Nick Rahall
| Nick Rahall | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 3rd district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1993 |
|
| Preceded by | Bob Wise |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 4th district |
|
| In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1993 |
|
| Preceded by | Ken Hechler |
| Succeeded by | District Eliminated |
| Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Richard Pombo |
| Succeeded by | Doc Hastings |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 20, 1949 Beckley, West Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Melinda Rahall |
| Residence | Beckley, West Virginia |
| Alma mater | Duke University George Washington University |
| Occupation | Broadcast executive |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Nick Joe Rahall II (born May 20, 1949) is the U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 3rd congressional district, serving since 1977. Rahall is currently Ranking Member of the House Resources Committee as a Democrat. The district includes much of the southern portion of the state, including Huntington, Bluefield and Beckley.
Contents |
[edit] Early life, education, and early career
Rahall was born in Beckley. He is of Lebanese descent. His father was a businessowner, including radio stations in West Virginia. Rahall graduated in 1971 from Duke University. He attended graduate school at the George Washington University. He then went to work for the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd.
[edit] U.S. House of Representatives
[edit] Elections
Rahall was elected to Congress in 1976 in the 4th district, succeeding Ken Hechler who ran governor. Rahall won the district primary with a plurality of 38%.[1] Hechler lost the primary for governor, and attempted a write-in campaign for the congressional seat. Rahall won the general election with 46% of the vote, while Hechler got 37%.[2] In 1978, Hechler challenged Rahall in the Democratic primary, and Rahall won with 56% of the vote.[3] He has been re-elected 17 times.[4] Hechler later became the West Virginia Secretary of State, and ran against Rahall in the primary in 1990. Rahall defeated him, with 57% of the vote.[5]
In 1990, he defeated Republican insurance agent Marianne Brewster[6] with just 52%, the second lowest winning percentage of his career.[7] The district was redrawn after the 1990 census, becoming the 3rd district, due to a loss in the state's population. In 2010, he defeated Republican State Supreme Court Justice Spike Maynard with 56% of the vote.[8]
[edit] Tenure
Rahall is opposes legislation designed to end Mountaintop Removal Mining, a process often used in West Virginia,[9] and has introduced legislation to improve mine safety.[10]
Rahall believes in global warming, saying to the Register-Herald that denial of climate change is "to just put your head in the sand."[11] As an advocate for the coal industry, Rahall voted both against the American Clean Energy and Security Act and to block the Environmental Protection Agency from reducing the gases blamed for global warming.[12]
On October 3, 2008 Rep. Rahall voted in favor of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.[13] In November 2009 and March 2010 he voted in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act.[14]
He, along with other Lebanese American lawmakers, expressed concern with a bipartisan resolution supporting Israel in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict without adding language urging restraint against civilian targets. He helped draft a resolution that urged "all parties to protect innocent life and civilian infrastructure."[15]
He voted for the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as hate crimes in April 2009. He was one of 15 Democrats who voted against the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in December 2010.[16]
In 2011, he co-sponsored HR 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.[17] The bill had an exception for "forcible rape," which opponents criticized as potentially excluding drug-facilitated rape, date rape, and other forms of rape.[18] The bill also allowed an exception for minors who are victims of incest.[17]
In February 2005, Rahall used congressional stationery to write a letter to a Fairfax County judge asking for leniency for his son, Nick Rahall III, who was facing felony robbery charges. Rahall said that he should not have used congressional stationery for letter but said it was not the same type that he uses for official or committee business. Rahall added he may have drawn the wrong paper "[i]n the emotions" and that he would reimburse the Treasury for the cost.[19][20]
The House Ethics Committee has not launched an inquiry into the incident.[21]
[edit] Committee assignments
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Ranking Member)
[edit] Electoral history
| Year | Democrat | Votes | % | Republican | Votes | % | Third Party | Party | Votes | % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Nick Rahall | 73,626 | 46% | F. S. Goodman | 28,825 | 18% | Ken Hechler | Democratic (write-in) | 59,067 | 37% | ||||
| 1978 | Nick Rahall | 70,035 | 100% | No candidate | ||||||||||
| 1980 | Nick Rahall | 117,595 | 77% | Winton Covey | 36,020 | 23% | ||||||||
| 1982 | Nick Rahall | 91,184 | 81% | Homer Harris | 22,054 | 19% | ||||||||
| 1984 | Nick Rahall | 98,919 | 67% | Jess Shumate | 49,474 | 33% | ||||||||
| 1986 | Nick Rahall | 58,217 | 71% | Martin Miller | 23,490 | 29% | ||||||||
| 1988 | Nick Rahall | 78,812 | 61% | Marianne Brewster | 49,753 | 39% | ||||||||
| 1990 | Nick Rahall | 39,948 | 52% | David Morrill | 36,946 | 48% |
| Year | Democrat | Votes | % | Republican | Votes | % | Third Party | Party | Votes | % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Nick Rahall | 122,279 | 66% | Ben Waldman | 64,012 | 34% | ||||||||
| 1994 | Nick Rahall | 74,967 | 64% | Ben Waldman | 42,382 | 36% | ||||||||
| 1996 | Nick Rahall | 145,550 | 100% | No candidate | ||||||||||
| 1998 | Nick Rahall | 78,814 | 87% | No candidate | Joe Whelan | Libertarian | 12,196 | 13% | ||||||
| 2000 | Nick Rahall | 146,807 | 91% | No candidate | Jeff Robinson | Libertarian | 13,979 | 9% | ||||||
| 2002 | Nick Rahall | 87,783 | 70% | Paul Chapman | 37,229 | 30% | ||||||||
| 2004 | Nick Rahall | 142,682 | 65% | Rick Snuffer | 76,170 | 35% | ||||||||
| 2006 | Nick Rahall | 92,413 | 69% | Kim Wolfe | 40,820 | 31% | ||||||||
| 2008 | Nick Rahall | 133,522 | 67% | Marty Gearheart | 66,005 | 33% | ||||||||
| 2010 | Nick Rahall | 83,636 | 56% | Spike Maynard | 65,611 | 44% |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=403634
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=31677
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=59888
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=1937
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=375887
- ^ "Final election results: Pennsylvania through Wyoming (including U.S. territories)". USA TODAY. 1990-11-08. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/56031910.html?dids=56031910:56031910&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+08%2C+1990&author=&pub=USA+TODAY+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Final+election+results%3A+Pennsylvania+through+Wyoming+%28including+U.S.+territories%29&pqatl=google.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=34764
- ^ Workman, Jim (2010-11-03). "Rahall is elected to 18th straight term in Congress". The Register-Herald (Beckley, WV). http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x104125545/Rahall-is-elected-to-18th-straight-term-in-Congress. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
- ^ Lillis, Mike (2010-10-17). "Rahall takes sole credit for blocking bill to end mountaintop mining". The Hill. http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/politics-elections/124339-rahall-takes-sole-credit-for-blocking-bill-to-end-mountaintop-mining. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
- ^ "Rahall Proposes Mine Safety Reforms". WTRF. 2010-06-29. http://wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=82179&catid=226. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
- ^ "U.S. HOUSE CANDIDATE CONVERSATIONS — Nick Rahall". Register Herald. http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x935815715/U-S-HOUSE-CANDIDATE-CONVERSATIONS-Nick-Rahall. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
- ^ Dems join GOP in fight to block EPA climate rules
- ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
- ^ "House Vote 887 - House Health Care Bill". The New York Times. http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/house/1/887.
- ^ Weisman, Jonathan (2006-07-26). "Congress Cautioned On Support of Israel". washingtonpost.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072501324.html?nav=rss_politics. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ "House Vote 638 - Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'". nytimes.com. http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/house/2/638.
- ^ a b Full text of House Resolution 3: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act
- ^ "What is 'forcible rape' exactly?". The Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/what_is_forcible_rape_exactly.html.
- ^ "Questions raised about Nick Rahall helping son". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41002.html. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Democrat Nick Rahall misused official stationery". Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOM2iJE7aLkxUUMwsRwn0VcNeCbwD9HI7LOG0. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ Pergram, Chad (2010-08-12). "Second Congressman allegedly misuses stationary". FoxNews.com. http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/12/second-congressman-allegedly-misuses-house-stationery. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
- ^ a b "Office of the House Clerk – Electoral Statistics". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html.
- ^ "Election Results". Federal Election Commission. http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/electionresults.shtml.
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congressman Nick Rahall official U.S. House site
- Congressman Nick Rahall official campaign site
- Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
- 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
- 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
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ken Hechler |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 4th congressional district 1977–1993 |
District eliminated |
| Preceded by Bob Wise |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 3rd congressional district 1993–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Richard Pombo California |
Chairman of House Natural Resources Committee 2007–2011 |
Succeeded by Doc Hastings Washington |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Dale Kildee D-Michigan |
United States Representatives by seniority 12th |
Succeeded by Jerry Lewis R-California |
- 1949 births
- American politicians of Lebanese descent
- American Presbyterians
- American radio executives
- Businesspeople from West Virginia
- Duke University alumni
- George Washington University alumni
- Living people
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia
- People from Beckley, West Virginia
- West Virginia Democrats
- Woodrow Wilson High School (Beckley, West Virginia) alumni
