John Seymour (California politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| image name = John Seymour 1991.png

| jr/sr1 = United States Senator

| state1 = California

| party = Republican

| term_start1 = January 10, 1991

| term_end1 = November 4, 1992

| appointed1 = Pete Wilson

| predecessor1 = Pete Wilson

| successor1 = Dianne Feinstein

| state_senate2 = California State

| district2 = 35th

| term_start2 = April 26, 1982

| term_end2 = January 7, 1991

| predecessor2 = John Briggs

| successor2 = John Lewis

| office3 = 39th Mayor of Anaheim

| term_start3 = 1978

| term_end3 = 1982

| predecessor3 = Bill Thom

| successor3 = Don Roth

| birth_name = John Francis Seymour Jr.

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1937|12|3}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = Judy Seymour

| children = 6

| alma_mater = University of California, Los Angeles

| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

| branch = {{flag country|United States Marine Corps}}

| branch_label = Branch

| serviceyears = 1955–1959

| serviceyears_label = Service years

| module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Sen. John Seymour on National Hispanic Heritage Month.ogg|title=John Seymour's voice|type=speech|description=Seymour, while a U.S. senator, commemorates National Hispanic Heritage Month
Recorded September 16, 1992}}

}}

John Francis Seymour Jr.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-26-mn-3805-story.html|title=Seymour's Overdrive for Success|last=Decker|first=Cathleen|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 26, 1991|access-date=August 26, 2018}} (born December 3, 1937) is an American retired politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1991 to 1992. A member of the Republican Party, he was appointed to continue Pete Wilson's term but lost the special election to finish it to Democratic nominee and former San Francisco mayor Dianne Feinstein.{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/states/CA/senators.htm#note2|title=States in the Senate − California's United States Senators|access-date=April 18, 2017}} As of 2024, he is the last Republican to serve as a U.S. senator from California. Seymour was also the last U.S. senator from southern California until Alex Padilla took office on January 20, 2021, replacing Kamala Harris when she was inaugurated as vice president of the United States.

Life and career

Born in Chicago, Seymour attended public schools in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959 and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1962. Seymour was the president of the California Association of Realtors from 1978 to 1982, and worked in the real estate business from 1962 to 1981.

Seymour served Anaheim as a member of its city council from 1974 to 1978, as the 39th mayor of Anaheim from 1978 to 1982, and as a state senator from 1982 to 1991. In the California Senate, his voting record was that of a moderate or liberal Republican; he voted to ban assault weapons, to outlaw discrimination against people with AIDS, and to increase spending for social programs including education and mental health benefits.[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/03/us/new-senator-from-california-is-named.html New Senator from California is named], The New York Times, 1991/01/03. As mayor of Anaheim, Seymour was instrumental in recruiting the Los Angeles Rams to move to Anaheim Stadium.{{cite news|last1=Bailey|first1=Eric|title=Ex-Senator Has Gained New Agenda: Profile: John Seymour is enjoying his role as housing agency's executive director.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-10-04-me-42137-story.html|access-date=October 15, 2014|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 4, 1993}}

In 1991, Seymour was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Pete Wilson to serve in the seat Wilson had vacated to become governor. Seymour's appointment lasted until the 1992 special election to select a replacement who would serve until the normal expiration of Wilson's term in 1995. Former San Francisco mayor Dianne Feinstein defeated Seymour in the special election.

After his Senate term, Seymour was director of the California Housing Finance Agency for two years,{{cite web |url=http://octitle.com/seymour.asp |title=Orange Coast Title Company |access-date=2012-09-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016171927/http://octitle.com/seymour.asp |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |df=mdy-all}} and later was CEO of the nonprofit Southern California Housing Development Corporation and on the boards of directors of several housing-related companies including IndyMac Bank, Orange Coast Title Insurance, Los Angeles Federal Savings Bank, and Irvine Apartment Communities.{{cite press release|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040507005566/en/IndyMac-Announces-Appointment-Senator-John-Seymour--Ret.-|title=IndyMac Announces the Appointment of Senator John Seymour −Ret.− to the Board of Directors of IndyMac Bancorp, Inc.|access-date=April 18, 2017}} Seymour lives in San Marcos, California.