Schwarzenegger picks Republican ally as Lieutenant Governor

California state Senator Abel Maldonado, a Republican who broke ranks with his party to back a temporary tax increase sought by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, was chosen by Schwarzenegger to be the next lieutenant governor. Schwarzenegger said he picked Maldonado, 42, to replace John Garamendi, a Democrat who resigned after winning election to the US House of Representatives. The position requires approval from both the Senate and Assembly, Schwarzenegger’s office said today in a statement. Maldonado cast the deciding vote in February that secured the passage of tax increases sought by Schwarzenegger and Democrats to help close the state’s budget deficits brought on by the recession. “Senator Maldonado has proven he has the strength and courage it takes to reach across the partisan divide and put the interests of Californians first, and he is absolutely the most qualified person to take on the role of lieutenant governor,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement.