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Bob Epple

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American attorney and politician
Bob Epple
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 63rd district
In office
November 30, 1988 – November 30, 1994
Preceded byWayne Grisham
Succeeded byPhil Hawkins
Personal details
Born(1948-11-18)November 18, 1948
Los Angeles, California
DiedApril 13, 2011(2011-04-13) (aged 62)
Norwalk, California
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse Cheryl ​(m. 1972)​ Colleen ​(m. 2010)​
Children1
Military service
Branch/service United States Army

Robert "Bob" Epple (November 18, 1948 – April 13, 2011) was an American attorney and politician from California and a member of the Democratic Party.

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.

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.

Epple challenged incumbent assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-La Mirada) in the 1988 election. 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. With help from Sacramento Democrats and Speaker Willie Brown, Epple narrowly defeated Grisham.

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. 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. 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.

In 2004 Epple's wife Cheryl, then an elected member of the Cerritos College Board of Trustees, died suddenly of a heart attack. 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.

Electoral history

Member, California State Assembly: 1988-1994
Year Office Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1980 California State Senate
District 33 		Bob Epple 49,823 27.1% Bill Campbell 133,740 72.9%
1988 California State Assembly
District 63 		Bob Epple 48,611 50.1% Wayne Grisham 48,391 49.9%
1990 California State Assembly
District 63 		Bob Epple 36,728 59.6% Diane Boggs 24,888 40.4%
1992 California State Assembly
District 56 		Bob Epple 61,330 47.8% Phil Hawkins 60,788 47.4%
1994 California State Assembly
District 56 		Bob Epple 43,178 43.2% Phil Hawkins 53,535 53.5%

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 byWayne Grisham California State Assembly 63rd District
1988 – 1992 		Succeeded byJim Brulte (redistricted)
Preceded byLucille Roybal-Allard (redistricted) California State Assembly 56th District
1992 – 1994 		Succeeded byPhil Hawkins
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