Richard Charles Ackerman (born December 5, 1942) is an American Republican politician, who was a California State Senator for the 33rd District, representing inland Orange County, from 2000 to 2008. Born in Long Beach, California, Ackerman earned a B.A. in

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

from the University of California, Berkeley in 1964 and a J.D. from Hastings College of the Law in 1967. Ackerman and his wife, Linda, who married in 1968, have three children, Lauren, Marc, and Brett, and two granddaughters, Caitlin and Elizabeth. Elected to the Fullerton City Council in 1980, Ackerman served three terms on the council, also serving as Mayor in 1982 and 1986.

California State Assembly career

Ackerman was elected to the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

from the 72nd District in a 1995 special election to replace Assemblyman Ross Johnson, who vacated the seat after winning a special election to the State Senate. He was unopposed for re-election in 1996 and won 68% of the vote in 1998. During his tenure in the Assembly, Ackerman served as Assistant Republican Leader, Republican

Caucus A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to a meeting ...

Whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

, Vice Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, Vice Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, a member of Appropriations Committee, and a member of the Legislative Ethics Committee.

California State Senate career

After those three terms in the Assembly, Ackerman was elected to the State Senate in 2000. In first year in the Senate, he became Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Ackerman and his family moved from their long-time Fullerton residence in the northern part of his Senate District to

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in the central part of his Senate District. In 2002, Ackerman agreed to run as a

sacrificial lamb A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession. In politics In politics, a sacrificial ...

against incumbent

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Bill Lockyer William Westwood Lockyer (born May 8, 1941) is a retired American politician from California, who held elective office from 1973 to 2015, as State Treasurer of California, California Attorney General, and President Pro Tempore of the California ...

in the latter's bid for a second term, as no Republican sought the nomination for Attorney General and Ackerman could retain his Senate seat since it was not up for election until 2004. As expected, Lockyer won re-election and Ackerman stayed in the Senate. On May 10, 2004, Ackerman was

unanimously Unanimity is agreement by all people in a given situation. Groups may consider unanimous decisions as a sign of social, political or procedural agreement, solidarity, and unity. Unanimity may be assumed explicitly after a unanimous vote or impl ...

elected to serve as Senate Minority Leader. Six months later, he won re-election to the Senate with 69% of the vote. On April 15, 2008, Ackerman officially handed over California Senate GOP leadership to fellow Long Beach-born State Senator Dave Cogdill.

References

External links

Dick Ackerman Political History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Dick 1942 births Republican Party California state senators Living people Republican Party members of the California State Assembly University of California College of the Law, San Francisco alumni UC Berkeley College of Letters and Science alumni People from Fullerton, California People from Irvine, California People from Long Beach, California 21st-century American politicians