James Budd

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James Budd

James Herbert Budd (born May 18, 1851 in Janesville , Wisconsin , † July 30, 1908 in Stockton , California ) was an American politician and the 19th Governor of the state of California and a member of the House of Representatives of the United States .

youth

When Budd was seven years old, his family moved to California and settled in Stockton. There the young James also attended elementary and secondary school before he studied at the University of California . After graduating in 1873, he went on to study law. He was admitted to the bar a year later. after which he began to practice in Stockton. Eventually he became an assistant district attorney in San Joaquin County .

politics

In 1884 he was put up as a candidate for the US House of Representatives by the Democratic Party . He led a tough election campaign in which he particularly denounced the corruption in the railroad companies. This went so far that he refused to take the train himself. This made him popular with the voters and helped him to win the election. Since the end of the Civil War , he was the first Democratic MP in his constituency to make it to Congress in Washington. There he campaigned for the financing of the Stockton Canal and the expansion of shipping to Stockton. Budd only remained in Congress for one term; he declined to run again in 1886.

In 1894 he was nominated by his party as a candidate for the gubernatorial election. The focus of his election campaign was again his fight against the railroad companies in general and against the Southern Pacific Railroad in particular. He advocated a partial nationalization of the railways and called for a 25 percent reduction in freight and travel fees. He also called for the top tax rate on property to be capped at 45%. The election campaign was tough and sometimes dirty, especially by his opponents. There were reports in some newspapers that Budd had raped a minor named Nancy Neff in 1876 and made her pregnant. Budd dismissed this allegation as false. Against all odds, Budd won the election by 1,200 votes over his Republican challenger and a third candidate. Due to the close election result, the election campaign continued. The defeated Republican candidate, Morris Estee, suspected election fraud and had the result challenged. However, a parliamentary committee came to the conclusion that there were no irregularities and that the election was therefore valid.

On January 11, 1895, James Budd took office as the 19th Governor of California. Due to the tight and controversial election results, his position was difficult from the start, as the opposition opposed his reform plans, particularly in the area of ​​railroad control. After all, he was able to successfully campaign for the expansion of the road network in California and reduce government spending. As the opposition in parliament became increasingly hostile and his health suffered, Budd decided not to run again for the 1898 elections. He would remain the last California governor of the Democratic Party until 1939.

Old age and death

After the end of his tenure, he settled in San Francisco . In 1900, the new Governor Henry Gage appointed him a member of the University Board of Directors of the University of California. Budd died in Stockton on July 30, 1908. He was married to Inez A. Merrill.

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personal data
SURNAME Budd, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Budd, James Herbert (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION 19th Governor of California
DATE OF BIRTH May 18, 1851
PLACE OF BIRTH Janesville , Wisconsin
DATE OF DEATH July 30, 1908
Place of death Stockton , California