Dario J. Frommer (born October 22,1963) is an American lawyer and politician. He is a former member of the California State Assembly for the 43rd district who served from 2000 until 2006. He served as Majority Leader from 2004 until 2006. Frommer also served as Chair of the Health Committee.[1][2]
Frommer graduated from Hoover High School in 1981.[8] He was a member of the student government and Latin Club,and wrote for the school newspaper,The Purple Press,[9] which sparked his interest in journalism.[4] At the age of 17,he was elected youth governor of his school's YMCA program.[4] Later on,in 2001,he was invited to his alma mater to speak on and celebrate the state of California's first observance of Cesar Chavez Day.[10]
During the 1980 United States presidential election,while still in high school,Frommer and his friend attempted to draft their English teacher Leon Wiskup for president,but were dissuaded by the $500 filing fee;instead,he volunteered for John Anderson's Independent presidential bid and represented Anderson in a debate against then-Assemblyman Pat Nolan.[4]
Frommer was a political science and international relations student,and graduated from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in 1985.[7][4] In the summer of 1982,he interned for Art Torres's state assembly campaign;after graduation,he returned to Glendale[4] and worked as a chief of staff[11] and press secretary for Torres until 1988.[12] In 1989,[11] he was acquainted with State Controller Gray Davis,serving as his deputy controller[3] and press secretary,[13] but left Sacramento later that year to attend law school.[4]
Gubernatorial aide and 2000 State Assembly campaign
In 1998,Frommer served as the political director of Gray Davis's 1998 gubernatorial bid,[16] Davis won,becoming California's first Democratic governor in 16 years.[17] In December 1998,Davis appointed Frommer as his Appointments Secretary,whose responsibilities included advising the governor on possible appointees for various state level positions.[13] Frommer became the first Latino to hold this position.[16]
After defeating Republican former county prosecutor Craig Missakian in the general election by 51% to 48%,[7] Frommer became the first Latino to represent the district.[6]
In April 2002,the California Fair Political Practices Commission required Frommer to pay a $6,000 fine after his then-attorney Steve Kaufman failed to report $40,000 in campaign contributions in 2000 in a timely manner;afterward,he no longer retained Kaufman.[21]
In August 2002,Frommer's bill to prohibit online sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products to Californian residents under the age of 18 and require age verification for such purchases,AB 1830,passed both chambers of the California State Legislature.[22]
In January 2003,State Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson appointed Frommer as chair of the Select Committee on Small Business.[2] Wesson also appointed Frommer as chair of the Health Committee.[2][25] As Health Committee chair,when a soda ban bill prohibiting sales of soft drinks in schools reached the committee in August 2003,he insisted on an exemption for high schools.[26] As a result,the high school provision was put to a separate vote,which failed to get the votes needed,in exchange for the elementary and middle school soda ban passing with an earlier implementation.[27]
Moreover,Frommer also appointed as chair of the Select Committee on Runway Film Production for the legislative session.[28] In August 2003,Governor Gray Davis signed AB 1478 into law,a bill introduced by Frommer to prohibit and fine elected officials[a] for soliciting campaign donations for support in obtaining a film permit.[29][30] Frommer argued that the increased filming costs would encourage the movement of film production to Canada and Mexico instead,following reports involving Los Angeles City Councilors,[29] and cited a drop of 7,400 jobs pertaining to film production.[30]
2004 Speakership bid
Since Speaker Herb Wesson was term-limited,Wesson said he would resign from the speakership in March instead of December 2004,with Frommer,Jenny Oropeza,and Fabian Nunez in a three-way race but unable to win the majority of the 48 State Assembly Democrats.[31] After 10 moderate Frommer supporters met with him to urge him to withdraw his name from consideration and instead endorse Nunez,[31] Frommer followed suit,citing the need for party unity,and Oropeza also conceded,resulting in Nunez's election as Speaker.[32][33]
In 2004,he was instead elected as Majority Leader of the State Assembly.[34]
2005–2006 legislative session
In October 2005,Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Frommer's AB 1666 into law,which would allow active dutyCalifornia National Guard members to cancel cellphone contracts without any penalty,get credits on their college tuition,waive state bar fees,and get an extension on utility bills;meanwhile,he vetoed Frommer's AB 73,which would have required the state to establish a website that displays the cheaper prescription prices from pharmacies in the United Kingdom,Canada,and Ireland.[35]
2006 California State Controller bid
In 2005,Frommer announced a bid for State Controller in 2006.[36] Frommer was considered a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination;[37] however,in March 2006,Frommer withdrew from the race,citing the need for a balance between family and workload.[38]
In December 2022,CalMatters reported that Frommer had $593,000 sitting in a committee for a 2026 California State Controller election bid,with all the funds having been carried over from his 2006 bid.[39]
In December 2006,Frommer joined as a partner of Mayer Brown for its government practice group,specializing on issues such as health care,tax reform and the environment[48]
In November 2013,Frommer joined as a partner of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer &Feld LLP for public law and policy practice.[49] In May 2024,[1] Frommer rejoined Mayer Brown as a partner for public policy,regulatory,and government affairs practice.[50]
In 2015,Frommer's wife Paskett purchased a historical estate in Lodi,California developed by Benjamin F. Langford,[53] who served in the California Senate for the 23rd and 33rd districts from 1880 to 1899.[54] After renovating the estate,Paskett and her father Herb (Frommer's father-in-law) founded Paskett Vineyards &Winery in 2017.[52]
1 2 Fox, Sue (November 8, 2000). "Education Issue Spurs Democrats to Victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2025. With about three-fourths of the precincts reporting, Frommer, the son of a Mexican American mother and a Hungarian American father, moved far ahead of Missakian.
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