It is also a popular given name in Japan. Erica is also the name of a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, commonly known as heaths or heathers in English, and is the Latin word for heather.
Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 79th Governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 2009. Dean was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Presidential Election, 2004.
1 One unsuccessful candidate for governor of California was elected President of the United States:  Former Vice President Richard Nixon was the Republican nominee for Governor of California in 1962, and lost to Democrat Pat Brown. Nixon later was elected president in 1968 and reelected in 1972 (Republican).