California Statewide Offices
Lungren did not seek re-election to the U.S. House when California Governor George Deukmejian appointed him as California's acting State Treasurer, but was never confirmed.
Lungren was later elected as California Attorney General in 1990, and served from 1991–1999. Shortly after becoming Attorney General, Lungren, a staunch supporter of capital punishment, presided over California's first execution in over twenty years. During his tenure in the office, he helped pass legislation such as "Megan's Law", "3-Strikes-and-You're-Out", "Sexual Anti-Predator Act" and the "California's Safe Schools Plan". He also sponsored a law allowing minors as young as 14 who are accused of murder to be tried as adults and "led a national effort to limit lawsuits filed by prisoners, which produced the federal Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1996." In 1996, he was considered as a possible Vice Presidential candidate to run with Republican nominee Bob Dole. That same year, Lungren "vigorously opposed" Proposition 215, which legalized medical marijuana in California.
In 1998 Lungren ran as the Republican candidate for governor against Democratic Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis. Davis received 57.9% of the votes, while Lungren got 38.4%. During the campaign, Davis maintained that Lungren, who presented himself as the political heir to former California Governor and U.S. President Ronald Reagan, was too conservative for California. Davis also criticized Lungren's hesitancy, as California Attorney General, to enforce laws restricting assault weapons, and his waiting until the last minute to become part of a class action lawsuit against the cigarette industry.
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