Duf Sundheim

Early life and education

Sundheim was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in La Grange, Illinois. Sundheim graduated from Lyons Township High School (LT). He was a member of the National Honor Society and All-Chicagoland quarterback for the state-ranked LT football team. Duf was also active in theatre, playing the lead in the school’s “Corral Show” and acting with David Hasselhoff in “The Fantasticks.”

Sundheim graduated with Honors and Distinction in Economics from Stanford University in 1975. Sundheim also earned two varsity letters on the Stanford Cardinal football team.

Sundheim earned his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, Sundheim interned for a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Better Government Association.

Law career, mediator, and community service

Upon graduation from law school, Sundheim joined the Silicon Valley law firm of Ware, Fletcher and Freidenrich. In 1986, Sundheim and former Stanford classmate Stan Doty formed Doty & Sundheim, which eventually became Doty, Sundheim & Gilmore. As a business attorney, Sundheim received Martindale-Hubbell’s “AV®” rating, signifying Mr. Sundheim had reached the heights of professional excellence, exhibiting the highest levels of skill and integrity. Sundheim was President of the firm until his election as Chairman of the California Republican Party in 2003.

Sundheim served as a delegate on the U.S.-China Joint Session on Trade, Investment, and Economic Law in 1987 and the U.S.-Soviet Conference on the Law and Trade in 1990. He was President of the Palo Alto Area Bar Association, worked as an NFL Contract Advisor and General Counsel to the Themed Entertainment Association. For his work in the underserved community of East Palo Alto, Sundheim received the California State Bar Pro Bono Award.

Since 2001 Sundheim has been a Principal at GPS Mediation, APC. He is a federal court approved mediator , member of the prestigious advanced federal court mediation practice group, and is a volunteer settlement judge for the Santa Clara County Superior Court.

California Republican Party, 2003-2007

In 2003, Sundheim ran against and defeated the CAGOP Vice Chairman for the Chairmanship of the state party; the first time in 39 elections the Vice Chairman did not ascend to the Chairmanship.

As Chairman of the California Republican Party from 2003-2007, Sundheim played a key role in the only successful recall of a sitting governor in the history of California in 2003. In 2004 he ran a voter registration effort for which he received the RNC’s “Best Voter Registration Program in the United States,” and was appointed Chairman of the RNC’s National Voter Registration Task Force. Upon completion of that program, the registration differential between Republicans and Democrats was 8% (the smallest difference in California in over 80 years).

In 2005, Sundheim was the first Chairman in the history of the CAGOP to be re-elected and he was re-elected by acclamation. He served on the RNC Executive Committee from 2006-2007. During his tenure as Chairman, Sundheim raised over $100 million (an all-time record).

Political Reformer

Starting in 2007 Sundheim turned his attention to political reform. Prior to 2008, political bosses drew legislative districts to ensure their reelection. Sundheim played a key role in passing an initiative that transferred that power to a citizen’s commission.

In 2012 Sundheim was a Senior Advisor to San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and the “Yes on Measure B” pension reform campaign. Measure B passed with the approval of 70% of the voters and saved San Jose taxpayers $1 billion.

U.S. Senate Candidate

In September 2015, Sundheim announced that he would run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Barbara Boxer.

In a field of 34 candidates, including 12 Republican candidates, Sundheim finished with 66% more votes than any other Republican and 3rd overall. (Under the California system, the top two, irrespective of party, make it into the November runoff.) Sundheim received the endorsement of newspapers throughout the state such as the Sacramento Bee, radio personalities such as KGO’s Ronn Owens, business leaders such as Cisco’s John Chambers and Republican leaders including Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Secretary George Shultz. Factors which made it difficult for a Republican to make it into the top two included the fact Democrats outnumber Republicans in California by 18% (45% to 27%), and because Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton were still battling for the Democratic nomination and Trump had wrapped up the Republican nomination, 71% of those who voted in the California primary, voted for a Democrat for President.

Personal life

Sundheim has been married to Cheryl Sundheim since November 26, 1983. They have two adult children and live near Palo Alto, California.