Barbara Alby

Barbara Alby was born on August 9, 1946{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84405423/alby-barbara-14-dec-2012-the-sacramen/ |title=Alby, Barbara |page=B4 |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-08-30}} {{Open access}} in the Town and Country area of Sacramento, California.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84398655/alby-as-teen-she-became-very-serious/ |title=Alby: As teen, she became 'very serious truant' |date=1996-06-23 |last=Vellinga |first=Mary Lynne |page=A14 |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-08-30}} {{Open access}} She was the oldest of four siblings. Her father was a butcher in local grocery stores. Her parents divorced when she was 16 years old. She attended St. Philomene's grade school and Loretto High School. She then transferred to Encina High School. She was a member of the class of 1964, but did not graduate.{{Cite web |url=http://www.encinahighschool.com/directory/directory64.htm |title=Encina High School Class of 1964 directory |website=encinahighschool.com |access-date=2021-08-30}}

Alby moved to Wisconsin with her second husband and she lived there for eight years. She received her high school diploma from a night school in Wisconsin. Alby dropped out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.{{cite news|url=http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2010/05/26/opinion/candidates/100-board-of-equalization-100525.txt |title=Board of Equalization: Republican candidates |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830051409/https://www.lodinews.com/opinion/candidates/article_ea61452d-b15c-58c3-acee-492881913058.html |archive-date=2021-08-30 |access-date=2021-08-30 |url-status=live}} She went on welfare at the age of 19 until her benefits were cut.{{cite news|url=http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2010/05/20/news/5_board_100520.txt |title=Candidates for California Board of Equalization address Lodi Republican Women |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |author=Ross Farrow |date=May 20, 2010}} {{subscription required|s}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84398426/albys-path-to-success-began-as-rocky-ro/ |title=Alby's path to success began as rocky road |date=1996-06-23 |last=Vellinga |first=Mary Lynne |page=1 |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-08-30}} {{Open access}}

Alby married twice. She eloped with her first husband at the age of 17 in 1964. She had two daughters with her first husband. She married her second husband, Dennis Alby and had three children.

She first sought elective office in 1991, running in a special election for the Sacramento-based 5th district in the California State Assembly. She lost that race to fellow Republican B. T. Collins, onetime Chief of Staff to Democratic former Gov. Jerry Brown, and narrowly lost to him again in the 1992 Republican primary.{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/1992-primary/1992-primary-sov.pdf |title=Statement of Vote - Primary Election - June 2, 1992 |publisher=California Secretary of State |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008003604/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/1992-primary/1992-primary-sov.pdf |archive-date=2010-10-08 }} After Collins died, Alby won a 1993 special election to succeed him and occupied the Assembly seat until 1998 when term limits forced her from office.{{cite web|url=http://primary98.sos.ca.gov/Final/P98_SOV.pdf |title=Statement of Vote - Primary Election - June 2, 1998 |publisher=California Secretary of State |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202041654/http://primary98.sos.ca.gov/Final/P98_SOV.pdf |archive-date=February 2, 2009 }} In 1996, she wrote legislation for Megan's Law in California.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84399225/megan-12-jun-1996-the-los-angeles-time/ |title=Megan |date=1996-06-12 |page=A16 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2021-08-30}} {{Open access}} In 1998 she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, attempting to succeed veteran Democrat Vic Fazio in the Sacramento-based 3rd district after Fazio retired after redistricting made the district more politically competitive. Alby lost the Republican primary to moderate businessman Doug Ose by 20 points.

Later, Alby assumed the position of chief deputy to Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard. She occupied that post until Leonard resigned in March 2010, at which point she became the Acting Board Member for the seat—during the middle of the period for candidates to file paperwork to appear on the ballot to fill the Board seat in the June primary election, so with just days for candidates to qualify to appear on the ballot, Leonard enabled Alby to run as "Acting Board Member" on the ballot.{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/2010/03/am-alert-schwar.html |title=Leonard tapped as Consumer Services Agency head |work=The Sacramento Bee |author=Torey Van Oot |date=March 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311201041/http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/2010/03/am-alert-schwar.html |archive-date=2010-03-11 }}{{cite news|url=http://www.flashreport.org/commentary0b.php?postID=2010030909591385 |title=Leonard To Enter Schwarzenegger Administration, Alby Will Become Acting BOE Member (Just In Time For Filing For Office) |work=FlashReport |author=Jon Fleischman |date=March 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022061615/http://www.flashreport.org/commentary0b.php?postID=2010030909591385 |archive-date=October 22, 2010 }}

During the June 2010 primary election, Alby became embroiled in controversy when the Capitol Weekly newspaper revealed that Indian casinos had spent nearly $200,000 on Alby's behalf in the election.{{cite news|url=http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=yvxdhv2o2rhcx4 |title=San Manuel Band-backed IE spends $185,000 for Alby |publisher=Capitol Weekly |date=June 2, 2010 |author=Malcolm McLachlan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717032754/http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=yvxdhv2o2rhcx4 |archive-date=2011-07-17 }}{{cite news|url=http://www.redcounty.com/barbara-alby-republican-cruz-bustamante/40655|title=Barbara Alby: The Republican Cruz Bustamante|publisher=Red County|date=June 3, 2010|author=Chris Emami}} Beside Indian casinos, the largest contributors to Alby's campaign were Alby herself, Senator Roy Ashburn, and Bill Leonard, her former boss.{{cite web|url=http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1311623&session=2009&view=received&psort=AMOUNT|title=CalAccess - Campaign Finance - Alby for Board of Equalization 2010 - Contributors Sorted by Amount|publisher=California Secretary of State|access-date=August 23, 2010|archive-date=April 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408120533/http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1311623&session=2009&view=received&psort=AMOUNT|url-status=dead}}

Alby resigned as acting Board of Equalization member on December 31, 2010, and was succeeded by acting Board Member Sean Wallentine.{{cite web|url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/2010-12-31 |title= An acting capacity to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Acting Board of Equalization Member Barbara Alby (SBOE-2) following her resignation. |publisher=JoinCalifornia Political Archive |access-date=2021-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830052351/http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/2010-12-31 |archive-date=2021-08-30 |url-status=live}}

Barbara Alby died of a heart attack the morning of December 9, 2012.{{citation needed |date=August 2021 |reason=cause of death}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101013141902/http://www.barbaraalby.com/ Barbara Alby for State Senate]
• [http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/5985 Join California Barbara Alby]

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{{succession box |title=California State Assemblymember
5th District |before=B. T. Collins|after=Dave Cox |years=1993–1998}}

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{{succession box |title= California State Board of Equalization Member
2nd District |before=Bill Leonard|after=Sean Wallentine |years=2010}}

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Category:1946 births

Category:2012 deaths

Category:Politicians from Sacramento, California

Category:People from Fair Oaks, California

Category:Republican Party members of the California State Assembly

Category:Women state legislators in California

Category:20th-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century California politicians

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:Candidates in the 1998 United States elections

Category:20th-century members of the California State Legislature