Kevin Shelley
| Kevin Shelley | |
|---|---|
| 28th California Secretary of State | |
|
In office January 6, 2003 – March 4, 2005 |
|
| Governor |
Gray Davis Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Preceded by | Bill Jones |
| Succeeded by | Cathy Mitchell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kevin Francis Shelley November 16, 1955 San Francisco, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
Kevin Francis Shelley (born November 16, 1955) is a California politician, who was the 28th California Secretary of State from January 6, 2003, until his resignation on March 4, 2005.
Shelley was raised in San Francisco, the only son in a family of five. His father, Jack Shelley, was a State Senator, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Mayor of San Francisco.
Shelley graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep in 1973. He received his B.A. in political science from the University of California, Davis. He obtained his J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
He joined the staff of Congressman Phillip Burton and continued in his position when Sala Burton assumed her husband's seat after his death.
In 1990, Shelley was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In 1996, he won a seat in the California State Assembly. While in these positions, Shelley wrote clinic protection ordinances and sunshine laws to make government more accountable. He authored the Marine Life Protection Act that protects coastal ecosystems, the California Nursing Home Reform Act to protect the elderly, and the Healthy Schools Act to protect children from pesticides. He created a voting reform package that includes a Voters' Bill of Rights and allows each voter to permanently vote by mail. Term limits prevented Shelley from seeking a fourth term as an Assemblyman in 2002, so he sought election as California's Secretary of State, the state's chief elections official.
Within weeks of taking office as Secretary of State, petitions were filed to recall Governor Gray Davis, a fellow Democrat. Six months after taking office, Shelley had to certify that there were enough signatures on these petitions to mandate the 2003 gubernatorial recall election, the first such election in state history. As Secretary of State, Shelley was responsible for overseeing that statewide special election.
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