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Wesley Chesbro
Wesley Chesbro (b. August 20, 1951 in Glendale, CA) is a former Democratic member of the California State Assembly, representing District 2 from 2008 to 2014. Chesbro did not seek re-election in 2014.
Chesbro served in the California State Senate from 1998-2006. He was a county supervisor in Humboldt County from 1980-1990 and was on the Arcata City Council from 1974-1980.[1]
Biography
Chesbro's professional experience includes serving as a board member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board and as the founder and director of the Arcata Community Recycling Center from 1971-1972.
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Chesbro served on the following committees:
| California committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Budget |
| • Governmental Organization |
| • Health |
| • Natural Resources, Chair |
| • Fisheries and Aquaculture, Chair |
| • Legislative Budget |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Chesbro served on these committees:
| California committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Budget |
| • Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials |
| • Fisheries and Aquaculture, Chair |
| • Governmental Organization |
| • Legislative Budget |
| • Natural Resources, Chair |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Chesbro served on these committees:
| California committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Budget |
| • Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, Chair |
| • Fisheries and Aquaculture |
| • Governmental Organization |
| • Natural Resources |
Issues
Sponsored legislation
Chesbro's sponsored legislation includes:
- AB 648 - Rural hospitals: physician services
- AB 683 - Local educational agencies: program improvement
- AB 754 - Medi-Cal: mental health plans
For details and a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.
Policy positions
Chesbro's answers to the California State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test are available. The test informs voters how a candidate would vote on the issues if elected. When asked his legislative priorities he responded:
- "Strengthening and supporting the Public Education System"
- "Providing accessible and timely health care services and public health protection for all the people of the district"
- "Protecting and restoring the natural resources and strengthening the environmental protection for workers and families throughout California"[2]
Chesbro has expressed particularly strong opposition to the California Proposition 1, Water Bond (2014). Of the proposal, he says, "They want to take our water and then make us help pay for it." He also says, "Funding removal of the Klamath dams while at the same time threatening the flows in the Trinity River is a fool’s bargain. We need to find a way to fund dam removal that doesn’t put the Trinity and our other North Coast rivers at risk."[3]
Legislative scorecard
Capitol Weekly, California's major weekly periodical covering the state legislature, publishes an annual legislative scorecard to pin down the political or ideological leanings of every member of the legislature based on how they voted on an assortment of bills in the most recent legislative session. The 2009 scores were based on votes on 19 bills, but did not include how legislators voted on the Proposition 1A (2009). On the scorecard, "100" is a perfect liberal score and "0" is a perfect conservative score.[4][5]
On the 2009 Capitol Weekly legislative scorecard, Chesbro ranked as a 94.[6]
Elections
2012
Chesbro won re-election in the 2012 election for California State Assembly District 2. Due to redistricting following the 2010 census, he was displaced from District 1. He advanced past the June 5, 2012 blanket primary, defeating Firenza Xuan Pini (D) and Pamela Elizondo (G). Chesbro defeated Tom Lynch (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[7][8][9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Wesley Chesbro Incumbent |
63.1% | 111,451 | |
| Democratic | Tom Lynch | 36.9% | 65,302 | |
| Total Votes | 176,753 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Wesley Chesbro Incumbent |
64.1% | 60,414 | |
| Democratic | Tom Lynch |
22.9% | 21,536 | |
| Democratic | Firenza Xuan Pini | 4.3% | 4,015 | |
| Green | Pamela Elizondo | 8.8% | 8,261 | |
| Total Votes | 94,226 | |||
2010
Chesbro won re-election to the 1st District seat in 2010. He had no opposition in the June 8 primary. He defeated Karen Brooks in the November 2 general election.[10]
| California State Assembly, District 1 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Wesley Chesbro (D)
|
98,250 | |||
| Karen Brooks (R) | 61,414 | |||
2008
In 2008 Chesbro was elected to the California State Assembly District 1. Chesbro (D) finished with 137,777 votes while his opponent Jim Pell (R) finished with 56,870 votes.[11] Chesbro raised $323,206 for his campaign fund.[12]
| California State Assembly District 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Wesley Chesbro (D)
|
137,777 | |||
| Jim Pell (R) | 56,870 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of California scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2014
In 2014, the California State Legislature was in session from January 6 to August 30.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the chamber.
- Legislators are scored by the California Civil Liberties Council on their votes on "bills related to due process, privacy rights, equal protection, and criminal justice."
- Legislators are scored by California Clean Money Action on their votes on bills "to limit the undue influence of Big Money in politics in California."
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to labor.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to water policy.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that relate to senior issues
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to consumers.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported by the organization.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on taxpayer-related issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on secular policy.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the California State Legislature was in session from December 3, 2012, to September 13, 2013
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the California State Legislature was in session from January 4 to August 31.
|
Awards
In February 2010, The California State Sheriff's Association Chesbro as its Outstanding Legislator for 2009. They noted his work to secure funding for rural sheriff's departments. Chesbro's legislation provides an additional $500,000 per year to sheriffs departments in rural areas.[13]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Wesley + Chesbro + California + Legislature
See also
- California State Legislature
- California State Assembly
- California Assembly Committees
- California State Assembly District 2
External links
- Profile from Open States
- Biographical profile of Wesley Chesbro on Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2010, 2008, 2004, 2002, 2000
- Vote California Profile of Chesbro
Footnotes
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Issue Positions," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Lake County News, "North Coast legislators weigh in on state water package," November 27, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Weekly, "Capitol Weekly's Legislative Scorecard," December 17, 2009
- ↑ Fox and Hounds Daily, "Random Thoughts on the Political Scene," December 18, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Weekly, "2009 Capitol Weekly State Legislative Scorecard (Archived)," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2012 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2008 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Campaign funds," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Willits News, "Chesbro wins Outstanding Legislator for 2009," February 10, 2010
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Nielsen (R) |
California Assembly District 2 2012-2014 |
Succeeded by Jim Wood (D) |
| Preceded by Patty Berg |
California Assembly District 1 2008-2012 |
Succeeded by Brian Dahle (R) |
| Preceded by Mike Thompson |
California Senate District 2 1998-2006 |
Succeeded by Patricia Wiggins |
