Mac Thornberry
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
| Mac Thornberry | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 13th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Sarpalius |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 15, 1958 Clarendon, Donley County Texas, USA |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sally Thornberry |
| Residence | Clarendon, Texas |
| Alma mater | Texas Tech University |
| Occupation | Attorney, Rancher |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
William McClellan Thornberry, known as Mac Thornberry (born July 15, 1958), is the U.S. Representative from the Texas Panhandle. He has served since 1995, when the House seated its first Republican majority in forty years.
The Republican Thornberry represents Texas's 13th congressional district, a GOP stronghold which stretches between the Oklahoma and New Mexico borders. It winds across the Panhandle into the South Plains, then runs east across the Red River Valley. Covering over 40,000 square miles (100,000 km2), it is the second-largest district geographically in Texas and one of the largest (excluding at-large districts in Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska) in the country. It is even larger in area than thirteen states. The principal cities in the district are Amarillo and Wichita Falls.
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Early life, education and career [edit]
Thornberry is a lifelong resident of Clarendon, some 60 miles (97 km) east of Amarillo, in the heart of the 13th. His family has operated a ranch in the area since 1881. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He then obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. He served previously as a staffer to two other Texas Republican congressmen, Tom Loeffler and Larry Combest, and as deputy Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan before he joined his brothers, Nigel and Donnie, on the family ranch. He also practiced law in Amarillo. Mr. Thornberry is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[1]
U.S. House of Representatives [edit]
Committee assignments [edit]
He currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Armed Services Committee where he leads the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats, and Capabilities. He also serves as a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.[2]
Political campaigns [edit]
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 District 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 Republican representatives were Robert D. "Bob" Price of Pampa (1967–1975) and Beau Boulter of Amarillo (1985–1989).
In the 2006 and 2008 elections, Thornberry handily defeated former intelligence officer and Professor Roger Waun.
In the Republican primary held on May 29, 2012, Thornberry overwhelmed his lone opponent, Pamela Lee Barlow, 47,251 votes (77.6 percent) to 13,643 (22.4 percent).[3] In the general, Thornberry bested (91 percent) Libertarian John Robert Deek of Denton and Green Party candidate Keith F. Houston of Canyon.[4]
References [edit]
- ^ CFR Membership List as of May 23, 2012. Available at http://www.cfr.org/about/membership/roster.html?letter=T
- ^ ["http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/emerging-threats-and-capabilities."]
- ^ "Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012". enr.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ^ "Big Country reps will keep their jobs, November 6, 2012". http://www.reporternews.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
External links [edit]
- U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry official U.S. House site
- Mac Thornberry for Congress Campaign official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Congressional profile at GovTrack
- Congressional profile at OpenCongress
- 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 Bill Sarpalius |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 13th congressional district 1995–present |
Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Zoe Lofgren D-California |
United States Representatives by seniority 85th |
Succeeded by Ed Whitfield R-Kentucky |
