CANDIDATE PROFILES
AL CHECCHI
* Political party: Democrat
* Born: June 6, 1948, Boston
* Education: Bachelor’s in economics and American studies, Amherst College, 1970; MBA, Harvard, 1974.
* Family: Married to Kathryn Checchi for 24 years; three children; Adam, 21; Kristin, 18, and Kate, 13.
* Background: Marriott Corp. 1974-82, rose to direct the raising of all capital and worldwide hotel development; 1982-86 a principal at Texas-based Bass Brothers investment group; moved to California in 1986 and, with partner Gary Wilson, led the 1989 purchase of Northwest Airlines, the nation’s fourth-largest carrier.
* Career accomplishments: At Bass, among other things, aided the group’s acquisition of what was then a controlling interest in Walt Disney. At both Marriott and Disney, helped reorganize businesses in ways that analysts said helped strengthen them for the future. At Northwest, took over an airline that was profitable but poorly managed. Loaded with debt, plagued by recession and fallout from the Gulf War, the airline came within a hair’s breadth of bankruptcy. Union concessions and government loans helped ease the crisis, and Northwest emerged stronger for it, analysts say. Layoffs during the downturn totaled 4,300 workers, but Northwest now employs 12,000 more than when Checchi bought it. Since going public in 1994, the stock has shot upward, and wages have bounced back.
* Strategy: Present himself as an outsider willing and able to shake up Sacramento as he has done with corporations. Spend millions of his own money to gain name identification and hammer his opponents as stale political veterans. Appeal to increasingly important independent voters, as well as to Republicans--both of which can vote for him in June’s blanket primary.
* Quote: “I have been very, very fortunate, make no mistake about it. But I’ve worked very, very hard. Now there are many people who work very hard and don’t have the good fortune that I did. But I did work hard at everything.”
GRAY DAVIS
* Political Party: Democrat
* Born: Dec. 26, 1942, Bronx, N.Y.
* Residence: West Hollywood
* Education: Bachelor’s degree, Stanford University, 1964; law degree, Columbia University, 1967
* Family: Married to Sharon Ryer Davis.
* Background: Captain, U.S. Army, earning Bronze Star for service in Vietnam, 1969; attorney, private practice, 1970-74; chief of staff to Gov. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. 1975-81; member of state Assembly, 1982-86; state controller, 1987-94; lieutenant governor, 1995-present.
* Career Highlights: As chief of staff, Davis was credited with bringing some order to Gov. Jerry Brown’s chaotic administration. In the Legislature, he worked to rid the public schools of asbestos and led the campaign to find missing children by placing their photographs on milk cartons, grocery bags and billboards. As controller, he fought offshore oil drilling and worked out tax deals in which large corporations turned over environmentally sensitive lands for state preservation. As lieutenant governor, Davis used his seats on the UC Board of Regents and the Cal State University board to fight for lower student fees and promote racial and ethnic diversity.
* Strategy: Present himself as a Sacramento veteran who would ensure a steady course in this time of relative prosperity and voter contentment. Capitalize on ties to labor unions, Hollywood and other Democratic constituencies to overcome enormous financial disadvantage.
* Quote: “I think what distinguishes me more than the other two [Democratic candidates for governor] is that I’ve had a life of public service. The other two have spent a good portion of their lives getting wealthy.”
JANE HARMAN
* Political Party: Democrat
* Born: June 28, 1945, New York
* Residence: Rolling Hills and Washington, D.C.
* Education: University High in West Los Angeles, 1962; bachelor’s degree in government, Smith College, 1966; law degree, Harvard Law School, 1969.
* Family: Married to Sidney Harman, owner of Harman International; four children: Brian, 24, and Hilary, 22, from first marriage, and Daniel (Guy), 15, and Justine, 13, from second; four stepchildren and five stepgrandchildren.
* Background: Legislative aide to U.S. Sen. John Tunney (D-Calif.) 1972-73; chief counsel to two Senate subcommittees, 1973-77; deputy secretary to President Jimmy Carter’s Cabinet, 1977-78; special counsel, Defense Department, 1979; corporate lawyer, lobbyist and Democratic activist, 1979-92; congresswoman, 1993-present.
* Career highlights: Representing a district whose voter registration is almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, she has carved out a middle-of-the-road record--conservative on fiscal issues and progressive on social questions--and has served on the science, armed services and intelligence committees crucial to her aerospace and high-technology constituents. Was among the first women to head the staff of a Senate subcommittee and has cultivated close relationships with key Democrats since the 1970s. Before running for office, co-chaired a $2.2-million party fund-raiser and headed a lawyers committee that, among other things, dug up dirt on President George Bush.
* Strategy: In a campaign launched late, after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) chose not to enter the race, Harman markets herself as a “pro-choice mother of four” and is hoping to exploit a perceived gender gap among Democratic voters. She has been slammed for providing few specifics on key issues in the race, instead focusing on leadership style. Attacked in television ads by opponents, Harman insists she will not resort to negative campaigning--and has been falling in the polls.
* Quote: “I don’t have all the answers, but I have a lot of smart friends, enormous energy and an idea how to lead that doesn’t depend on knowing all the answers.”
DAN LUNGREN
* Political party: Republican
* Born: Sept. 22, 1946, Long Beach
* Residence: Sacramento
* Education: Bachelor’s, Notre Dame, 1964; law degree, Georgetown, 1971.
* Family: Married in 1968 to Barbara “Bobbi” Lungren; three children, Jeff, 25; Kelly, 23; Kathleen, 21.
* Background: Aide to U.S. Sens. George Murphy of California, 1969-70, and Bill Brock of Tennessee, 1971; private attorney, 1972-78; elected to Congress from Long Beach, 1978 to 1988; private attorney, 1988-90; state attorney general, 1990-present.
* Career accomplishments: Upset an incumbent Democrat to win a House seat. Shepherded an omnibus crime bill in 1984 and a landmark immigration law in 1986 that included amnesty for many illegal immigrants and possible sanctions for employers. In 1990, won narrow election for California attorney general. His tenure has been marked by a sharp drop in the state’s crime rate. But it is also clouded by his controversial handling of a ban on assault weapons and litigation against tobacco companies.
* Strategy: Hopes that a strong economy will persuade voters not to change 16 years of Republican control of the governor’s office. As the state’s top law enforcement officer, he is taking credit for promoting tough sentencing laws that have driven down crime rates.
* Quote: “When I was a kid growing up in California, I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world. I had the best place to live. I had a strong education system. What I’d like to see is what I saw when I was a kid, for every kid in California.”
