Leo T. McCarthy
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Leo Tarcissus McCarthy (born August 15, 1930) is a Democratic politician and businessman. He served as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1983 to 1995.
McCarthy was born in Auckland, New Zealand but moved with his parents to San Francisco, California at the age of four. He attended high school, college and law school within the city, receiving his B.A. in history from the University of San Francisco and a law degree at San Francisco Law School.
He served in the United States Air Force from 1951-1952. He entered politics in 1963 when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He served there until 1967. In 1968, he was elected to the State Assembly. He was the Speaker of the Assembly from 1975 to 1982.
He served in the Assembly until 1983, when he became Lieutenant Governor under Republican Governor George Deukmejian. In 1986, McCarthy and Deukmejian each won a second term in their respective offices.
In 1988, McCarthy ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate against incumbent Republican Senator Pete Wilson. In 1990, McCarthy won a third term as Lieutenant Governor while Wilson won the election for Governor.
In 1992, he ran for the Democratic nomination to be elected to the United States Senate but lost the nomination to Congresswoman Barbara Boxer. McCarthy remained as Lieutenant Governor until 1995. Upon leaving politics, he created an investment company, The Daniel Group, located in San Francisco.
He helped found Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, at the University of San Francisco.
He was married on December 17, 1955 to the former Jacqueline Lee Burke. They have four children: Sharon, Conna, Adam and Niall.
References
- Online archive of California (http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt7t1nc6j5)
External links
- McCarthy Center at the University of San Francisco (http://mccarthycenter.usfca.edu/)
| Preceded by: Michael Curb | Lieutenant Governors of California | Succeeded by: Gray Davis |