John L. Harmer

John L. Harmer was born in 1934 in Salt Lake City, Utah. His parents were Earl W. Harmer and Mabel Spande. He was one of their five children. Harmer attended the University of Utah. While there, Harmer was part of the Frosh Handbook committee in 1954, that helped inform new freshmen about college life at the university. They made sure freshmen were aware of school events and activities. He was involved with debate, and was an intramural debate finalist in 1954. He was also one of the school's Vigilantes. These vigilantes were campus policemen who played roles in student government. They were also responsible for being judges for school elections. Harmer was involved with the student court, serving as the Chief Justice of the student court in 1959. He married Carolyn Jonas on June 24, 1960, in the Los Angeles Temple and the couple had 10 children. Harmer was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout his life, Harmer has been interested in astronomy. ==Career==

Republican Party Harmer was a member of the Republican Party. He first entered politics by participating in Dwight D. Eisenhower's political campaign in 1952. Before his election as a state senator, Harmer was also the director of public affairs with the National Association of Manufactures; he also worked for the Americans for Constitutional Action as a field representative. In 1966, Harmer was a member of the Republican State Central Committee, State Central Committee, United Republicans of California, as well as being part of California Republican Associates, Young Republicans, and Republican Associates. By this time, he had also founded the San Fernando Valley Business and Professional Association. Harmer ran for state attorney general in 1970 and lost the primary; during that campaign, he sought permission to film a Los Angeles production of Oh! Calcutta! to gather evidence for a suit to prevent "irreparable damage to the morals of the community.". In 1974 Harmer won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor. The incumbent, Republican Ed Reinecke, had run for governor instead of seeking re-election, but lost the gubernatorial primary after he was indicted for perjury in a Watergate scandal-related matter. When Reinecke was forced to resign as lieutenant governor on October 4, 1974, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Harmer to fill the vacancy, allowing him to run as the incumbent in the upcoming general election. On November 5, Harmer lost to Democratic nominee Mervyn M. Dymally (with whom Harmer had just recently served in the state Senate), 46.3%-49.2%. After just three months since his appointment, the term ended and Harmer left the lieutenant governor's office on January 6, 1975. Harmer became vice president of Geely-USA, the American Division of the Chinese car maker Geely that along with Chery is one of the first Chinese automobile manufacturers to export to North American shores. Harmer founded the Lighted Candle Society in 2001. Harmer authored several books including We Dare Not Fail (1968), Among the Living Are the Dead (1970), and The Sex Industrial Complex (2007). ==References==