Mike Schaefer
John Michael Schaefer[1] (born March 25, 1938) is an American politician and former lawyer. He was seen as a perennial candidate. He has been a member of the California State Board of Equalization since 2019.
Schaefer was a member of the San Diego City Council from 1965 to 1971. He then ran for 33 local and state offices in California, Arizona, Maryland, and Nevada for nearly fifty years. He is a member of the Democratic Party, but before 2004, he was a member of the Republican Party.
Early life
[change | change source]Schaefer was born in San Diego, California on March 25, 1938. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley and at the Georgetown University.[2][3][4]
Career
[change | change source]During the 1960 presidential election, he supported U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy for President of the United States.[5] He also worked as an analyst for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Schaefer won an election to the California Board of Equalization in 2018 in an upset victory.[6][7] After being sworn-in at aged 80 in 2019, Schaefer became the oldest Californian to serve in a state constitutional office.[5][8]
Schaefer was a Democratic candidate for California's 47th congressional district in the 2024 election, but later switched to run for the U.S. Senate in Nevada. He lost the primary election to Senator Jacky Rosen.[9]
In May 2025, Schaefer filed paperwork to run for Lieutenant Governor of California in 2026.[10] However in January 2026, he switched races and decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives again, this time for the 48th congressional district to replace retiring Republican Congressman Darrell Issa.[11]
He said he loves to run for political office, which is why he runs for office many times.[12]
Legal problems
[change | change source]In 1970, Schaefer was arrested for bribery and conspiracies charges in 1970, but was later acquitted a year later.[13] In 1993, Schaefer was convicted of misdemeanor spousal abuse.[7]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "John Michael Schaefer".
- ↑ "A Bit About Mike ..." Chula Vista Star-News. November 3, 1968. p. 28. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Mike Schaefer San Diego councilman". Imperial Beach Star-News. May 30, 1968. p. 10. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Mike Schaefer – Member, Board of Equalization, 4th District". www.boe.ca.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
- 1 2 "Mike Schaefer Sworn in As Oldest Elected Official in State". December 28, 2018. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020.
- ↑ "Mike Schaefer's long and winding road to a win". June 23, 2019. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020.
- 1 2 "Mike Schaefer makes political comeback with baggage and jokes". November 16, 2018. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020.
- ↑ Cabanatuan, Michael (2022-03-08). "He's been convicted, disbarred and called a slumlord. Now he's endorsed by the California Democratic Party". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ↑ Hubbard, Kaia (2024-06-11). "Sam Brown, Jacky Rosen win Nevada Senate primaries to set up November matchup - CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ↑ "California Secretary of State - CalAccess - Campaign Finance - Schaefer for Lt Governor 2026". cal-access.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ↑ "SCHAEFER, MIKE - Candidate overview". FEC.gov. 2026-01-31. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ Winger, Richard (2024-06-21). "California State Elected Official Runs for U.S. Senate in Nevada Democratic Primary". Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ↑ "Jury Clears San Diego Councilman Schaefer". The Los Angeles Times. January 22, 1971. p. 22. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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