Ray LaHood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ray LaHood
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 22, 2009 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Mary Peters |
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| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Michel |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Schock |
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| Born | December 6, 1945 Peoria, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kathy LaHood |
| Alma mater | Bradley University |
| Occupation | Teacher[1] |
| Religion | Maronite Catholic |
Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood (born December 6, 1945) is the current United States Secretary of Transportation and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives.
During his service in Congress, he became well-known among C-SPAN viewers, as the presiding officer of more debates than any other member.[2] Most notably, he presided over the impeachment vote against President Bill Clinton.
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[edit] Biography
LaHood was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Mary A. (née Vogel), who was of German ancestry, and Edward M. LaHood, a Lebanese American.[3][4][5] He was educated at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, from which he earned a degree in education. He was a school teacher,[1] director of the Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau, and an aide to Representatives Tom Railsback and Robert Michel before entering politics. He served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for one term between 1982 and 1983. LaHood is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership.
LaHood succeeded his boss, Bob Michel, after the latter's retirement. Elected as part of the Republican Revolution of 1994, he was one of only three Republican candidates who did not sign on to the Contract with America, Newt Gingrich's manifesto for a Republican majority.[6]
LaHood was said to be considering a challenge to Governor Rod Blagojevich's re-election bid in 2006, but on August 18, 2005 he ruled out a run, saying few outside his district knew him.
In 2006, LaHood won against Steve Waterworth[7] by a margin of 147,108 (67%) to 71,106 (33%).[8]
A strong advocate for advancing the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, LaHood authored a law that established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, which lay the groundwork for celebrating the 16th president's 200th birthday in 2009. He also has been a lead Capitol Hill supporter for the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, and is one of 15 members on the ALBC.
In 2007 LaHood was considered for candidacy to become the president of his alma mater Bradley University, following the departure of David Broski.[9] However, he decided against applying for the position.[10]
LaHood received a 0% rating from the conservative and anti-earmark Club for Growth 2007 RePORK Card.[11] He received an 11% rating from Citizens Against Government Waste for 2007 and holds a lifetime 49% rating from the group.[12]
On July 26, 2007, LaHood stated he would not seek re-election in 2008 and would retire when his current term expired in January 2009.[13]
[edit] Secretary of Transportation
On December 19, 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama announced that he would nominate Ray LaHood to be the next Transportation Secretary.
LaHood's nomination has been viewed with alarm among those concerned with climate change and suburban sprawl.[14][15][16][17] His resume on transport matters is seen as thin by many critics. He did not serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at the time his selection was announced, although he had in the past. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee he did not work on transportation funding.[18] While picking LaHood drew praise for its bipartisan symbolism there was also a sense that LaHood’s lack of expertise would diminish the department’s role in 2009 major policy debates and leave him as more of a ceremonial figure. James Oberstar, the Democratic Congressman who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to hold more influence and will likely play a stronger leading role. Oberstar praised LaHood’s “temperament” and “managerial talent,” but when asked to cite an issue LaHood championed during his time on the Transportation Committee in the 1990s, Oberstar seemingly drew a blank. “I can’t point to any specific legislation that he authored,” he said. “He was a team player all the way through.” Oberstar said LaHood would play a supporting role on tough policy calls.[19]
His nomination was confirmed by the Senate by acclamation on January 21, 2009. He is the only Cabinet member who is officially Republican affiliated. [20]
[edit] Electoral history
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | |||
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| 1994 | G. Douglas Stephens | 78,332 | 39% | Ray LaHood | 119,838 | 60% | * | ||
| 1996 | Mike Curran | 98,413 | 41% | Ray LaHood | 143,110 | 59% | |||
| 1998 | (no candidate) | Ray LaHood | 158,175 | 100% | * | ||||
| 2000 | Joyce Harant | 85,317 | 33% | Ray LaHood | 173,706 | 67% | |||
| 2002 | (no candidate) | Ray LaHood | 192,567 | 100% | |||||
| 2004 | Steve Waterworth | 91,548 | 30% | Ray LaHood | 216,047 | 70% | |||
| 2006 | Steve Waterworth | 73,052 | 33% | Ray LaHood | 150,194 | 67% |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Rep. LaHood Talks History at Holy Family School". Peoria, Illinois: WEEK-TV. 2008-10-08. http://www.week.com/news/local/30629004.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-27. "Before he entered politics, LaHood was a social studies teacher at Holy Family. "To come back here is really to come back full circle. My interest in politics really was sparked by what I was doing in terms of teaching kids here at Holy Family about the constitution and about government," said LaHood."
- ^ U.S. Congressman Ray LaHood (Archived version from 2003)
- ^ Brownson, Charles Bruce (1978). Congressional Staff Directory. Congressional Staff Directory. pp. 765. ISBN.
- ^ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/celeb/lahood.htm
- ^ Arab Americans
- ^ Obama to Add GOP's LaHood to Cabinet
- ^ Waterworth for Congress
- ^ Elections 2006 CNN
- ^ LaHood Ponders Post The Peoria Star, June 2, 2007
- ^ LaHood stays put The Hill, July 10, 2007
- ^ The 2007 Club for Growth RePORK Card "The Club For Growth", August 9, 2007
- ^ Citizens Against Government Waste 2007 House Scorecard "Citizens Against Government Waste", August 27, 2008
- ^ LaHood will not seek re-election The Swamp, July 26, 2007
- ^ http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009299.html
- ^ http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/congressman-from-caterpillar-transport.php
- ^ http://www.alternet.org/environment/114080/ray_lahood_at_transportation,_what_is_obama_thinking/
- ^ http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/12/17/102613/31
- ^ JONATHAN WEISMAN and CHRISTOPHER CONKEY (2008-12-18). "LaHood to Get Transportation Post". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122955244259215675.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-18.
- ^ Christopher Conkey (2008-12-18). "What Role Will LaHood Play in the Obama Cabinet?". Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/12/18/what-role-will-lahood-play-in-the-obama-cabinet/. Retrieved on 2008-12-19.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22lahood.html
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ray LaHood |
- Secretary Ray LaHood official website
- Congressional career
- 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
- Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
- Congressional profile at GovTrack.us
- Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
- Articles
- A Setback for Civility David S. Broder, Washington Post, August 2, 2007, on Ray LaHood's retirement announcement
- LaHood tapped for Obama Cabinet Karen McDonald, Peoria Journal Star, December 17, 2008
- The GOP Goes South David S. Broder, "Washington Post," December 28, 2008, on Ray LaHood's selection for the Obama cabinet and what that means for the Republican Party
- Ray LaHood: The Obama Appointment You Should Be Really Worried About Alternet article about reasons for opposition to LaHood's appointment.
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Michel |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 18th congressional district 1995 – 2009 |
Succeeded by Aaron Schock |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Mary Peters |
United States Secretary of Transportation Served Under: Barack Obama 2009 – present |
Incumbent |
| Order of precedence in the United States of America | ||
| Preceded by Shaun Donovan Secretary of Housing and Urban Development |
United States order of precedence Secretary of Transportation |
Succeeded by Steven Chu Secretary of Energy |
| United States Presidential Line of Succession 14th |
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