Editing Bob Mathias (section)

==Political career==
Between 1967 and 1975, Mathias served four terms in the United States House of Representatives as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], representing the northern [[San Joaquin Valley]] of California.<ref name=congbio/><ref name=obit/> (These were the same eight years in which Ronald Reagan served two terms as governor of California.) He defeated [[Harlan Hagen]], the 14-year [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] incumbent, by about 11% in the 1966 election. This was not too surprising because this area started to move away from its [[New Deal]] Democratic roots.{{Cn|date=May 2025}} But, like most Republicans and Democrats from California, he continued his predecessor's support of Civil Rights by voting in favor of the [[Civil Rights Act of 1968]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/90-1967/h113|title=TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES.}}</ref>

Mathias was re-elected three times without serious difficulty, but in 1974, his Congressional district was significantly redrawn in a mid-decade state redistricting plan. Renumbered as the 17th, Mathias's district acquired a large section of [[Fresno]] while losing several rural areas. Mathias was narrowly defeated for re-election by [[John Hans Krebs]], a member of the [[Fresno County]] [[Board of Supervisors]]. Mathias was one of several Republicans swept out of office in the wake of the [[Watergate scandal]].

From June to August 1975, Mathias served as the deputy director of the [[Selective Service]]. Mathias was also a regional director in the unsuccessful 1976 presidential election campaign of [[Gerald Ford]].