George Radanovich
| George Radanovich | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 19th district |
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In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Lehman |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Denham |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Purdy Radanovich June 20, 1955 Mariposa, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ethie Radanovich (Deceased) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
George Purdy Radanovich (born June 20, 1955) is a former U.S. Representative for California's 19th congressional district, serving from 1995 to 2011. The district includes most of northern Fresno, as well as several rural areas northeast of the city. On December 29, 2009, Radanovich announced he would not seek reelection in 2010. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Radanovich was born in Mariposa, California to a Roman Catholic family of Croatian extraction.
He was educated at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. After college, he performed a variety of jobs, including work as a banker, substitute teacher, and construction worker. He began growing grapes in his native Mariposa County in 1982, after observing a microclimate in the area suitable for their growth. In 1986, he opened the Radanovich Winery, the first winery in the region. He was a member of the Mariposa County board of supervisors from 1988 to 1992, serving as chairman in 1991. He first ran for Congress in 1992 after his home in Mariposa was shifted to the 19th District, and lost in the Republican primary to Fresno businessman Tal Cloud.
Radanovich won the Republican primary in 1994. In the general election, Radanovich faced six-term incumbent Democrat Richard H. Lehman in the following November election. Lehman had only defeated Cloud by 1,100 votes in the previous election cycle, and speculation had abounded that the 19th would not stay Democratic for long. Radanovich defeated Lehman by a shocking 17-point margin (56 percent to Lehman's 39 percent). It was one of the largest margins of defeat for an incumbent in a cycle that saw many tenured Democrats lose their seats.
He ran against Chemical Engineer T. J. Cox, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Cox was arguably Radanovich's most serious and well-funded challenger since his 1994 election. However, Michael Der Manouel Jr. commented on Cox's chances for election by saying, "Cox could spend $10 million and Nancy Pelosi could spend another $10 million and Congressman Radanovich wouldn't lose." Radanovich was reelected with 60% of the vote in 2006 and was unopposed for reelection in 2008 in what is now considered one of the most Republican districts in California.
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