Bustamante Cruz

American politician, a Democrat and the 45th lieutenant governor of CA who had the unenviable task of setting the date for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis, the governor whose administration he served. On July 23, 2003 at 6:45 PM, the Secretary of State forwarded the Certificate of Petition Sufficient for the Recall of the Governor, and the following day, Bustamante selected October 7th, 2003 for the recall date. He declared himself a candidate for the election but his campaign advised voters to vote "no" on the recall and "yes" for Bustamante, hoping thereby to keep Davis in office, but if Davis were recalled, to have himself elected. If elected, Bustamante would be the first Latino governor of that enormous state. The eldest of six children, Bustamante is the grandson of Mexican immigrants. In his youth, he went to school and worked in the fields, dreaming of a career as a doctor. A 1972 summer internship in Washington, DC working for a congressman changed his career choice. He realized he could serve people more broadly by entering the fields of social service and politics. From 1977 to 1983 he was Director of Fresno Summer Youth Employment Program, and, from 1983 until 1993, he served as District Representative for a congressman and an assemblyman. In 1993 he was elected to the states Assembly and became the first Latino to be elected Assembly Speaker, a position he held from December 96 to February 98. In 1998 when he was elected Lt. Governor for the state of California, he became the first Latino elected to a statewide office in 127 years. Bustamante is married with three daughters and two grandchildren. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Fresno State University in 2003. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less