for Wilson. Wilson won the election.
As a senator, Wilson voted for a bill to create Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. He also supported the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987. In 1984, he voted for a law that would restrict federal highway funds for states that did not raise the drinking age to 21.
Wilson also supported the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. This law provided payments to Japanese Americans who were held in internment camps during World War II. He also pushed for President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. This was a system to defend against ballistic missiles.
Wilson was known for being careful with government money. He was called the Senate's "Watchdog of the Treasury." In 1988, Wilson won re-election to the Senate. He received over 5 million votes, which was a record at the time.
In 1989, Wilson decided to run for Governor of California. He resigned from the Senate on January 7, 1991, when he became governor. He appointed John Seymour to take his place in the Senate.
Governor of California
Wilson won the election for Governor of California in 1990. He defeated Dianne Feinstein. Wilson became governor on January 7, 1991.
As governor, Wilson worked to improve California's economy. The state was facing a difficult economic time. He focused on careful spending and creating new jobs. He also made health insurance available for small businesses.
Wilson made some changes to taxes and fees. He raised sales tax temporarily and increased car license fees. College tuition also went up. He also signed a bill to help collect child support payments.
In 1991, Wilson vetoed a bill that would have stopped job discrimination based on sexual orientation. He worried it would lead to more lawsuits. This decision led to protests in San Francisco.
Wilson also supported changes to how energy was managed in the state. This was called energy deregulation. He also worked on education reforms. These changes aimed to create statewide standards and reduce class sizes.
In 1994, Wilson was re-elected as governor. He won against Kathleen Brown. Wilson spoke at the funerals of former First Lady Pat Nixon and former President Richard M. Nixon.
Wilson could not run for a third term because of term limit laws. When he left office, California had a large budget surplus. Gray Davis became the next governor.
Welfare Changes
Wilson wanted to change welfare programs in California. He believed these programs needed to be more strict. In 1993, he suggested cutting welfare payments. He also wanted mothers to work after two years of receiving benefits. He believed that fathers should be involved in their children's lives.
Proposition 187
As governor, Wilson strongly supported Proposition 187. This was a law passed by voters in 1994. It aimed to stop undocumented immigrants from using public health care, education, and other social services in California. This was the first time a state tried to pass such a law about immigration.
The law was challenged in court and was found to be unconstitutional in 1998. So, it never actually went into effect.
People had different views on Proposition 187. Supporters said it was about the state's economy. They felt California could not afford to provide services for so many people who entered the state without permission. Opponents believed the law was unfair to people of Hispanic origin.
Many people believe that Proposition 187 had a lasting effect on the Republican Party in California. Some say it caused the party to lose support among Latino voters. This made it harder for Republicans to win statewide elections in California after 1994.
Energy Deregulation
Wilson supported changing the rules for energy companies in California. This was called energy deregulation. Later, California faced an energy crisis. Wilson said that not enough power plants were built. He stated that many plants were approved and built during his time as governor.
1996 Presidential Campaign
Wilson tried to become the Republican candidate for President in the 1996 election. He announced his campaign in New York City.
His campaign faced challenges from the start. He had throat surgery, which kept him from speaking for a while. His campaign lasted only about a month. He later dropped out of the race because he did not have enough money to continue. He was the first candidate to leave the Republican primary that year.
Later Life and Legacy
After leaving office, Wilson worked for several businesses. He also became involved with different organizations. He is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. This is a research center at Stanford University. He also serves on important government advisory committees.
In 1999, Wilson received the Patriot Award. In 2003, he helped Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign to become governor. He has also endorsed other Republican presidential candidates, like Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain.
In 2007, a statue of Pete Wilson was placed on the San Diego Walk of Fame. Some groups protested this, but many people supported it. Wilson continues to be involved in public life and politics.
Honors and Awards
Pete Wilson has received many awards and honors throughout his career:
- The Woodrow Wilson Awards for Distinguished Public Service.
- The Patriots Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
- An honorary degree from the San Diego State College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts.
- The Distinguished Alumnus Award from Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley.
- The Bernard E. Witkin Amicus Curiae Award from the Judicial Council of California.
- The San Francisco Giants honored him by having him throw out the first pitch in 1998.
- The Governor Pete Wilson Liberty Flagstaff was raised at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans in 2017.
- He received the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service in 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Pete Wilson para niños
