Alexander Hughes
From Usgs
Alexander Hughes is a United States Congressman from California and former West Coast Governor.
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| 4th Governor of the West Coast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Office: 2019 - 2023 Lieutenant(s): Thomas | ||||
| Preceded by | David Cromartie | |||
| Succeeded by | Hys Clematis | |||
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 42nd District | ||||
| In Office: 2017 - 2019 | ||||
| Preceded by | Francisco Cojuanco (R) | |||
| Succeeded by | Maria Teresa Bruce (D) | |||
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 42nd District | ||||
| In Office: 2023 - Present | ||||
| Preceded by | Maria Teresa Bruce (D) | |||
| Succeeded by | Incumbent | |||
| Born | February 26, 1990 (age 33) Whittier, California | |||
| Political Party | Republican | |||
| Spouse | Jasmine Hughes(nee Garcia) | |||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | |||
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Early life
Born to two parents in a traditional family in Whittier, California (his father being a relatively successful restaurant owner and his mother a house wife) and soon afterwards settling in Chino Hills, Alexander was a precocious student, always known for his academic prowess. Attending Litel Elementary School, then afterwards Canyon Hills Junior High School, it is as a student at Ruben S. Ayala High School that he gets first mentioned in local history. First introduced to the theatre as a freshman, he showed an extraordinary talent for both actual acting and much of the behind-the-scenes politics of the thespian club, serving as the president of the local chapter of the International Thespian Society from 2006 to 2008, the year of his graduation.
College and acting career
Getting a prestigious theatre-arts scholarship, he attended Claremont-McKenna College, and graduated summa cum laude in 2012, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts (his thesis was "The Morals of Star-Crossed Lovers: Practical Application of Historical Moral Codes in Shakesperean Theater"), he started off as an understudy in various local theater productions, eventually making a Broadway debut as Edward Worthington in a revival of "The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens". Thus began his meteoric rise as a Broadway star.
He eventually 'graduated' to Hollywood films, starring as King Victor Emmanuel III in "Mussolini", for which he was an Academy Award nominee, and the more popular role of Inspector Francois Matengnon in the French-language film "Le Metropolitain", among many other roles.
Political career
The first records of the young hughes - his 2008 voter registration show him as a Democrat, and he remained a moderate Democrat for the early part of his acting career, though taking the conservative stances on several issues. However, dissatisfaction with the West Coast branch of the party led him to change registration to a Republican during the 2014 midterm elections. He was an outspoken speaker for various causes, including public education funding, arts funding and the traditional definition of marriage.
Finally, in the 2016 elections, with local political boss Francisco Cojuanco retiring, he was pressured by the latter to run for Congress, capitalizing on local name recognition (being a multimillionaire Broadway star was a political advantage), and winning against Democrat Charles E. Kim by an overwhelming margin, despite being neck-and-neck till the last days of the campaign.
Congressman (1st term)
As Congressman, Hughes showed himself to be rather the mainstream Republican, though dissenting on several issues, including immigration (he advocated an amnesty and deregulation), gender discrimination (he advocated women being allowed to see active combat) and government regulation (he is a proponent of "smart" government as opposed to "small" government). He was one of the charter members of the Committee for the Liberation of Venezuela.
Governor
As perhaps the most visible West Coast Republican, Hughes won the Republican gubernatorial primaries easily, defeating several lesser-known candidates. In a campaign endorsed by the NRA, the CC and the ACLU, Hughes faced his opponent, Davin Cromartie, eventually defeating him by a less than 2% margin.
As Governor, Hughes took some stands that endeared him to some (mostly moderates) and alienated others (mostly ideological conservatives and liberals). His support of the public education system rankled many on the Right; his stances on social issues earned him the enmity of many liberals.
Some of his signature bills included two omnibus education bills increasing education spending, as well as one merging several state law enforcement agencies to form the West Coast Constabulary, a statewide auxilliary to local law enforcement and National Guard comparable with the Dixie Militia. He was also known for three failed attempts to reinstate affirmative action in the West Coast, in the face of opposition from both parties, and abolishing speech codes in the university system.
In a close race in 2022, Hughes thus lost narrowly to Hyssop Clematis, in a campaign marked by large amounts of noney and large amounts of attack ads.
Personal life
Hughes is married to journalist Jasmine Garcia, who is currently pregnant with twin boys. They live in a suburban Chino Hills residence. He has a younger sister, Maria (b. 1997), who lives in Sacramento.
On the nickname, "Baby"
From the start of his acting days, his nickname refers to his short stature (only 5 feet 3 inches tall) and his relatively innocent-looking face.
Political views
Hughes is a rather mainstream Republican, given the demographics of his district – therefore he is pro-life, and anti-gay marriage. Nevertheless, being an actor, he does share some liberal tendencies of his milieu – as an actor, he lobbied for generous funding of the arts, and supports a single-payer universal healthcare system on the European model. He furthermore was in his congressional campaign endorsed by the NEA and the ACT. On economics, he favors low taxes, and supports funding of his pet social programs through cutting unnecessary pork and slashing oil and farm subsidies and welfare. On national security, his position can be best described as mostly Warrenist.
