Wadie P. Deddeh

CalAccess website

Date	Party	Office	Votes	Result
11-08-1966	Democratic	AD-77	35983	Win
11-05-1968	Democratic	AD-77	54672	Win
11-03-1970	Democratic	AD-77	50667	Win
11-07-1972	Democratic	AD-77	72946	Win
11-05-1974	Democratic	AD-80	42855	Win
11-02-1976	Democratic	AD-80	64733	Win
11-07-1978	Democratic	AD-80	52432	Win
11-04-1980	Democratic	AD-80	62579	Win
11-02-1982	Democratic	SD-40	103651	Win
11-04-1986	Democratic	SD-40	87999	Win
11-06-1990	Democratic	SD-40	72771	Win

Candidate Biography:

Born: September 6, 1920 in Baghdad, Iraq
Married: Mary-Lynn Drake
Child: Peter Charles*
Died: August 27, 2019 in Poway, CA

Previous: Member, Chula Vista Democratic Club
Previous: Political Science Professor, Southwestern Community College
1992: Primary Candidate for CD-50 (Lost)
1993: Resigned from the State Senate on August 17.
2005-2008: Lobbyist, Ellison Wilson Advocacy, LLC

• LEGISLATION: Author of AB 69 (1972) which created the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
• According to a 1993 L.A. Times article about his resignation; "In recent years, Deddeh has weathered controversies about his political and personal finances. Last month he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to prevent foreclosure on several properties."
• Peter Deddeh is a San Diego Superior Court Judge who has tried a number of high-profile cases in recent years.
• According to the movie "THE Lion's Journey", Deddeh was the first Iraqi to be elected to office in the United States.
• PLACENAME: The Wadie P. Deddeh State Office Building in San Diego is home to the CalTrans District 11 office. 
• UNACKNOWLEDGED API: This elected official was excluded from the "History of Asian Americans in the California Legislature" by the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (Source). Yes, Iraq is in Asia.

Source: California Blue Book (1971)
Source: "THE LION'S JOURNEY: The Story of Wadie P. Deddeh" on IMDB [link]
Source: "Deddeh Says He May Resign State Senate Seat" by Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times (7/31/1993)