Abel Maldonado, GOP candidate for California lieutenant governor

City of residence: Santa Maria

Personal: wife, Laura Maldonado; four children

Education: studied crop science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo but left before earning a degree

Career highlights: helped run family farm; elected to the Santa Maria City Council in 1994 at age 26; elected mayor two years later; elected to the state Assembly in 1998, elected to the state Senate in 2004; confirmed as appointed lieutenant governor in 2010

Platform: maximize the office's role in creating and retaining jobs through the Economic Development Commission; use university board positions to reinforce the role of higher education as centers of innovation for economic development and advocate for technical education; use the seat on the State Lands Commission to create regulatory reform to enhance development of new and alternative energy facilities; improve state response to homeland security issues and other emergencies

Campaign website: abelmaldonado2010.com