February 11, 2005

GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER APPOINTS SENATOR BRUCE MCPHERSON SECRETARY OF STATE

In a joint press conference at the Capitol today, Governor Schwarzenegger announced his appointment for the office of Secretary of State, left vacant by Kevin Shelley’s resignation.

"The Secretary of State is an important constitutional office, entrusted with the most wonderful democratic process in our society: free and fair elections," the Governor said. "The job demands the highest degree of integrity and now it is time to work together and restore the people’s faith in that office. I am very pleased to announce today that I have appointed Senator Bruce McPherson to serve as California’s Secretary of State. In filling this vacancy, I looked for someone with strong experience, unimpeachable integrity and someone who is widely respected. And that is exactly what Bruce brings with him to the job."

Senator McPherson served in the California Assembly and Senate for over 10 years. He is known for his integrity, experience and effective leadership. He was twice named one of the top legislators for integrity by the California Journal [1998 and 2002]. The San Francisco Chronicle editorial Board called him "a moderate who is deft at working across partisan and ideological lines" and the San Diego Union Tribune has said "he is a highly respected law maker who is the kind of Republican that has wide spread voter appeal."

As a Senator, Bruce McPherson was known for creating legislation aimed at protecting democracy and ensuring fairness in elections. He continuously pushed for campaign finance reform and authored legislation that obliged candidates to post their FPPC reports on-line. He crafted legislation that required voters to be recognized by a unique identifier to ensure each voter casts only one ballot. He also authored legislation to create a bipartisan commission to study the effectiveness of the Political Reform Act.

Senator McPherson was known for his bi-partisan leadership in the Senate. "Bruce has earned the trust and respect of the people he has represented and of those on each side of the political aisle," the Governor said. Senator McPherson served as Chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee and the Environmental Quality Committee, and on four Joint Committees and nine Senate Select Committees, including as Chairman of the newly-formed Senate Select Committee on Anti-Terrorism Policy.

A long-time advocate for education, Bruce McPherson helped reduce class sizes, established tougher graduation standards and passed two much-needed state school bonds. Additionally, he spearheaded the creation of literacy programs for students and sought to enhance athletic programs.

Senator McPherson is a fourth generation Santa Cruz native. He and his wife Mary have been married 34 years.