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'Mervyn Malcolm Dymally, Ph.D.' (born May 12, 1926 in Cedros, Trinidad and Tobago) is a California Democratic politician of mixed Indo- and Afro-Trinidadian heritage. Dymally is currently a member of the California State Assembly after having come out of retirement in 2002 when Assemblyman Carl Washington was term limited. Dymally was previously a member of the U.S. House from 1981 to 1993. After his retirement in 1993, Dymally stayed off the political scene for nearly 10 years. Prior to his time in Congress, he was the first African American to serve as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1974 until 1978, when he was defeated for reelection by Mike Curb. He also served as the first African American in the California State Senate prior to his time as lieutenant governor. As a member of the House of Representative, he was the first foreign-born black Member of Congress and one of the first persons of Indian origin to serve in the U.S. Congress.
Dymally received his secondary education at Naparima College, San Fernando, Trinidad, his undergraduate education at Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri and Los Angeles State College, his Master's degree from California State University, Sacramento, and his doctorate from United States International University (now Alliant International University), San Diego.

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Franchetti Scandal

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Franchetti Scandal

In the tighlty contested race for Lt. Governor in 1978, Dymally's bid for re-election was derailed when Michael Franchetti, an aid to State Senator George Deukmejian, floated a false rumor that Dymally was about to be indicted. The story, coming days before the election, harmed the Dymally campaign, and Dymally lost to Republican Mike Curb. Franchetti later said that the source of the rumor was a ''Los Angeles Times'' reporter, who called the Justice Department trying to confirm its authenticity. Franchetti could not substantiate the rumor but included it in a report. The report was then passed to Dymally's opponent and later to a television reporter. Then-Atty. Gen. Younger filed a letter of reprimand in Franchetti's personnel records, accusing him of a breach of responsibility.
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★ Mervyn M. Dymally, Assemblyman, 52nd District, California

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★ record maintained by the Washington Post