David Loebsack

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David Loebsack
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 4, 2007
Preceded by	Jim Leach
Born	December 23, 1952 (1952-12-23) (age 56) Sioux City, Iowa
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Terry Loebsack
Residence	Mount Vernon, Iowa
Alma mater	Iowa State University, University of California, Davis
Occupation	College Professor[citation needed]
Religion	Methodist[citation needed]

David Wayne "Dave" Loebsack (born December 23, 1952) is the Congressional Representative for the 2nd District of Iowa in the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Democratic party and the Progressive Caucus. Prior to entering Congress, he was a professor of political science.

Loebsack was born in Sioux City, Iowa and was raised in a single parent, lower class household. 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, Iowa. Today, he serves as a Professor Emeritus. Loebsack started the Linn Phoenix group, a fundraising arm of the Linn County Democrats.

In a stunning upset Loebsack toppled 15-term incumbent Jim Leach,^{[neutrality disputed]} a moderate Republican who, was one of only a handful of Republican congressmen who had voted against authorization for the use of force in Iraq.^[1] Loebsack entered the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate after failing to get the required number of signatures, but won a heated primary. In the general election he took 51% of the vote to Leach's 49%.^[2] His was one of 30 seats to be picked up by the Democrats in Congress during the 2006 elections.[1]

He was sworn into office on January 4, 2007. He won reelection in 2008, receiving 57%^{[citation needed]} of the vote against medical doctor and political novice Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa, who took 39%.

Loebsack visited Iraq in February, 2007. He has a step son serving there as part of US military actions in that nation.^[3]

Loebsack represents a district that was hit hard by the June 2008 Midwest floods. According to his website, the flood damaged his local congressional office and forced its temporary closure. Loebsack has pushed for the federal government to provide full funding for emergency services and for removal of debris left behind by the flooding.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Readiness
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
• Committee on Education and Labor
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions

[edit] Electoral history

• 2006 election
  • David Loebsack (D) 107,097, 51%
  • Jim Leach (R) 101,386, 49%

• 2008 election
  • David Loebsack (D) 174,942, 57%
  • Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) 119,165, 39%

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack, U.S. House site
• Dave Loebsack for Congress, official campaign site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com