Paul T. Bannai
Republican
| Date | Party | Office | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06-26-1973 | Republican | AD-67 | 10982 | Win |
| 11-05-1974 | Republican | AD-53 | 25843 | Win |
| 11-02-1976 | Republican | AD-53 | 32362 | Win |
| 11-07-1978 | Republican | AD-53 | 29844 | Win |
| 11-04-1980 | Republican | AD-53 | 28321 | Loss |
Candidate Biography:
Born: July 4, 1920 in Delta, Colorado
Married: Hideko Matsuno (in 1946)
Children: Kathryn, Don, and Lorraine
Died: September 14, 2019
Previous: Member, Gardenia Planning Commission
Previous: Member, Gardenia City Council
1980: Director, Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians
1981-1985: Chief Memorial Affairs Director, National Cemetery System, Veterans Administration
- First Japanese American elected to the State of California legislature.
- Bannai and his family were sent to the Japanese internment camp at Lone Pine during World War II.
- UNACKNOWLEDGED API: This elected official was excluded from the "History of Asian Americans in the California Legislature" by the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (Source).
Source: California Blue Book (1975)