26 Facts About Abel Maldonado

Abel Maldonado served in that body from 1998 to 2004 and then in the California State Senate from 2004 to 2010, running unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for California State Controller in 2006.

Abel Maldonado was the first Republican in the State Senate to vote for the budget during the budget deadlock in 2007.

Abel Maldonado represented a swing district in the Senate and is considered a moderate.

Abel Maldonado was sworn into office on April 27,2010 and was defeated in the 2010 lieutenant gubernatorial election by Democratic San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Abel Maldonado ran for California's 24th congressional district in the 2012 elections, but was defeated by incumbent Democrat Lois Capps.

In 2017, Abel Maldonado was considered for the role of United States Secretary of Agriculture by Donald Trump, but was ultimately not nominated.

Abel Maldonado was born in Santa Maria, California, the eldest son of immigrant Mexican farm workers.

Abel Maldonado then returned to his family's farm and helped his family grow the half-acre strawberry farm into a 6,000-acre farm, employing 250 people, with produce shipped around the world.

Abel Maldonado led issues such as seat belts in school buses and California Workers Compensation Reform.

In March 2005, a San Luis Obispo weekly newspaper revealed that Abel Maldonado had received $30,987 in gifts from an organization representing California's power industry.

Abel Maldonado signed a "No New Taxes" pledge before his election which he later claimed to regret as he cast a vote for higher taxes.

In February 2009, Abel Maldonado was initially among the Republican senators rejecting a series of bills designed to close the $41 billion state budget deficit, but he later joined the Democrats in supporting the measures.

In 2005, Abel Maldonado declared his candidacy for the office of California State Controller after Controller Steve Westly decided to run for governor.

Abel Maldonado was defeated in the June 6,2006 Republican primary by Tony Strickland.

Abel Maldonado makes decisions based on what's best for the people rather than what's best for the party.

Abel Maldonado has helped us, many times, pass a budget, which was very important.

Abel Maldonado needed to be confirmed by a majority vote of the State Senate and a majority vote of the State Assembly within 90 days of the nomination in order to take office as lieutenant governor.

Abel Maldonado was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor on April 27,2010.

Abel Maldonado was defeated on November 2,2010 by Democratic San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

In 2011, Abel Maldonado announced his intention to challenge US Representative Lois Capps, a Democrat, for her seat in the US House of Representatives in the 2012 elections.

On May 20,2013, Abel Maldonado announced he would seek the Republican nomination for the 2014 California gubernatorial election.

On June 28,2013, Abel Maldonado came out in support of the Supreme Court's ruling that cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California, and said that same-sex couples should be afforded the same rights and protections as heterosexual couples.

Abel Maldonado said his four children helped change his position.

Abel Maldonado's campaign was beset by problems: he accused Governor Brown of things that occurred years before he was elected, he struggled to raise money, his campaign's senior staff left in September 2013, and his campaign failed to gain traction after the entry of fellow Republicans Tim Donnelly and Neel Kashkari into the race.

In January 2017, it was reported by CNN that Abel Maldonado was an early frontrunner to serve as United States Secretary of Agriculture in the cabinet of then-President-elect Donald Trump.

Abel Maldonado is married to Laura Maldonado and has four children.