David Loebsack
| David Loebsack | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 2nd district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Leach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 23, 1952 Sioux City, Iowa |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Terry Loebsack |
| Residence | Mount Vernon, Iowa (1985-2012) Iowa City, Iowa (2012-present) |
| Alma mater | Iowa State University, University of California, Davis |
| Occupation | College Professor[1] |
| Religion | Methodist[2] |
David Wayne "Dave" Loebsack (born December 23, 1952) is the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes such cities as Davenport, Iowa City, Clinton and Ottumwa. Prior to entering Congress, he was a professor of political science.
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Early life, education and career [edit]
Loebsack was born in Sioux City, Iowa and was raised in a single parent household of limited financial means. He graduated from East High School and attended college at Iowa State University. There, Loebsack earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in political science. After receiving a PhD from the University of California, Davis, Loebsack took a job as a political science professor at Cornell College, a small liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, near Cedar Rapids. Today, he serves as a Professor Emeritus.[3] He started the Linn Phoenix group, a fundraising arm of the Linn County Democrats.
U.S. House of Representatives [edit]
Committee assignments [edit]
Voting Record [edit]
Consistently, David Loebsack has voted in line with the Democratic Party. Out of 1551 total votes, he has voted with the Democratic Party 90% of the time. Regarding both Economic and Social issues, he has voting along party lines; he has voted consistently to protect a woman's right to get an abortion and to pass measures that instill regulations that aim to protect the environment. He strongly believes in wall street reform and regulation, is generally in opposition to bailouts, and has stated that his “role in government is to help stick up for the little guy”. His Interest Group Ratings (below) provide a more in depth look on how he has voted in the past, and can give one a valued idea of how Loebsack’s views compare to one’s respective, personal beliefs. Overall, his voting history has proved predictable and consistent, as well as popular among his constituents.
Economic Interest Group Ratings [edit]
David Loebsack’s Interest Group Ratings concerning fiscal (economic) issues reinforce his general allegiance to party lines. Regarding the budget, spending, and taxes, he received 4% from Citizens Against Government Waste (2010), 36% from the National Journal Conservative Economic Policy Score (2011), and 64% from the National Journal Liberal Economic Policy Score (2011). Concerning Business and Consumers, Loebsack received 100% from the American Council of Engineering Companies (2009-2010), 0% from the Alliance for Worker Freedom (2008), and 66% from the National Small Business Association (2011). For a full list of Loebsack's Interest Group Ratings, see external links.
Social Interest Group Ratings [edit]
Similar to Loebsack’s Interest Group Ratings regarding the economy, his social ratings also adhere to party lines. Regarding civil liberties and civil rights, Loebsack has received 91% from the Human Rights Campaign (2009-2010), 95% from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (2009-2010), and 20% from the Arab American Institute (2009-2010). Interestingly, Loebsack has generally scored high among Interest Groups involved in civil liberties. Concerning the Environment, he received 94% from the League of Conservation Voters (2011) and 90% from Environment America (2011). Finally, his Interest Group Ratings concerning abortion reflect the Democratic party position, predictably receiving 100% from NARAL Pro-Choice America (2011) and 0% from the National Right to Life Committee (2011). For a full list of Loebsack's Interest Group Ratings, see external links.
Political campaigns [edit]
2006 [edit]
In 2006 Loebsack defeated 15-term incumbent Jim Leach in one of the biggest upsets of the cycle. Loebsack entered the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate after failing to get the required number of signatures, but did not face an actual primary opponent. The 2nd had been trending Democratic for some time (a Republican presidential candidate hasn't carried it since 1984), and was reckoned as the most Democratic district in the state. It was taken for granted that Leach would have been succeeded by a Democrat once he retired. Nonetheless, Leach was not on many Democratic target lists. Loebsack won largely by running up an 8,395-vote margin in Johnson County, home to Iowa City.
2008 [edit]
Loebsack was easily reelected in 2008, taking 57 percent of the vote over Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a doctor from Ottumwa and the former president of the state medical society.
2010 [edit]
Loebsack faced Miller-Meeks again in 2010 and had a much more difficult time of it than he had two years earlier. He prevailed with only 51% of the vote, largely by running up a 13,900-vote margin in Johnson County. Terry Branstad easily carried the district in his successful bid to reclaim the governorship. Chuck Grassley carried every county in the district except Johnson; in fact, Johnson was the only county Grassley lost in his bid for another term.
2012 [edit]
After redistricting moved Loebsack's home in Mount Vernon to the 1st District of fellow Democrat Bruce Braley, Loebsack moved to Iowa City in the reconfigured 2nd. The redrawn district is no less Democratic than its predecessor; it regained Davenport, which had been the anchor of the 2nd and its predecessors for decades before being shifted out of the district in the 2000s round of redistricting.
Electoral history [edit]
| Iowa 2nd U.S. Congressional District Election 2006 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Jim Leach | 101,386 | 49 | ||
| Democratic | David Loebsack | 107,097 | 51 | Winner | |
| Iowa 2nd U.S. Congressional District Election 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Mariannette Miller-Meeks | 119,165 | 39 | ||
| Democratic | David Loebsack | 174,942 | 57 | Winner | |
- Green Party candidate Wendy Barth received 4% of the 2008 vote as well.
| Iowa 2nd U.S. Congressional District Election 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Mariannette Miller-Meeks | 104,046 | 46 | ||
| Democratic | David Loebsack | 115,332 | 51 | Winner | |
- Libertarian Party candidate Gary Sicard received 2% of the vote.
- Constitution Party candidate Jon Tack earned 1% of the vote.
References [edit]
- ^ http://loebsack.house.gov/biography/
- ^ "News - Across the Church". UMC.org. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack". U.S. Government. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
External links [edit]
- U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack official U.S. House site
- Dave Loebsack for Congress official campaign site
- Interest Group Ratings at votesmart.org
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Profile at Ballotpedia
- Congressional profile at GovTrack
- Congressional profile at OpenCongress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Financial information (federal office) at OpenSecrets.org
- Staff salaries, trips and personal finance (federal office) at LegiStorm.com
- Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
- Voting record at The Washington Post
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Collected news and commentary at The Washington Post
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Leach |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 2nd congressional district 2007–present |
Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Doug Lamborn R-Colorado |
United States Representatives by seniority 216th |
Succeeded by Kevin McCarthy R-California |
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