Jerry Brown's Biography

Edmund G. (“Jerry”) Brown Jr. has held a variety of statewide elected offices during a career that has spanned nearly four decades. While Brown has not officially declared his candidacy for Governor in 2010 he is widely considered one of the top tier candidates for the post. Brown is a former Governor of California, former Secretary of State, former candidate for President, former Mayor of Oakland, and current California Attorney General. Brown was elected Governor in 1974 and served from 1975-1983.

According to his official biography, Brown had a strong interest in environmental issues and “started the California Conservation Corp, signed into permanent law the California Coastal Protection Act, earned federal protection of Northern California wild and scenic rivers, brought about the country's first building and appliance energy efficiency standards and made California the leader in solar and alternative energy.”

Brown took aim at "Big Oil" during a decade of widespread environmental activism. In 1975, Brown obtained the repeal of the "depletion allowance," a tax break for the state's oil industry, despite the efforts of the lobbyists. In 1977 Brown proposed and later passed a landmark tax incentive for home-owners installing solar panels. Born in San Francisco in 1938, Brown is the son of former Democratic governor Edmund G. (“Pat") Brown, Sr.

In 1958, Jerry Brown entered a Jesuit seminary with the intention of becoming a Catholic priest. He ultimately left the seminary and earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from Yale Law School. In 1970, Brown was elected California Secretary of State, and used the position to bring lawsuits against corporations such as Standard Oil of California, Gulf Oil, and Mobil for violation of campaign-finance laws. Brown argued before the state Supreme Court and won against Gulf, Mobile and Standard Oil for election law violations.

Brown enforced laws that required members of the state legislature to disclose sources of campaign funds, and drafted and helped to pass the California Fair Political Practices Act. His actions received statewide attention and praise, leading to his election as governor. After serving as governor for two terms, Brown lost to Pete Wilson in the 1982 Senate race, and returned to practicing law in Los Angeles.

In 1989 he became chairman of the state Democratic Party, but resigned in 1991, citing the growing influence of money in politics. Having unsuccessfully run for President in 1976 and 1980, he sought the 1992 Democratic Presidential nomination, which ultimately went to Bill Clinton. In 1998, Brown was elected mayor of Oakland; he was reelected in 2002 and served until his election to Attorney General in 2006. His tenure as mayor put him squarely in the middle of important urban environmental issues. Brown’s efforts to bring development to the urban core while reducing development pressure on outlying areas was significant.