Bob Epple

Last updated
Cheryl
​
(m. 1972)​
Colleen
​
(m. 2010)​
Bob Epple
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 63rd district
In office
November 30, 1988 – November 30, 1994
Children1
Military service
Branch/serviceFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army

Robert "Bob" Epple (November 18, 1948 in Los Angeles, California - April 13, 2011 in Norwalk, California) was an American attorney and politician from California and a member of the Democratic Party. [1] [2]

Epple first ran for elective office in 1980, when he challenged entrenched GOP state senator Bill Campbell in what was then a safe Republican district. [3]

He then served as an elected member of the Cerritos College Board of Trustees from 1981 until 1988, when he ran for the California State Assembly. [4]

Epple challenged incumbent assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-La Mirada) in the 1988 election. [5] Democrats considered Grisham vulnerable after he lost a special state senate election the year before against then Norwalk councilman Cecil Green within roughly the same geographic area. [6] With help from Sacramento Democrats and Speaker Willie Brown, Epple narrowly defeated Grisham. [7]

Reelected easily in 1990, Epple had a much tougher time in 1992, when he opted to run in the newly drawn 56th Assembly District, based around Cerritos, Bellflower, Downey and part of Long Beach. Although he represented a portion of the new district before reapportionment, he had to move there to seek reelection, mainly to open up a his old Norwalk-based 63rd district (which had been redrawn as a majority-Latino district) for a Latino candidate. [8] He faced conservative businessman Phil Hawkins, in what became one of the most expensive California legislative races that year. Epple managed to only barely beat Hawkins by 542 votes. [9] When they faced off in a rematch two years later, Hawkins beat Epple by more than 10 points in a strong year for Republicans nationally. [10]

In 2004 Epple's wife Cheryl, then an elected member of the Cerritos College Board of Trustees, died suddenly of a heart attack. [11] He replaced her on the board and was reelected in 2005 and 2010.

On April 13, 2011 Epple died after a long battle with leukemia. [12]

Electoral history

Member, California State Assembly: 1988-1994
YearOfficeDemocratVotesPctRepublicanVotesPct
1980California State Senate
District 33		Bob Epple49,82327.1%Bill Campbell133,74072.9%
1988California State Assembly
District 63		Bob Epple48,61150.1%Wayne Grisham48,39149.9%
1990California State Assembly
District 63		Bob Epple36,72859.6%Diane Boggs24,88840.4%
1992California State Assembly
District 56		Bob Epple61,33047.8%Phil Hawkins60,78847.4%
1994California State Assembly
District 56		Bob Epple43,17843.2%Phil Hawkins53,53553.5%

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2677
  2. ↑ https://patch.com/california/cerritos/memorial-service-planned-for-former-state-assemblyman06f46ffa8c
  3. ↑ https://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1980-11-04
  4. ↑ https://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2677
  5. ↑ https://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1988-11-08
  6. ↑ California Journal Vol. XIX, No.5 (May 1988) "Campaign '88". StateNet Publications, May 1988.
  7. ↑ https://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1988-11-08
  8. ↑ California Journal Vol. XXIII, No.12 (December 1992) "'92 Election Results". StateNet Publications, December 1992
  9. ↑ https://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1992-11-03
  10. ↑ https://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1994-11-08
  11. ↑ https://www.talonmarks.com/news/2004/07/09/board-member-epple-dies-of-heart-attack/
  12. ↑ https://patch.com/california/cerritos/memorial-service-planned-for-former-state-assemblyman06f46ffa8c
Political offices
Preceded by California State Assembly 63rd District
1988 – 1992		Succeeded by
Jim Brulte (redistricted)
Preceded by
Lucille Roybal-Allard (redistricted)
 California State Assembly 56th District
1992 – 1994		Succeeded by
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