William Howard Royer (April 11, 1920 – April 8, 2013) was an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as a U.S. Representative from the 11th Congressional DistrictofCalifornia from 1979 until 1981.
William Howard Royer
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 11th district | |
| In office April 3, 1979 – January 3, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Leo Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Tom Lantos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Howard Royer (1920-04-11)April 11, 1920 Jerome, Idaho, US |
| Died | April 8, 2013(2013-04-08) (aged 92) Redwood City, California, US |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Shirley Royer |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Santa Clara University, Oklahoma State University |
| Occupation | Realtor, politician |
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On April 11, 1920, Royer was born as William Howard Royer in Jerome, Idaho. Royer's family moved to Redwood City, California. In 1938, Royer graduated from Sequoia High School.[1][2]
Royer earned his B.S. at Santa Clara University and did graduate work at what is now Oklahoma State University.[2]
From 1943 to 1945, Royer served in the United States Army Air Forces. In the 1940s, Royer became a realtor and started Royer Realty Company.[3]
In 1950, Royer's political career began when he served on the Redwood City Council until 1966. In 1956, Royer became mayor of Redwood City until 1960. In 1972, Royer was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and in 1976, he was reelected.[1]
In 1979, Royer won a special election to succeed the late congressman Leo J. Ryan (D-San Mateo), winning with 57% of the vote. He finished out the remainder of Ryan's term. In the 1980 election, Royer was defeated, losing 46.4% to 43.3% to Democratic challenger Tom Lantos. Royer ran against Lantos again in 1982, losing 57% to 40%.
Royer's wife was Shirley. They had two sons, Dennis and Peter. In 2010, Shirley died. On April 8, 2013, Royer died in his home in Redwood City of natural causes. He was 92 years old and three days before his 93rd birthday.[2]
Royer's nephew Jim Harnett is also a politician, as mayor of Redwood City.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William Royer | 52,585 | 57.3 | |||
| Democratic | G.W. "Joe" Holsinger | 37,685 | 41.1 | |||
| American Independent | Nicholas W. Kudrovzeff | 770 | 0.8 | |||
| Peace and Freedom | Wilson G. Branch | 731 | 0.8 | |||
| Total votes | 91,771 | 100.0 | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Lantos | 85,823 | 46.4 | |||
| Republican | William Royer (Incumbent) | 80,100 | 43.3 | |||
| Peace and Freedom | Wilson G. Branch | 13,723 | 7.4 | |||
| Libertarian | William S. Wade Jr. | 3,816 | 2.1 | |||
| American Independent | Nicholas W. Kudrovzeff | 1,550 | 0.8 | |||
| Total votes | 185,012 | 100.0 | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Leo J. Ryan |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 11th congressional district 1979–1981 |
Succeeded by |