Sal Cannella 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 Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 party.

Early career

Cannella served on the Ceres

Ceres, California

Ceres is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 45,417 at the 2010 census, up from 34,609 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area.-General:...

 city council from 1976 until 1980 and as mayor of Ceres from 1980 until 1982, when he was elected to the Stanislaus

Stanislaus County, California

Stanislaus County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. As the price of housing has increased in the San Francisco Bay Area, many people who work in the southern reaches of the Bay Area have opted for the longer commute and moved to Stanislaus County for the...

 county board of supervisors. He was reelected to the board in 1986.

State Assembly

Canella was on track to win reelection again in 1990 when he decided to run for a special election for the 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...

 that January. He won the race for the 27th district vacated by Democrat Gary Condit

Gary Condit

Gary Adrian Condit is a former American politician, a Democrat who served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2003...

 (who had been elected to Congress) and was reelected that November and again in 1992 and 1994 (in the renumbered 26th district).

State Senate Race

Although California state term limits prevented Cannella from seeking reelection in 1996, he did run for the 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...

 seat held by Republican Dick Monteith

Dick Monteith

Richard J. "Dick" Monteith is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican Party.-State Senate:...

 in 1998. Monteith had won the Modesto

Modesto, California

Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....

 based 12th district in 1994 by beating a Democratic incumbent. Democrats (led by then President Pro Tem John Burton

John L. Burton

John Lowell Burton is the current Chairman of the California Democratic Party. He is an American politician who served as a Democratic California State Senator from 1996 until 2004, representing the 3rd district. From 1998 until he was forced out of office by term limits in 2004, he served as the...

) went all out for Cannella, who lost by 53% to 44% after an expensive and nasty campaign.

In 2010, Cannella's son, Anthony Cannella, was elected state Senator for the 12th. District as a Republican.

External links

• JoinCalifornia, Election History for the State of California