Leo T. McCarthy

Leo Tarcissus McCarthy ( born August 15, 1930 in Auckland, New Zealand, † February 5, 2007 in San Francisco, California ) was an American politician. Between 1983 and 1995 he was Deputy Governor of the State of California.

Career

At the age of four years, Leo McCarthy came with his parents to San Francisco, where he attended the public schools. He then studied at the University of San Francisco, the subject of history. After studying law at the San Francisco Law School and his admission to the bar he began to work in this profession. In the years 1951 and 1952, he served during the Korean War in the United States Air Force. Politically, he joined the Democratic Party. Between 1964 and 1968 he was a member of the City Council of San Francisco; 1969 to 1983 he sat in the California State Assembly. From 1974 to 1980 he was chairman of that chamber.

1982 McCarthy was elected Lieutenant Governor of California. This post he held after two re- choices between 1983 and 1995. Yet he was Deputy Governor George Deukmejian Republican and chairman of the State Senate. Since 1991, he served under the new Governor Pete Wilson. In July 1988 he took part in Atlanta as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. In the same year, he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. Four years later another failed bid for the Senate already in the primaries of his party. A re-election as lieutenant governor was not constitutionally possible after three terms.

After the end of his tenure, McCarthy retired from politics. He founded an investment firm and was involved in the founding of the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at the University of San Francisco. He died on February 5, 2007 in San Francisco from kidney failure.