Mac Thornberry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mac Thornberry
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Sarpalius |
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| Born | July 15, 1958 Clarendon, Texas |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sally Thornberry |
| Residence | Clarendon, Texas |
| Alma mater | Texas Tech University, University of Texas |
| Occupation | attorney, rancher |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
William McClellan "Mac" Thornberry (born July 15, 1958), an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. He represents the 13th congressional district of Texas, which includes much of the Panhandle and stretches as far east as Wichita Falls (map). He currently serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee.
Thornberry is a lifelong resident of Clarendon, some 60 miles (97 km) east of Amarillo, the heart of the 13th. His family has operated a ranch in the area since 1881. He received his bachelor's degree in history from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas Law School. He served as a staffer to two other Texas Republican congressmen, Tom Loeffler and Larry Combest, and as deputy Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under Ronald Regan before joining his brothers on the family ranch. He also has been involved in an Amarillo law firm, which he founded in 1993.
Thornberry defeated Democratic Congressman Bill Sarpalius in the 1994 general election, a heavily Republican year nationwide. He polled 79,416 votes (55.41 percent) to Sarpalius' 63,923 votes (44.18 percent). Two years earlier in a much higher turnout election, Sarpalius had polled nearly double the votes that he received in 1994. The 13th has always been a somewhat conservative district, but Thornberry's victory is still regarded as an upset.
Since his initial election, Thornberry has consolidated his hold on the district and routinely wins by large majorities in an area that was historically Democratic as recently as the 1970s. Thornberry is only the third Republican to represent the district since Reconstruction. The previous GOP representatives were Robert D. "Bob" Price of Pampa (1967–1975) and Beau Boulter of Amarillo (1985–1989).
Following the September 11 attacks, Thornberry created the original bill that would later lead to the founding of the Department of Homeland Security. He has also worked on nuclear policy, both for military and energy purposes.
In the 2006 election, Thornberry defeated former Intelligence Officer and Professor Roger Waun. He defeated Waun in a rematch in 2008, earning nearly 78 percent of the votes.
[edit] Committee assignments
[edit] External links
- U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry official House site
- Mac Thornberry for Congress Campaign Official Online Campaign Headquarters
- Mac Thornberry at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission — Mac Thornberry campaign finance reports and data
- On the Issues — Mac Thornberry issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Mac Thornberry campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart — Representative William M. 'Mac' Thornberry (TX) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Mac Thornberry profile
- Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Mac Thornberry voting record
| United States House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by Bill Sarpalius (D) |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 13th congressional district 1995 – present |
Incumbent |
