Jon Porter

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Jon Porter
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 3rd district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	None (District Created After 2000 Census)
Succeeded by	Dina Titus
Born	May 16, 1955 (1955-05-16) (age 54) Fort Dodge, Iowa
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Divorced
Residence	Boulder City, Nevada
Alma mater	Briar Cliff College
Occupation	insurance executive
Religion	Roman Catholic

Jonathan Christopher "Jon" Porter (born May 16, 1955), an American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, the first representative elected from the new 3rd Congressional District of Nevada.

He won re-election in the 2006 midterm election against Tessa Hafen by a 48%-47% margin. On November 4, 2008, after three consecutive terms, he was defeated by Nevada State Senator Dina Titus, a Democrat and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

[edit] Life and career

Porter was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and graduated from Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa. He attended Briar Cliff College and worked in his family business before being elected to the Boulder City, Nevada, City Council in 1983. That year he also became an agent for Farmers Insurance.

Porter was elected mayor of Boulder City in 1987 and served in that capacity until 1991. He served in the Nevada Senate from 1994 until 2002. In 2000, Porter lost the race for U.S. Congress in Nevada's 1st congressional district against Democratic incumbent Shelley Berkley. He was then was elected in November 2002 to the House, defeating Democratic Clark County commissioner Dario Herrera, to represent Nevada's newly-created Third District. The creation of the district was the result of rapid growth in southern Nevada. Porter was a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee. In December, 2005, he joined with several other congressmen to form the Second Amendments, a bipartisan rock and country band set to play for United States troops stationed overseas over the holiday season. In 2006, Porter won re-election over his opponent Tessa Hafen by a 48%-47% margin.

[edit] Stance on issues and voting record

[edit] War in Iraq

Porter supported the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and called for a quick end to the invasion. He supported the Iraq War troop surge of 2007.^[1] On July 12, 2007, Porter said he will not reconsider his stance on the Iraq war until September 2007 when General Petraeus presented a report on the efficacy of the Iraq troop surge.^[2] On August 29, 2007, Porter claimed that U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would lead to $9 per gallon gasoline.^[3]

[edit] Energy and oil

Jon Porter voted against tax incentives for renewable energy, tax incentives for bio fuels, and removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. He had a 0% rating on energy independence from the Campaign for America's Future, a progressive political organization, and voted twice to implement George W. Bush's national energy policy.^[4]

[edit] Social Security

Porter supported privatization of Social Security.^[5][6]

[edit] Equal pay

Porter voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This legislation would have overturned the Supreme Court decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. by changing the computation of the statute of limitations to make it easier to file a lawsuit for violating equal pay laws.^[7]

[edit] Social issues

On July 19, 2007, Porter voted for an amendment that would have cut off funding for Planned Parenthood and other groups which provide abortion services. .^[8] In September 2004, Porter voted to amend the United States Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.^[9][10][11]

[edit] Labor

In January 2007, Jon Porter voted against raising the federal minimum wage to $7.25. ^[12] In March 2007, Porter voted against restricting employer influences in union organizing. The AFL-CIO considers Porter to have an anti-union voting record.^[12]

[edit] Civil rights

The NAACP agreed with 39% of his votes on their key issues, and describe his record as 'mixed'. In December 2005, Jon Porter voted to make the PATRIOT Act permanent.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Illegal immigration

Porter opposed requiring hospitals to notify immigration authorities of illegal immigrants seeking treatment.^[9]

[edit] 2006 campaign contributors

[edit] 2006 campaign expenditures

^[13]

[edit] See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada, 2008#District 3

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Porter for Congress 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
• Congressional profile at GovTrack.us

• Ledbetter Supreme Court Opinion

v • d • e Members of the United States House of Representatives from Nevada Territorial (1861-1864) Cradlebaugh • Mott At-large seat (1864-1983) Worthington • Ashley • Fitch • Kendall • Woodburn • Wren • Daggett • Cassidy • Woodburn • Bartine • Newlands • Van Duzer • Bartlett • Roberts • Evans • Arentz • Richards • Arentz • Scrugham • Sullivan • Bunker • Russell • Baring • Young • Baring • Towell • Santini 1st district (1983-present) Reid • Bilbray • Ensign • Berkley 2nd district (1983-present) Vucanovich • Gibbons • Heller 3rd district (2003-present) Porter • Titus