Help
Add this page to your book
Show book (0 pages)
Suggest pagesJo Bonner
| Jo Bonner | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 1st district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | Sonny Callahan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 19, 1959 Selma, Alabama |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Janée Lambert |
| Children | Jennifer Lee Bonner Josiah Robins Bonner III |
| Residence | Mobile, Alabama |
| Alma mater | University of Alabama |
| Occupation | Political assistant |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Josiah Robins (Jo) Bonner, Jr. (born November 19, 1959), is the U.S. Representative for Alabama's 1st congressional district, having served since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Contents |
[edit] Early life, education, and early political career
Bonner was born in Selma, Alabama (but was reared in Camden, Alabama), to Josiah Robins Bonner, Sr., and the former Imogene Virginia Lyons.[1] He graduated in 1982 from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Two years later he started working as campaign press secretary for U.S. Congressman Sonny Callahan, a Republican representing from the 1st congressional district. In 1989, Bonner was promoted to Callahan's chief of staff and moved to Mobile.
Bonner has served as a member of the board of directors for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Leadership Mobile, and the Mobile Chapter of the University of Alabama Alumni Association. In 2000, the College of Communications at the University of Alabama honored him as their Outstanding Alumnus in Public Relations. He was a member of Leadership Mobile, Class of 2000, where his classmates elected him co-president.
[edit] U.S. House of Representatives
[edit] Elections
In 2002, he ran for seat vacated by retiring U.S. Representative Sonny Callahan. In the primary, he qualified for a run-off and led over six opponents with 40 percent of the vote.[2] In the primary run-off, Bonner defeated Tom Young, chief of staff to U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, with 62 percent of the vote.[3] In the general election, he also polled 60 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 by even larger margins.
[edit] Tenure
In the House, Bonner has earned a consistent voting record and has made few waves as a party loyalist. Perhaps his most notable dissention was his opposition to on-shore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals for Mobile, but went on to propose an off-shore option for the future. He pushed for Representative Callahan's seat on the House Appropriations Committee but did not carry the support of his colleagues. One notable achievement has been his maintenance of the "Gulf Coast Congressional Report", which started airing in 1973 and bills itself as the longest running televised public service program hosted by a member of Congress.
Prior to being sworn in to the 108th Congress, Majority Whip Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, named Bonner an Assistant Whip. The appointment made Bonner one of a number of freshmen who were part of weekly leadership meetings with Blunt, the second-ranking member in the Republican Leadership behind only the Majority Leader. Blunt has since become a U.S. senator. On December 14, 2005, Bonner voted for the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act. On June 29, 2005, he voted for a $25 million increase in funding for anti-marijuana print and television ads. On October 6, 2005, he voted for the Department of Homeland Security. On July 13, 2006, he was one of thirty-three votes against HR 9 - Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act.
- Taxes
Bonner is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.[4]
[edit] Committee assignments
- Committee on Appropriations
- Committee on Ethics (Chairman)
[edit] Caucus memberships
- Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus
- International Conservation Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
- Sportsmen's Caucus
[edit] Electoral history
| Alabama's 1st Congressional District House Election, 2002 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Jo Bonner | 108,102 | 60.54% | ||
| Democratic | Judy Belk | 67,507 | 37.81% | ||
| Libertarian | Richard "Dick" M. Coffee | 2,957 | 1.66% | ||
| Alabama's 1st Congressional District House Election, 2004 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Jo Bonner | 161,067 | 63.16% | +2.62% | |
| Democratic | Judy Belk | 93,938 | 36.84% | -0.97% | |
| Alabama's 1st Congressional District House Election, 2006 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Jo Bonner | 112,944 | 68.16% | +5.00% | |
| Democratic | Vivian Beckerle | 52,770 | 31.84% | -5.00% | |
| Alabama's 1st Congressional District House Election, 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Jo Bonner | 210,660 | 98.30% | +30.14% | |
| Alabama's 1st Congressional District House Election, 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Jo Bonner | 129,063 | 82.58% | -15.72% | |
| Constitution | David M. Walter | 26,357 | 16.87% | +16.87% | |
[edit] Personal life
Bonner is married to the former Janée Lambert of Mobile. They are parents of a daughter, Jennifer Lee, age 12, and a son, Josiah Robins, III, age 10. The Bonners make their home in Mobile and are members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
[edit] References
- ^ "Rep. Bonner". RootsWeb. Ancestry.com. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/reps/bonner.htm.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=87126
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=87127
- ^ "The Taxpayer Protection Pledge Signers 112th Congressional List". Americans for Tax Reform. http://s3.amazonaws.com/atrfiles/files/files/091411-federalpledgesigners.pdf. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jo Bonner |
- U.S. Congressman Jo Bonner official U.S. House site
- Jo Bonner for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Congressional profile at GovTrack
- Congressional profile at OpenCongress
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
- Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
- Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Profile at SourceWatch
- Collected news and commentary from Politico
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sonny Callahan |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 1st congressional district 2003–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Zoe Lofgren California |
Chairman of House Ethics Committee 2011–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Marsha Blackburn R-Tennessee |
United States Representatives by seniority 199th |
Succeeded by Michael Burgess R-Texas |
