Congressional Career and Presidential Campaign
After leaving the Marines, Schmitz took a job as an instructor in philosophy and political science at Santa Ana College. He also became active in the John Birch Society. His views attracted the attention of wealthy Orange County conservatives such as fast-food magnate Carl Karcher, sporting goods heir Willard Voit and San Juan Capistrano rancher Tom Rogers. They helped him win election to the California Senate in 1964 from a district in Orange County. His views were very conservative even by the standards of Orange County. Schmitz once joked that he had joined the John Birch Society in order to court the moderate vote in Orange County. He opposed sex education in public schools, and believed citizens should be able to carry loaded guns in their cars. He was also very critical of the civil unrest that characterized the mid-1960s. He called the Watts riots of 1965 "a Communist operation," and a year later sponsored a bill, which failed to pass, to investigate the backgrounds of teachers suspected of Communist affiliations. He also believed that state universities should be sold to private corporations as a curb against student protests.
He served in the state senate until 1970, when he won a special election to succeed the late James B. Utt in the House from California's 35th Congressional District. He won a full term in November.
When Richard Nixon, whose permanent residence at the time was in San Clemente—located in Schmitz's district— first went to China in 1972, Schmitz was asked if he supported President Nixon's going to China. Schmitz replied, "I didn't care that Nixon went to China, I was only upset that he came back." Nixon recruited Orange County Tax Assessor Andrew J. Hinshaw, a more moderate Republican, to run against Schmitz in the Republican primary for the renumbered 39th District. Hinshaw edged out Schmitz in the primary, the real contest in this heavily Republican district.
Angry at Nixon's role in his defeat, Schmitz ran as the American Independent Party candidate for president in the 1972 election; Tom Anderson was his running mate. They received 1,100,868 votes for 1.42% of the total. Schmitz's best showings were in the West—he received 9.30% of the vote in Idaho (where he finished second in some counties, ahead of Democrat George McGovern); 7.25% in Alaska; 5.97% in Utah; and between four and five percent in Oregon, Montana, and Washington. He also received 4.95% of the vote in Louisiana.
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