Phillip D. "Phil" Wyman (born February 1, 1945, in Hollywood, California) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician from California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 and a member of the Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

.

Assembly Races

Wyman was vice president of the Antelope Valley

Antelope Valley

The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...

 Board of Trade in 1976 when he first ran for California State Assembly

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 from the Tehachapi

Tehachapi, California

Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. Tehachapi is located east-southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of...

-Palmdale

Palmdale, California

Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...

 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, when he opted not to seek reelection and instead run for congress.

Congressional Race

The 25th Congressional district was created after the 1991 reapportionment and was centered around the new city of Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita, California

Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...

 in fast growing northern Los Angeles County. Wyman moved south from Tehachapi

Tehachapi, California

Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. Tehachapi is located east-southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of...

 in Kern

Kern County, California

Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...

 County to run for the new 25th. He narrowly lost the GOP primary to Santa Clarita mayor Buck McKeon, however.

State Senate Races

Wyman bounced back less than a year later when he won a special election for the Fresno

Fresno County, California

Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...

-based 16th state Senate district in 1993.

In 1994, despite huge Republican gains across the country, Wyman lost his state Senate seat to then Democratic Assemblyman Jim Costa

Jim Costa

James Manuel "Jim" Costa is the U.S. Representative for , serving since his initial election in 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district takes in large and predominantly Latino portions of Fresno and Bakersfield in the Central Valley.-Early life and education:Born in Fresno,...

 (whom Wyman had defeated in the special election). He was the only Republican west of the Mississippi to be unseated. In 1996 he ran for a neighboring state Senate seat and lost the GOP primary again, this time to Palmdale

Palmdale, California

Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...

 area Assemblyman Pete Knight

Pete Knight

Pete Knight is the name of:* Pete Knight , World Champion Rodeo Bronc Rider and international superstar of Rodeo* William J. Knight , American test pilot, astronaut and politician nicknamed "Pete"...

.

Reputation

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

Tehachapi, California

Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. Tehachapi is located east-southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of...

 (in Kern

Kern County, California

Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...

 County), moved South to run for congress in 1992 (in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...

 County), then won election to a state Senate seat in 1993 (in Fresno

Fresno County, California

Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...

 County, north of Kern county) before losing a state Senate primary in 1996 (in Los Angeles county again).

Return

In 2000 Wyman made a comeback of sorts, winning his old 34th Assembly district. 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 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

George Runner

George C. Runner, Jr. is the Republican Board Member for District 2 of the five-member California Board of Equalization ....

 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

Bill Maze

Bill Maze is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican Party. Maze is the president of Citizens for Saving California Farming Industries, a non-profit dedicated to dividing California into two states....

, a Tulare County supervisor, who found himself unopposed after Wyman decided not to run here.

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ Member, California State Assembly

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

: 1979-1993; 2001-03

Member, California State Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 : 1993-95

!|Year
!|Office
!
!|Democrat
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Republican
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|1976
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |Larry Chimbole
| align="right" |44,154
| |50.6%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |43,086
| |49.4%
|
|-
|1978
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |Larry Chimbole
| align="right" |36,928
| |45.7%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |43,845
| |54.3%
|
|-
|1980
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |Gloria A. Dizmang
| align="right" |28,971
| |26.9%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |78,649
| |73.1%
|
|-
|1982
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |none
| align="right" |
| |
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |84,963
| |100%
|
|-
|1984
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |Cindy Shaw O'Connor
| align="right" |43,019
| |33.9%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |83,936
| |66.1%
|
|-
|1986
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |Richard Dearborn
| align="right" |30,681
| |29.8%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |72,220
| |70.2%
|
|-
|1988
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |Earl J. Wilson
| align="right" |41,998
| |29.3%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |98,577
| |68.8%
|
|-
|1990
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |none
| align="right" |
| |
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |82,329
| |76.1%
|
| |Rich Tisbert
| align="right" |25,831
| |23.9%
|
|-
|1992
|U.S House of Representatives
District 25
|
| |James Gilmartin
| align="right" |67,687
| |33.3%
|
| |Buck McKeon 40%
Phil Wyman 38.5%
| align="right" |104,552
| |52%
|
|-
|1993
|California State Senate
District 16 (special election)
|
| |Jim Costa
| align="right" |43,807
| |47.3%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |48,768
| |52.7%
|
|-
|1994
|California State Senate
District 16
|
| |Jim Costa
| align="right" |59,022
| |51.6%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |56,867
| |48.4%
|
|-
|1996
|California State Senate
District 17
|
| |Steven Figueroa
| align="right" |81,962
| |33.4%
|
| |Jim Cox 15%
Pete Knight 46%
Phil Wyman 39%
| align="right" |163,531
| |66.6%
|
|-
|2000
|California State Assembly
District 34
|
| |Robert "Bob" Conway
| align="right" |40,968
| |34.2%
|
| |Phil Wyman
| align="right" |78,830
| |65.8%
|
|-
|2002
|California State Assembly
District 36
|
| |Robert Davenport
| align="right" |25,853
| |36.1%
|
| |Sharon Runner 39.6%
Phil Wyman 32.5%
| align="right" |45,856
| |65.8%
|
|-
|2004
|California State Assembly
District 32
|
| |Marvin Armas
| align="right" |35,130
| |21.3%
|
| |Kevin McCarthy 58.9%
Phil Wyman 22.5%
| align="right" |129,510
| |78.7%
|

External links

• JoinCalifornia, Election History for the State of California