John Garamendi is a former businessman and rancher, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives from California's 10th District.http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml Garamendi was elected in a special 2009 election to fill the seat left vacant when Representative Ellen Tauscher accepted a position in President Obama's administration.http://election.townhall.com/election-2010/state/CA/candidate/john-garamendi He defeated Republican David Harmer, taking 53 percent of the vote.http://election.townhall.com/election-2010/state/CA/candidate/john-garamendi

Garamendi was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 with 59 percent of the vote when he defeated Republican challenger Gary Clift.http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house/california/10 He ran on a track record of creating jobs and lowering the cost of vocational and college education.http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml The congressman also stressed his support of making health care affordable.http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml Garamendi is the chair of the Commission for Economic Development.http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=29664 Also, he is a member of the California Emergency Council, the Ocean Protection Council and the State Lands Commission.http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=29664

John Garamendi was born in Camp Blanding, Florida in 1945.http://congress.org/congressorg/bio/id/130824 He graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of California-Berkeley in 1966.http://congress.org/congressorg/bio/id/130824 Congressman Garamendi received his master's degree from Harvard University in 1970. http://congress.org/congressorg/bio/id/130824 By 1974, Garamendi was elected to the California State Assembly ; he served one term before being elected to the California State Senate in 1976.http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml During his 14-year tenure in the California Senate, Garamendi was named Senate majority leader.http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtmlIn 1995, Garamendi was named deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior by former President Bill Clinton. http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml Garamendi served as insurance commissioner of California from 2002 to 2006.http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=29664 He was lieutenant governor of California and the president of the California Senate from 2006 to 2009.http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=29664 He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2009. Garamendi resides in Walnut Grove, California with his wife, Patti, and their six children.http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml

Garamendi has served on the Armed Services Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Committee on Science and Technology.http://www.garamendi.org/bio In 2010, he authored a bill that would ban any new offshore oil and natural gas leases on the West Coast.http://www.garamendi.org/bio He sponsored legislation that would prevent insurance fraud targeted at senior citizens.http://garamendi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml The congressman introduced the Close Foreign Tax Loopholes: Make it in America Act of 2010 (H.R. 5793), which would amend the internal revenue code with regard to taxation of foreign income.http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h5793/show In addition, he voted with the majority of Democrats in support of President Obama's health care reform bill.http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house/california/10