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Ward Connerly

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Ward Connerly
Ward Connerly.jpg
Basic facts
Organization:American Civil Rights Institute
Role:Founder
Affiliation:Republican
Education:Sacramento State University (B.A.)


Wardell "Ward" Connerly is a political activist, businessman, and former member of the University of California Board of Regents.

  • Connerly was the chairperson of the campaign behind California Proposition 209 (1996).
  • In 2020, voters rejected a ballot measure, Proposition 16, that would have repealed Proposition 209.
  • In 1997, Connerly founded the American Civil Rights Institute, which advocated for ballot measures to prohibit sex-based and race-based preferences in several states.

    • Career

    Before Proposition 209

    After graduating from Sacramento State University in 1962, Connerly worked for the California Redevelopment Agency and the California Department of Housing and Urban Development. Asm. Pete Wilson (R), chairperson of the California State Assembly Committee on Urban Affairs, asked Connerly to work for the committee, which he accepted. Connerly founded a land-use and housing planning firm, Connerly and Associates, in 1973.[1]

    Pete Wilson was elected the governor of California in 1990. Wilson appointed Connerly to the University of California Board of Regents in 1993. As a regent, Connerly proposed eliminating race, religion, gender, color, ethnicity, and national origin as factors in the university's admissions decisions. Connerly testified before the California State Assembly, saying, "There was a time when affirmative action had a value. There was discrimination in all sectors of California and we needed some sort of shock treatment. The time has come to take off the training wheels."[2]

    On July 20, 1995, the UC Board of Regents voted to 15-10 to eliminate race-based and gender-based preferences in hiring and contracting and 14-10 to race-based and gender-based preferences in university admissions. After the vote, Connerly stated, "Change is never easy. I would like this to assure diversity without using affirmative action. For those who say it can’t be done, they’ve never tried. ... What this is saying is that we want to ride this bike without the training wheels."[3]

    Campaign for Proposition 209

    The ballot initiative that would become Proposition 209 was filed less than a month after the UC Board of Regents voted on affirmative action policies. Glynn Custard and Thomas Wood, co-authors of Proposition 209, asked Connerly to chair the campaign to support the ballot initiative. Connerly accepted the position as chairperson in December 1995. He stated that he accepted the position because he was concerned that the regents' decision on affirmative action would be rescinded in the future. On November 5, 1996, Proposition 209 passed with 54.6 percent of the vote. Giving a victory speech, Connerly stated, "I do not often quote President Clinton, but last week, speaking to a predominantly black audience the president said something which was extremely significant. In reaffirming his support of affirmative action, the president reminded the audience that there comes a time to let go. For black people and our reliance on affirmative action, the time has, indeed, come to let go."[1]

    American Civil Rights Institute

    In January 1997, Connerly launched the American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI), which also included Thomas L. Rhodes, the president of the National Review; Clint Bolick, director of litigation for the Institute for Justice; Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; and California Sen. Quentin Kopp. Connerly stated, "[W]e at the institute are against solving the nation's discrimination problems with race and sex preferences. But at the same time we are nevertheless solution-oriented and favor steps that would reach out to every individual in need of help, not just a particular class or classes. Our Constitution protects every individual, not every group. It's a difficult position that we take, but it's the right position."[4] ACRI supported ballot initiatives modeled on Proposition 209 in Washington, Michigan, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, and Oklahoma.[5]

    Campaign for Proposition 54

    Connerly proposed a ballot initiative, titled Proposition 54, in 2003. Proposition 54 would have prohibited the state from classifying prospective students, contractors, or employees based on race, ethnicity, color, or national origin in public education, contracting, or employment.[6] He said, "My motivation is to present the nation, by way of California, with a different option for the kind of nation that it’s going to become."[7] Proposition 54 was rejected, with 63.8 percent of voters opposing the measure.

    Political activity

    Ballot measure activity

    Overview of ballot measure support and opposition

    BP-Initials-UPDATED.png You can send information about this influencer’s involvement with ballot measures to editor@ballotpedia.org.

    The following table details Ward Connerly's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

    Ballot measure support and opposition for Ward Connerly
    Ballot measure Year Position Status
    California Proposition 16: Repeal Proposition 209 Amendment 2020 Opposed[8]  Defeatedd Defeated
    Washington Referendum 88: Vote to Amend Affirmative Action Measure 2019 Opposed[9] Defeatedd Defeated
    Oklahoma State Question 759: Affirmative Action Amendment 2012 Supported[10] Approveda Approved
    Arizona Proposition 107: Affirmative Action Amendment 2010 Supported[11] Approveda Approved
    California Proposition 8: Same-Sex Marriage Ban Initiative 2008 Opposed[12] Approveda Approved
    Colorado Initiative 46: Affirmative Action Amendment 2008 Supported[13] Defeatedd Defeated
    Nebraska Measure 424: Affirmative Action Initiative 2008 Supported[14] Approveda Approved
    Michigan Proposal 2: Affirmative Action Initiative 2006 Supported[15] Approveda Approved
    California Proposition 54: Prohibit State Classification Based on Race in Education, Employment, and Contracting Initiative 2003 Supported[16] Defeatedd Defeated
    Washington Initiative 200: Affirmative Action Initiative 1998 Supported[17] Approveda Approved
    California Proposition 209: Affirmative Action Initiative 1996 Supported[18] Approveda Approved

    External links

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chávez, Lydia. (1998). The Color Bind: California's Battle to End Affirmative Action. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
    2. ↑ Pusser, Brian. (2004). Burning Down the House: Politics, Governance, and Affirmative Action at the University of California. Albany, New York: SUNY Press. (pages 54-55)
    3. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "UC Regents, in Historic Vote, Wipe Out Affirmative Action : Diversity: Decision signals end of California’s national leadership in opening top universities to minorities. Jesse Jackson, who led protest against rollback at meeting, says it casts a ‘long shadow'," July 21, 1995
    4. ↑ New York Times, "Foes of Affirmative Action Form a National Group," January 16, 1997
    5. ↑ American Civil Rights Institute, "About Us," accessed July 17, 2020
    6. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Guide, October 2003," accessed July 6, 2020
    7. ↑ Nevada Appeal, "Backer of Proposition 54 challenges the way Californians look at race," September 15, 2003
    8. ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Ward Connerly Rides Again," June 1, 2020
    9. ↑ King 5, "New campaign to repeal Washington's ban on affirmative action," accessed January 6, 2019
    10. ↑ News on 6, "State Question 759 Seeks To End Affirmative Action On State Level," October 23, 2012
    11. ↑ Arizona Capitol Times, "Opportunity vs. preferential treatment center of Proposition 107 debate," September 22, 2010
    12. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Ward Connerly, the affirmative action foe, takes a stand in support of same-sex marriage," October 31, 2008
    13. ↑ The Denver Post, "Colorado voters reject affirmative action ban," November 7, 2008
    14. ↑ Lincoln Journal Star, "Affirmative-action ban passes by wide margin," November 3, 2008
    15. ↑ New York Times, "Michigan Rejects Affirmative Action, and Backers Sue," November 9, 2006
    16. ↑ The Washington Post, "California Battles Over Racial Identification," September 13, 2003
    17. ↑ New York Times, "Washington State is Stage for Fight Over Preferences," May 4, 1998
    18. ↑ [The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Debate: Affirmative Action - Danger lies on this road to divisions," May 26, 1996]
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