James R. Mills
Democratic
| Date | Party | Office | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-08-1960 | Democratic | AD-79 | 45495 | Win |
| 11-06-1962 | Democratic | AD-79 | 35745 | Win |
| 11-03-1964 | Democratic | AD-79 | 49942 | Win |
| 11-08-1966 | Democratic | SD-40 | 63713 | Win |
| 11-03-1970 | Democratic | SD-40 | 68810 | Win |
| 11-05-1974 | Democratic | SD-40 | 76255 | Win |
| 11-07-1978 | Democratic | SD-40 | 93702 | Win |
Candidate Biography:
Born: June 6, 1927 in San Diego, CA
Married: Joanna Rohrbough (m. 1959, div. 1980s)
Children: Beatrice, William "Bill", and Eleanor Ann
Military Service: ARMY (Korea)
Died: March 27, 2021 in Bonita, CA
1955-1960: Curator, San Diego Historical Society's Junipero Serra Museum
1971-1980: President pro Tempore, California State Senate
1980-1982: Chairman, Amtrak Board of Directors
1985-1994: Chair, Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB)
- LEGISLATION: In 1966, Mills introduced the bill that became the Proposition 1A, which amended the Constitution to create a full-time Legislature (with a pay increase from $6000 per year to $16000) and mandate annual general sessions. The bill also eliminated the pocket veto and significantly restructured the state Constitution. In A Disorderly House, Mills comments "I hope God will forgive me..."
- LEGISLATION: Coauthor (with Frank Belotti) of AB 7 (Chapt. 1237, Stats of 1963) which established "Eureka" as the official state motto.
- LEGISLATION: In 1971, Mills led the effort to amend the Senate Rules to abolish the Senate's "Fact-Finding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities".
- PLACENAME: The headquarters of the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) is named for Senator Mills, who authored the legislation creating the district.
- LEGISLATIVE HISTORIAN: In addition to his other books (listed below), Senator Mills was the author of A Disorderly House: The Brown-Unruh Years in Sacramento
which is easily of the best books about the California legislature of the 1960s.
- PUBLISHED: His other four books are; Gospel According to Pontius Pilate
, San Diego: Where California Began, "Historical Landmarks of San Diego County, and Poems of Inspiration from the Masters
.
- From his obituary: "In lieu of flowers, his family asked people to take a ride on a trolley, train or bike." (SD Union Tribute)
Source: California Blue Book (1961), (1971)
Source: "James Mills, state legislator who championed public transit, historic preservation, dies at 93" by John Wilkens, San Diego Union Tribune (4/2/2021)