For a state that's easily the richest prize of electoral votes in presidential contests, California has rarely been a contender in recent years for selection of a vice presidential candidates.
One has to go back to 1952, when then-U.S. Rep. Richard Nixon was tapped from California to be Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice presidential running mate on the Republican ticket, for the last time a Golden State native was a major party's pick.
more >