In another step toward rebuilding his government after painful defeats in the special election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is removing one of his top deputies and installing two new aides in senior roles.
Schwarzenegger announced Friday that he was shifting his Cabinet secretary, Democrat Terry Tamminen, into a new job as an advisor on energy and environmental issues — a far less influential post. Tamminen, one of the more liberal voices in Schwarzenegger’s inner circle, is valued by the governor for a creative mind, but colleagues say he was miscast in a job that requires strong administrative skills.
He will be replaced by Fred Aguiar, a former Republican state Assemblyman from Chino now serving as Schwarzenegger’s secretary for State and Consumer Services.
Schwarzenegger also hired an executive from an insurance lobbying trade association as a deputy responsible for devising policy. Dan Dunmoyer, a 43-year-old Republican, will fill the newly created position.
The shuffle comes at a time when Schwarzenegger is recasting his administration following a disastrous result in the Nov. 8 special election. The costly and divisive campaign culminated in the defeat of four initiatives that the governor had said were crucial to California’s future.
