ca_gov_DAVIS

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR GRAY DAVIS

• Born Joseph Graham Davis, Jr., the nickname Gray is a shortened version of his middle name. He is the oldest of five children. The family moved from the Bronx to California in 1954 when he was 11 years old.

• Davis attended high school at the Harvard School (now Harvard Westlake), where military uniforms were required. He graduated magna cum laude and was captain of the baseball team.

• He graduated from Stanford University in 1964 with a degree in history and from Columbia University Law School in 1967. Davis joined ROTC during college and entered active military service after law school. He served in Vietnam in 1968-69, and he earned a bronze star for meritorious service.

• Beginning in 1975, Davis served as Chief of Staff to then-Governor Jerry Brown for six years. He met his wife, Sharon, while serving in this capacity. He was late for a flight, and she -- a flight attendant at the time -- yelled at him for holding up a plane full of people. They were married five years later in February 1983.

• Davis was first elected to office in 1982 to a seat in the California Assembly. In 1986, he sought statewide office and was elected State Controller, where he served eight years. He challenged Sen. Dianne Feinstein for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1992 but lost handily, 58% to 33%.

• Davis was eleced Lieutenant Governor of California in 1994. In that election, he took 52% of the vote, earning more votes than any Democratic candidate in the country.

• An avid golfer, Davis has played with President Clinton. When he was younger, Davis won two Junior Cup championships and played varsity golf at Stanford.