John Mica
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| John Mica | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 7th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Sam Gibbons |
| Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Oberstar |
| Succeeded by | Bill Shuster |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 41st district |
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| In office 1976–1980 |
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| Preceded by | Harvey W. Matthews |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Webster |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 27, 1943 Binghamton, New York |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Mica |
| Residence | Winter Park, Florida |
| Alma mater | University of Florida |
| Occupation | real estate executive, communications executive |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
John L. Mica (born January 27, 1943) is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 7th congressional district, serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, starting January 3, 2011 until December 2012.
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Early life, education, and business career [edit]
Mica was born in Binghamton, New York, but grew up in Florida and was educated at Miami Edison High School, Miami-Dade Community College and the University of Florida. He is a member of Delta Chi Fraternity and earned an education degree. Mica had been a businessman, serving in capacities in the real estate, telecommunications, government affairs, and consulting fields.
Early political career [edit]
Mica was a member of the Florida House of Representatives for two terms from 1976 to 1980. There he served on several committees and was a leading Republican on the powerful Appropriations Committee. He was a staff member for Senator Paula F. Hawkins from 1981 to 1985, rising to become her chief of staff. After returning to private industry, he ran for Congress in 1992.[1]
U.S. House of Representatives [edit]
Elections [edit]
- 1992
After redistricting, incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman Sam M. Gibbons decided to run in the newly redrawn Florida's 11th congressional district. Mica ran and won the Republican primary with 53% of the vote, defeating State Representative Richard Graham (34%) and Vaughn Forrest (13%).[2] In the general election, he defeated Democrat Dan Webster 56%-44%.[3]
- 1994–2004
During this time period, he won re-election every two years with at least 60% of the vote.[1]
- 2006
Despite the huge gains made by Democrats during the 2006 elections, Mica's seat remained safe. Jack Chagnon, a former teacher and Marine officer, launched a tough campaign, but was unable to unseat the conservative incumbent in this heavily Republican district. Mica's base salary in Congress is $165,000. His financial disclosure sheet for 2005 showed assets of between $2.6 and $4.7 million, additional income between $37,000 and $130,000. Mica defeated Chagnon 63%-37%.[4]
- 2008
Mica defeated Democratic candidate Faye Armitage 62%-38%.[5]
- 2010
Mica defeated Democratic nominee Heather Beaven 69%-31%.[6]
- 2012
In February 2012, he announced he would run in the newly redrawn 7th district. For the first time since 1992, he will be challenged in the Republican primary.[7] Sandy Adams, current one term U.S. Congresswoman and four term State Representative, has filed to challenge Mica. Adams currently represents 51% of the district, while Mica represents 42% of the district.[8] On August 14, 2012, election day, Mica defeated Adams 61%-39%.
In the 2012 election Mica’s total amount of money raised was $1,953,992.20, while he ended up spending $2,124,853.81 in his campaign. Representative Mica’s top contributing groups to his run for office were CSX Corporation, HNTB Holdings, and the FedEx Corporation. Overall his top industry contributors were Air Transport, and Construction Services. His spending left him with no debt and $381,221 cash-on-hand.[9]
In the general election, Mica defeated Democrat Jason Kendall 59%-41%.[10]
Tenure [edit]
Mica also lists himself as a strong supporter of military issues.[citation needed] The Orlando Sentinel named Mica the 4th most powerful person in Central Florida.[11]
Representative Mica’s political positions in areas such as abortion, gun control, health care, immigration, business and consumers, and National Security have stayed consistently conservative and are therefore rated very highly by interest groups that support Republicans. Some examples of these groups are the National Rifle Association, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, American Security Council Foundation, and the National Right to Life Committee, as well as many others. On the opposing side of these positions are some Democratic-leaning interest groups, who rate John Mica as very low in areas such as abortion, sexual orientation and gay marriage rights, civil liberties and civil rights, and protecting the environment. Some of the interest groups that have given these lower ratings are Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, American Civil Liberties Union, Environment America, Human Rights Campaign, and more. Representative Mica's views have stayed consistent in these and many other areas. One example of an area in which he has changed his ratings is the support of Arts and Humanities. His Americans for the Arts Action Fund ratings increased from 20% and 65% from 2000 to 2008 and then to 100% in 2011.[12]
- Abortion
Representative Mica’s view on abortion is pro-life “except in the case of rape, incest or life of the mother.” This position has gained him high ratings from Republican interest groups such as the National Right to Life Committee, and very low ratings from Democratic ones such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America.[12][13]
- Budget
Mica believes that balancing the budget is, and should be, a priority of Congress. He however does not agree with the majority of his party that Medicare and Medicaid spending should be reduced.[13] The Conservative interest group ratings on Mica’s budget goals and position range from 86 to 90%, while the Liberal interest group ratings reward Mica with an average of 10%.[12]
- Amtrak privatization
Mica has gained a reputation for being a strong supporter of Amtrak privatization.[14] In 2009, Mica earmarked $13 million for the Central Commuter Rail, a major initiative supported by one of Mica's daughter's clients.[15][16]
Committee assignments [edit]
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Chairman)
- As Chairman of the full committee, Rep. Mica may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Personal life [edit]
Mica is married to Patricia, a school teacher, and has two grown children. He lives in Winter Park, Florida. He is the brother of former Representative Daniel A. Mica, while his other brother, David is a former ranking staffer of Senator Lawton Chiles. He is a member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, and the Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors.[citation needed]
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Candidate - John L. Mica". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ "FL District 07- R Primary Race - Sep 01, 1992". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ "FL District 07 Race - Nov 03, 1992". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ "FL - District 07 Race - Nov 07, 2006". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ "FL - District 07 Race - Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ "FL - District 07 Race - Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ Guinta, Peter (2012-02-10). "Mica to announce his district today". StAugustine.com. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ Daily Kos Elections (2012-02-10). "Elections Florida cheat sheet". Daily Kos. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ "Representative John L Mica's Campaign Finances". Project Vote Smart.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=736117
- ^ Maxwell, Scott (2008-12-29). "Who is the most powerful person in Central Florida?". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ a b c "Representative John L. Mica's Special Interest Group Ratings". Project Vote Smart.
- ^ a b "Representative John L Mica's Political Positions". Project Vote Smart.
- ^ Hannan, Larry (June 16, 2011). "John Mica, Corrine Brown split over privatizing Amtrak in Northeast". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ Mosk, Matthew (January 12, 2010). "DUI Arrest Puts Spotlight on Florida Congressman". ABC News. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^ Ward, Kenric (March 28, 2012). "Report: Two Florida Congressmen Kept Earmarks in the Family". Sunshine State News. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
External links [edit]
- U.S. Congressman John L. Mica official U.S. House site
- Mica For Congress official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Ballotpedia
- Congressional profile at GovTrack
- 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
- Profile at SourceWatch
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sam Gibbons |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 7th congressional district 1993–Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Jim Oberstar Minnesota |
Chairman of House Transportation Committee 2011–2013 |
Succeeded by Bill Shuster Pennsylvania |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Buck McKeon R-California |
United States Representatives by seniority 65th |
Succeeded by Lucille Roybal-Allard D-California |
