Bill Simon (politician)

William Edward Simon Jr. (born June 20, 1951) is an American banker, businessman, politician, and attorney. In 2002, Simon campaigned unsuccessfully for Governor of California as a Republican against Democratic incumbent Gray Davis. After winning the Republican primary in an upset, the virtually unknown Simon's conservative campaign was significantly boosted by support from better-known Republican officeholders from outside California, including former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (under whom Simon had briefly worked as an Assistant United States Attorney) and President George W. Bush.