Rico Oller

Rico Oller
Rico Oller
Member of the California Senate; from the 1st district
	In office; December 4, 2000 – November 30, 2004
Preceded by	Tim Leslie
Succeeded by	Dave Cox
Member of the California State Assembly; from the 4th district
	In office; December 2, 1996 – November 30, 2000
Preceded by	David Knowles
Succeeded by	Tim Leslie
Personal details
Born	July 16, 1958 (age 66); Fresno, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Londa
Children	4

Thomas "Rico" Oller (born July 16, 1958) is an American politician from California. A Republican, he served in the California State Assembly, representing the 4th District from 1996 to 2000,^[1] and the California State Senate, representing the 1st district from 2000 to 2004.^[2]

Early life

Born in Fresno, California, Oller graduated from California State University, Stanislaus in 1980. In 1981, Oller started his building materials business.

Political career

In 2004, Oller ran for Congress in California's 3rd congressional district, but narrowly lost the Republican primary to former California Attorney General Dan Lungren.^[3] On January 10, 2008, Oller again ran for Congress, this time in California's 4th congressional district, for a seat being vacated by retiring Congressman John Doolittle.^[3] He faced opposition from former Congressman Doug Ose.^[3] On March 4, 2008, Oller dropped out of the race when California State Senator Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) announced that he was running for Doolittle's seat.^[4] In a statement, Oller said his decision was "a bitter pill indeed for me to swallow." But, he said he was endorsing McClintock to prevent the election of Ose, whom he labeled as "an unarguably liberal Republican."^[4]^[5] Oller ran for the newly former 5th Assembly District in 2012, facing Madera County Supervisor Frank Bigelow in the November general election.^[2] Oller lost to Bigelow by 5.7% in an upset.^[6]

Legislative record

Oller fought against the expansion of Smog Check II and authored legislation to abolish the program. He opposed the use of MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) in fuel. He also passed legislation to protect the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. He convened an oversight hearing into the spread of noxious weeds across California and carried legislation to promote the reactivation of the Auburn Dam.^{[citation needed]}

Oller was named Legislator of the Year by California Small Business Association and American Electronics Association. He also received an award from Women's Safety Alliance for dedication to safety and the 2000 "Defender of Freedom" award from the National Rifle Association of America.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "FINAL CALIFORNIA ELECTION RETURNS / CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY". Los Angeles Times. March 28, 1996. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Nichols, Dana M. (April 26, 2012). "Six vie for votes in GOP stronghold". Stockton Record. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "California: Ose Seeks Comeback, Club Seeks to Stop Him". Roll Call. February 4, 2008. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "California: McClintock Chases Oller From Republican Race". Roll Call. March 4, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
^ "Politics - McClintock joins race for Doolittle's seat - sacbee.com". Archived from the original on March 6, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
^ Hiegel, Taylor (November 15, 2013). "Would 'jungle primary' bring more moderates to Washington? It's not clear". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

External links

Rico Oller's campaign site

California Senate
Preceded by Tim Leslie	California State Senator 1st district December 4, 2000 - November 30, 2004	Succeeded by Dave Cox
California Assembly
Preceded by David Knowles	California State Assemblyman 4th district December 2, 1996 – November 30, 2000	Succeeded by Tim Leslie

[1] "FINAL CALIFORNIA ELECTION RETURNS / CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY". Los Angeles Times. March 28, 1996. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[:0-2] Nichols, Dana M. (April 26, 2012). "Six vie for votes in GOP stronghold". Stockton Record. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[:1-3] "California: Ose Seeks Comeback, Club Seeks to Stop Him". Roll Call. February 4, 2008. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[:2-4] "California: McClintock Chases Oller From Republican Race". Roll Call. March 4, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[5] "Politics - McClintock joins race for Doolittle's seat - sacbee.com". Archived from the original on March 6, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2008.

[6] Hiegel, Taylor (November 15, 2013). "Would 'jungle primary' bring more moderates to Washington? It's not clear". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

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