First term Jerry Brown

in 1974, brown ran in highly contested democratic primary governor of california against speaker of california assembly bob moretti, san francisco mayor joseph l. alioto, representative jerome r. waldie, , others. brown won primary name recognition of father, pat brown, whom many people admired progressive administration. in general election on november 5, 1974, brown elected governor of california on california state controller houston i. flournoy; republicans ascribed loss anti-republican feelings watergate, election being held ninety days after president richard nixon resigned office. brown succeeded republican governor ronald reagan, retired after 2 terms.

jerry brown selected 2 frugal 1974 plymouth satellites state motor pool use in northern california , southern california. 1 of them, on display @ california automobile museum.

after taking office, brown gained reputation fiscal conservative. american conservative later noted more of fiscal conservative governor reagan . fiscal restraint resulted in 1 of biggest budget surpluses in state history, $5 billion. personal life, brown refused many of privileges , perks of office, forgoing newly constructed 20,000-square-foot governor s residence in suburb of carmichael , instead renting $250-per-month apartment @ corner of 14th , n streets, adjacent capitol park in downtown sacramento. rather riding passenger in chauffeured limousine previous governors had done, brown walked work , drove in plymouth satellite sedan.

as governor, brown held strong interest in environmental issues. appointed j. baldwin work in newly created california office of appropriate technology, sim van der ryn state architect, stewart brand special advisor, john bryson chairman of california state water board. brown reorganized california arts council, boosting funding 1300 percent , appointing artists council , appointed more women , minorities office other previous california governor. in 1977, sponsored first-ever tax incentive rooftop solar , among many environmental initiatives. in 1975, brown obtained repeal of depletion allowance , tax break state s oil industry, despite efforts of lobbyist joe shell, former intraparty rival richard m. nixon.

like father, brown opposed death penalty , vetoed governor, legislature overrode in 1977. appointed judges opposed capital punishment. 1 of these appointments, rose bird chief justice of california supreme court, later recalled voters in 1987 after strong campaign financed business interests upset pro-labor , pro-free speech rulings. death penalty trumped-up excuse use against her, though bird court consistently upheld constitutionality of death penalty. in 1960, lobbied father, governor, spare life of caryl chessman , reportedly won 60-day stay him.

brown both in favor of balanced budget amendment , opposed proposition 13, latter of decrease property taxes , reduce revenue cities , counties. when proposition 13 passed in june 1978, heavily cut state spending, , along legislature, spent of $5 billion surplus meet proposition s requirements , offset revenue losses made cities, counties, , schools more dependent on state. actions in response proposition earned him praise proposition 13 author howard jarvis went far make television commercial brown before successful re-election bid in 1978. controversial proposition cut tax revenues , required two-thirds supermajority raise taxes. proposition 13 destroyed funding base of local governments , school districts, thereafter depended largely on sacramento revenue . max neiman, professor @ institute of governmental studies @ university of california, berkeley, credited brown bailing out local government , school districts , felt harmful because made easier people believe proposition 13 wasn t harmful . in interview in 2014, brown indicated war chest have helped campaign alternative proposition 13.