Nicholas Goldberg: Why I’m voting against Rick Caruso. (It’s not because of his positions on the issues.)
Caruso was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives last year to fill the remainder of the term that was held by Jim Gerlach.
Goldberg: This is his second term in the House, which he has held from 2011 through the present.
Caruso served in the House from January 2011 through the present. Before he was elected to the House, he served one term in the California State Assembly from 2003 to 2010, and was the Assembly leader from 1999 to 2001.
Caruso, who is seeking reelection, served in the state Legislature for six terms, from 2003-2010. He served in the Assembly as chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee and as the Assembly Public Utilities Committee chair.
He was elected to the state Assembly in 2000 as a Democrat. He served in the Assembly until his election as state attorney general in 2004. That’s when he became the Assembly’s president pro tempore, chairing the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee and serving as chairman of the Assembly Rules Committee. He served as the Assembly’s leader in the Legislature.
Caruso also worked as a police officer and a paramedic in the San Jose Police Department.
Now Caruso is running for Senate seat that was previously held by Kevin Shelley.
Goldberg: This is his first term in the Senate.
Caruso served in the Senate from 1999 until the end of the session in January 2011. He served as chair of the Senate Rules Committee and as the Senate Minority Leader.
Caruso served in the state Legislature as a Democrat from 1995-2009. Before he served in the state Legislature, Caruso served in the California State Assembly from 1995-1998 and was a teacher’s union organizer in the City of Oakland.
This is Caruso’s first Senate race.
He joined the Senate in May 2011, following the retirement of former Sen. Don Perata.
Caruso is no stranger to politics. He was mayor of San Jose from 2008 until 2009. He’s run for office before. He was elected to the