Veteran Assemblyman Curtis Tucker Dies

Assemblyman Curtis Tucker, who parlayed 14 years in the Legislature and a background as a public health officer into the chairmanship of the Assembly Health Committee, died Sunday after a long illness.

Tucker, a Democrat whose district was centered in Inglewood and included parts of Lennox, El Segundo, Westchester and Los Angeles, was 70.

Officials at Inglewood’s Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital, where Tucker died, did not provide details. Tucker had been treated for liver cancer for several months.

As chairman of the Health Committee, Tucker was able to amass a formidable campaign war chest from contributions from special interests, especially medical groups. Those funds helped to discourage serious opposition in his 50th Assembly District and enabled Tucker to be generous with gifts and to pay his staff and family to work in his campaigns.

A native of Union, La., Tucker served as a medical corpsman in the U.S. Army and attended the University of Florence, Italy, while in the service.

After 23 years in the Army, he joined Los Angeles’ Health Department, which later merged with the county Health Department.

In 1972, he was appointed to the Inglewood City Council, becoming its first black member. He was reelected the next year with more than 66% of the vote.

Tucker, who at times carried a gun for protection, came to be known by his supporters as “the Godfather” or “the elder statesman” of the district. He enjoyed boasting that his clout resulted in former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. elevating at least 18 people to various judicial posts.

The ballot for the Nov. 8 general election has already been printed and Tucker’s name will appear as the Democratic candidate for the Assembly in the 50th District. Gov. George Deukmejian is expected to designate a date for a special election to fill the vacant seat, to be held next year.

Tucker is survived by his wife, Lorraine, their five children and two grandchildren.