Gary Kersey Hart (August 13, 1943 – January 27, 2022) was an American politician, educator, and pro-charter school activist who served as a member of both chambers of the California State Legislature during the time period spanning 1974 to 1994.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Stanford University on a football scholarship, and spent six months studying abroad in Florence.
Hart served in both houses of the Legislature for a total of 20 years, having chaired the Senate Education Committee from 1983 until his retirement in 1994.
Hart's State Senate district included portions of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties.
He also created and taught in the Program in America and California Explorations (PACE), an innovative core humanities initiative at Kennedy High School in Sacramento.