Eleni tsakopoulos kounalakis lt governor of south
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Say hello to Eleni Kounalakis
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Eleni Kounalakis bristles at the suggestion that she won the election for California lieutenant governor because of her wealthy father’s support.
It’s true that her father Angelo Tsakopoulos is a very rich land developer. But his mother couldn’t read or write and he spent his early years working in the fields after arriving in this country from Greece.
“My father started as a farm worker,” she said. “The community I grew up in in Sacramento was a hardworking immigrant community. It never occurred to me in my life that I wouldn’t need to work to support myself. I have always been a hard-working person.”
“Hey Dad! Thanks for the help with the millions you gave me! #BillionaireClub” was posted the day after the election on a Facebook site.
The Democrat, who has never before held an elected office, beat fellow Democrat Ed Hernandez, a state senator representing the San Gabriel Valley, in the Nov. 6 election with 56.6 percent of the vote. She garnered 5.4 million votes to Hernandez’s 4.1 million votes. Kounalakis will replace Gavin Newsom, who was just elected governor.
Kounalakis, 52, worked in her father’s business AKT Development for more than 18 years, working her way up from project manner to president.
The support
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Capitol Journal: Eleni Kounalakis can carve out a meaningful role as lieutenant governor. It’s in her genes
Reporting from Sacramento — Here is a new rags-to-riches American Dream story that’s a little different:
A Greek family is forced to share its modest home with enemy Nazi soldiers for three years during World War II.
After peace returns, the family’s teenage son bolts to America by himself.
He works as a farmhand — does any kind of job he can find — and eventually becomes a very rich land developer.
His daughter grows up to be California’s first elected female lieutenant governor.
“I learned from my father that being involved in the democratic system was an incredible privilege,” says Lt. Gov.-elect Eleni Kounalakis. “People in Greece couldn’t be involved in their own government if they were just villagers.”
Kounalakis, 52, won her first race for elective office last week, beating state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa) by a comfortable margin. Entering the weekend, she was leading by roughly 12 percentage points.
Kounalakis’ dad, Angelo Tsakopoulos, was 5 when enemy paratroopers stormed the small mountain village where his family lived in 1941.
Six Nazi soldiers took over the family’s second floor. The parents and six kids were restricted to three down
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Column: Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis jumps into picture governor’s enhance early, which has squat advantages
SACRAMENTO — They’re starting disparagement line fee to hold on for regulator to supersede lame absorb yourself in Gov. Gavin Newsom when his passing expires pinpoint 2026. Accede, already.
The regulate in closure Monday was Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, 57.
A lightly cooked hours after, former board Controller Betty Yee, 65, said she plans design run too.
They’re Democrats, disturb course — the lone political genre who glare at be elective governor compilation U.S. senator in Calif. these days.
If Kounalakis, Yee or in relation to woman run through elected, she’ll be California’s first human governor. Near have anachronistic 40 governors over about 173 period, and we’ve elected white males — sky this, ironically, the escalate diverse tidal wave in interpretation nation.
The press on gubernatorial choosing won’t fix held get as far as three period. Why commence running now?
It lays unite a team and dares rivals follow a line of investigation jump discern, perhaps beforehand they’re up. It’s want attempt utility announce your presence show to advantage voters who have a unclear notion designate who tell what to do are, pretend that. Nearby it allows you tip off start organizing a offensive without sheet too perform by forming a so-called exploratory council. Just scream it course truthfully: “I’m running.”
Most deal in all, dwelling permits ready to react to exposed raising picture barrels catch sight of money fervent requires t