Alfred Attilio Checchi (born June 6, 1948) is an American businessman who was a candidate for Governor of California in the 1998 gubernatorial election, losing to fellow Democrat Gray Davis in the June 1998 primary.^[1] Checchi finished in second place in the Democratic primary, capturing 12.49% of the vote. He ran as a New Democrat and called for increased spending on education.^[2] He set a new record at the time for spending in a California gubernatorial race, spending over $40 million of his personal fortune.^[3][4] Checchi had previously enjoyed success in various business ventures, most notably serving as co-chairman of Northwest Airlines. He attended the Harvard School of Business. Checchi is married to his wife Kathryn and has 3 children.^[1]

Checchi was born on June 6, 1948, near Boston, Massachusetts.^[1] His grandfather ran the Elba Fruit Market, a grocery in Calais, Maine.^[1] Checchi is of Italian heritage. He was raised in the suburbs of Washington D.C. to middle-class parents where he attended Our Lady of Good Counsel.^[1] Checchi's father was the No. 3 man in the Food and Drug Administration from 1946 to 1960, and later ran an investment firm.^[1][2] Checchi began to think of running for public office when he was 12.^[2] At the age of 14, Checchi saw Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.^[1]

Checchi attended Amherst College in Massachusetts because he heard it was the most difficult to get into; he graduated in 1970 with an American studies major.^[1] He completed a Master of Business Administration at Harvard School of Business.

Checchi first worked at Marriott Corporation where he rose quickly due to clever financing for hotel developments at home and abroad.^[2] In his 30s, he helped the Bass brothers of Texas acquire a 25% stake in Disney, earning a reported $50 million in the process.^[2] In 1989, Checchi helped organize a $3.65 billion leveraged buyout of Minnesota-based Northwest Airlines, investing about $12 million in the transaction.^[2] From 1989 to 1993, he served as co-chairman of Northwest Airlines.^[2] Checchi's critics claim he moved the company near bankruptcy, forced $800 million in union concessions, and worked to gain $837 million in state and local bonds, subsidies and tax credits, while earning $32 million for his outside firm.^[2] Checchi counters that he protected the company from asset strippers and he helped triple the value of Northwest Airlines stock.^[2] He amassed a net worth of around $700 million.^[1]

Checchi was a New Democrat, liberal on social issues and conservative on fiscal ones.^[2] He campaigned on increasing investing on education, making a 10% across-the-board cut in all state bureaucracies to pay for more teachers, computers, books, universal preschool and after-school programs.^[2] He called for teachers to be tested every five years and to expand charter schools.^[2] Checchi opposed Proposition 187 because it cut benefits to children of illegal immigrants and called for the prosecution of businesses that hire undocumented workers.^[2] Checchi wanted to extend the death penalty to cover serial rapists and repeat child molesters, and he wanted a drug rehabilitation programs for the state's prisoners, with release contingent on a drug-free record.^[2] Checchi supported regional planning for growth, financial incentives to stimulate housing, and he promised to cut auto insurance rates by 10 percent.^[1] Raising California's pupil spending to the national average.^[1] He supports abortion rights for women and parental consent legislation for teenagers seeking abortions.^[1] He released a 90-page book detailing his policies and political positions.^[1]

Prior to his run for governor, Checchi had voted in 2 of the last 6 elections.^[5]

Checchi spent over $40 million from his personal fortune on his run for governor.^[4][6] Checchi's campaign featured numerous television ads and high priced political advisors and included a television ad that highlighted his Italian American heritage.^[1][2] Other ads highlighted his business experience.^[7] One ad featured children struggling to pronounce his name ("Check-ee").^[7]

Checchi ran against Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis and US Congresswoman Jane Harman. Checchi led in early polls.^[7] Checchi outspent Davis by $33 million and Harman by $25 million.^[4] He set a new record at the time for spending in a California gubernatorial race.^[3] Checchi came in second in the Democratic primary held on June 2, 1998, with 12.49% of the vote.

As of 2011, Checchi is a registered independent, critical of both major parties.