Political Career
While in California, Montgomery served the public in numerous capacities as an elected official. He was a Representative of the California State Legislature 15th District (12th session; 1860–1861) and served on the Judiciary and Indian Affairs Committees. Zachariah was a delegate to the State Democratic Convention (John C. Breckenridge Party on Democratic ticket; 1860) and was nominated for Speaker of the House (California State Assembly) but lost this election. Notably, Zach authored California State Assembly Bill AB 348, The Montgomery Bill – an education reform bill to amend the California School Law Act of May 3, 1855.
On February 11, 1861, Montgomery delivered the State of The State speech to the California State Assembly. Zachariah was petitioned by colleagues to become a United States Senator (1867) but declined due to political ideological differences with the Lincoln Administration.
In the summer of 1884 Zach mounted an unsuccessful bid for the office of District Attorney of San Diego County.
Read more about this topic: Zachariah Montgomery
Famous quotes containing the words political and/or career:
“The man possessed of a dollar, feels himself to be not merely one hundred cents richer, but also one hundred cents better, than the man who is penniless; so on through all the gradations of earthly possessions—the estimate of our own moral and political importance swelling always in a ratio exactly proportionate to the growth of our purse.”
—Frances Wright (1795–1852)
“Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.”
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)