Good News for the Fatherhood Movement: Rod Wright Wins
June 9th, 2008 by Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & Families
In my recent blog post Important: Accomplished, Pro-Fatherhood Candidate Needs Your Support, I wrote:
One of the unsung heroes of the struggle for fairness in family law is former California Assemblyman Rod Wright (pictured). Wright is currently in an election battle to get back into the California Senate, and if he wins it will be a big step forward.
Rod was a pioneer of child support and family law reform in California and the nation. In speaking about his time introducing reforms into a hostile California legislature, Rod describes himself and his staff as, "The first guys who hit the beach at Normandy--taking all the hits." It was absolutely true.
Rod was one of the pioneers of paternity fraud laws, and in 2002 got AB 2240 through the California legislature. It was subsequently vetoed by then-Governor Gray Davis (see my co-authored column Preserving Paternity Fraud, Orange County Register, 10/3/02), but it helped pave the way for the eventual passage of AB 252 in 2004.
Sacramento veteran Stan Diorio served as Wright's Chief of Staff from 1996 to 2002 and has been pivotal in many of the achievements in family law in California. To read a brief history he wrote about Rod Wright's contributions, click here.
In my post I asked for donations for Rod Wright and received many letters from people who said they had donated to Wright's campaign--thanks to all of you.
Good News for the Fatherhood Movement
Rod Wright won, defeating Mervyn Dymally. (As Wright himself noted, it's sad that the two had to go against each other, because Dymally is a good guy too.) According to the Daily Breeze (6/4/08):
Rod Wright claimed victory early Wednesday in the race for the Democratic nomination in the 25th Senate District, defeating veteran lawmaker Mervyn Dymally.
Wright, 55, won by about 4,000 votes, taking 43.9 percent to 35.1 percent for Dymally. Dymally, 82, was seeking to return to the state Senate, after serving there in the late 1960s and early '70s.
"Larry Holmes didn't take any joy out of beating up Muhammad Ali," Wright said Wednesday. "I got no joy in saying, `Wow, I beat Merv Dymally."'
Wright spent two years before the election meeting with city councils and Democratic clubs, which allowed him to build up a base of local support in an area he had not previously represented.
He estimated he had attended about 100 meetings, and he won the endorsement of every Democratic mayor in the district, which loops from Inglewood to Long Beach to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and also includes Gardena, Hawthorne and Lawndale.
Wright will face Republican Lydia Gutierrez in the fall, but is expected to win easily. Wright served in the Assembly from 1996 to 2002 and earned a reputation as a pro-business moderate.
"What I'd like to think I'd be able to do is establish a dialogue with Republicans," Wright said Wednesday. "People who provide value are those that can get in the middle and draw some kind of consensus."
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June 9th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
This is very, very good news. Rod Wright stepped up when Chuck Calderon was termed-out of the Senate, struggling heroically to pass pro-equality child support bills when the Assembly Judiciary Committee was strangled by Sheila Kuehl and quickly becoming my all-time favorite legislator. Rod's an all-around great law maker on other issues as well, so it's going to be a great day for California when he returns to Sacramento.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Congrats, Mr Wright. Good luck in the fall.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Congratulations to Rod. Do good!
Wow, Mervyn Dymally is now 82. I remember him on our ballots from a long way back, and he goes back even before then. Best wishes to Mervyn Dymally then.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Yes...I remember his 2002 rebuke by the corrupt-ongoing criminal enterprise that was the disgraced & ultimately & rightfully so- recalled from office...former democrat gov. gray davis. This guy was one of them & Shelia Khuel of that gerrymandered district around santa barbra shot this guy down....Oh yes, I remembered this very well. I saved the newsclipping from the SacBee....I coulden't believe it myself. Democrat kills Democrat bill....very interesting !!
June 10th, 2008 at 1:33 am
"...when the Assembly Judiciary Committee was strangled by Sheila Kuehl"
She's termed out in the Senate this year, and she's already termed out in the assembly. Does anyone have any idea of what kind of new projects she'll be undertaking?
June 10th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Congratulations to Senator Rod Wright.
ir
June 10th, 2008 at 2:19 am
I remember Calderon. He did his best to help fathers in CA (he, himself, had to fight for his kids).
One member is not enough, unfortunately. Hopefully Rod Wright doesn't drown in the sea of California's
anti-fathers crowd.
ir
June 10th, 2008 at 7:27 am
normally not a democrat kind of voter, but this man sounds like a good and decent one with at least "some" agendas that conservatives like me can champion. i will be following his future endeavors and look forward to positive advances for fathers and their children living in his area that will benefit all dads everywhere.
GOOD LUCK sir, if you are reading glenn's blog.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:21 am
This is great news! I wish we had him here in Florida!
June 10th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I just have one question. How do we clone this guy? Seriously, we need more individuals in office like him. The MRA issues are woefully, woefully underrepresented in politics. It's sad.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
"I just have one question. How do we clone this guy? Seriously, we need more individuals in office like him. The MRA issues are woefully, woefully underrepresented in politics. It's sad."
Bush would probably veto it.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
"Larry Holmes didn't take any joy out of beating up Muhammad Ali,"
Perhaps not, but he got considerable joy out of beating up Howard Cosell.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
By the way, I contributed.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Congratulations to Rod Wright. And, like many of the commenters here, we need someone like him in Hawaii.
June 11th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Congratulations to Rod Wright!
Truly a champion for gender equality and moral values. At a time when I thought the battle was futile, Rod and Stan Diorio challenged the system and although Davis vetoed our bill, in essence we won because the legislators, lobbyists and dissenters knew we had arrived and would not be ignored.
I think I can speak for all paternity fraud victims when I say, many thanks Rod from us and our families.... Today is a good day!
November 10th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Good News that he won the Election. May a follow up article is due?