Pete Wilson

Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American Republican politician from California.

Born in Lake Forest, Illinois, he attended private school in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from Yale University in 1956. From 1955 to 1958 he served in the United States Marine Corps.

Wilson moved to California to attend law school at the University of California, Berkeley and earned his degree in 1962. After serving on Richard M. Nixon's campaign for Governor of California in 1962, he served in the California Assembly (1966-1971) and then became mayor of San Diego (1971-1983) before serving in the United States Senate from January 7, 1991 (reelected in 1988) until he resigned on January 7, 1991 to become Governor of California. He was reelected Governor by a wide margin in 1994 and was succeeded by Gray Davis in 1999.

Wilson made an unsuccessful run for the Republican Party nomination for President in 1996.

During the 2003 California recall, he acted as an advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger who was subsequently elected Governor of California.