Phil Wyman

Phillip D. "Phil" Wyman (b. February 1, 1945 in Hollywood, California) is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican Party. Wyman was vice president of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade in 1976 when he first ran for California State Assembly from the Tehachapi-Palmdale based 34th District. He narrowly lost to Democratic incumbent Larry Chimbole but went on to defeat him two years later and served in the Assembly from 1978 until 1992,cite web | last = Vassar | first = Alex | coauthors = Shane Meyers | title = Phillip D. Wyman, Republican | work = JoinCalifornia.com | date = 2007 | url = http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2172 | accessdate = 2007-01-25] when he opted not to seek reelection and instead run for congress.

The 25th Congressional district was created after the 1991 reapportionment and was centered around the new city of Santa Clarita in fast growing northern Los Angeles County. Wyman moved South from Tehachapi in Kern County to run for the new 25th.cite web | title = Complete Primary Results | work = StateNet Publications | publish date = July 1992 | accessdate = 2008-09-28] He narrowly lost the GOP primary to Santa Clarita mayor Buck McKeon, however, but bounced back less than a year later when he won a special election for the Fresno based 16th state Senate district in 1993.

In 1994, despite huge Republican gains accross the country, Wyman lost his state Senate seat to then Democratic Assemblyman Jim Costa (whom Wyman had defeated in the 1993 special election). He was the only Republican West of the Mississippi to be unseated.cite web | title = The 1996 Primary: The Endgame Begins | work = StateNet Publications | publish date = May 1996 | accessdate = 2008-09-28] In 1996 he ran for a neighboring state Senate seat and lost the GOP primary again, this time to Palmdale area Assemblyman Pete Knight.

Through the years Wyman gained a reputation for moving around the area in order to run for office. He originally served as an Assemblyman from Tehachapi (in Kern county), moved South to run for congress in 1992 (in Los Angeles county), then won election to a state Senate seat in 1993 (in Fresno county, north of Kern county) before losing a state Senate primary in 1996 (in Los Angeles county again).cite web | title = Election '96 | work = StateNet Publications | publish date = March 1996 | accessdate = 2008-09-28]

In 2000 Wyman made a comeback of sorts, winning his old 34th Assembly district handily. Two years later, however, he made a tactical error and decided to run for reelection in the neighboring 36th district instead. He was anticipating an opening in the state Senate in 2004, a senate district that was outside the boundaries of his 34th Assembly district, but within those of the 36th. His plans went awry when the 36th's incumbent, fellow Republican George Runner decided to back his wife (Sharon Runner), who actually lived within the district. Wyman narrowly lost the GOP primary, while his old 34th district was won by Republican Bill Maze, a Tulare County supervisor, who found himself unopposed in his first run for Assembly when Wyman decided to run in the other district.cite web | title = Special Election Issue: Complete Ballot Analysis | work = StateNet Publications | publish date = February 2002 | accessdate = 2008-09-28]

References

1.^ Vassar, Alex; Shane Meyers (2007). "Phil Wyman, Republican". JoinCalifornia.com. Retrieved on September 27, 2008

2.^ California Journal Vol. XXIII, No.7 (July 1992) "Complete Primary Results". StateNet Publications, July 1992.

3.^ California Journal Vol. XXVII, No.5 (May 1996) "The 1996 Primary: The Endgame Begins". StateNet Publications, May 1996.

4.^ California Journal Vol. XXVII, No.3 (March 1996) "Election '96". StateNet Publications, March 1996.

5.^ California Journal Vol. XXVII, No.3 (February 2002) "Special Election Issue: Complete Ballot Analysis". StateNet Publications, February 2002.

External Links

* [http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2172 JoinCalifornia] , Election History for the State of California