Robert Pittenger
| Robert Pittenger | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 9th district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | Sue Myrick |
| Member of the North Carolina State Senate from the 39th district |
|
| In office January 1, 2005 – May 27, 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Robert A. Rucho |
| Succeeded by | Robert A. Rucho |
| Member of the North Carolina State Senate from the 40th district |
|
| In office January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Daniel G. Clodfelter |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm Graham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 15, 1948 Dallas, Texas |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | University of Texas[1] |
| Religion | Evangelical Christian/Pentecostal |
| Website | Representative Robert Pittenger |
Robert Pittenger (born August 15, 1948) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 9th congressional district since 2013. The district includes several outer portions of Charlotte, as well as many of that city's northern and eastern suburbs. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Contents |
Early life, education, and business career [edit]
Pittenger was born in Texas and attended the University of Texas. After graduating he worked for Campus Crusade for Christ before moving to Charlotte in 1985 and becoming a real estate investor.
North Carolina Senate (2003-2007) [edit]
Elections [edit]
After redistricting, Pittenger decided to run for the 40th senate district of the North Carolina General Assembly in 2002.[1] He defeated Democratic State Senator Fountain Odom 55%-43%.[2] In 2004, he decided to run for the 39th senate district and defeated Libertarian nominee Andy Grum 89%-11%.[3] In 2006, he won re-election to a third term unopposed.[4]
Tenure [edit]
He represented the state's 39th Senate district, which included portions of southeastern Mecklenburg County. Robert was a lead sponsor of Right To Life legislation and the gay marriage amendment.[5]
In May 2004, he proposed big tax cuts like bringing the state's corporate tax from 6.9% to 4.9% and the income tax rate for the state's top earners from 8.25% to 7.5%.[6] He proposed over $1.5 billion in spending cuts, including the elimination of waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid.
In February 2005, he proposed a medical malpractice bill that would cap non-economic damages at $250,000 for physicians, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.[7]
In 2006, Pittenger sent a book called "The Skeptical Environmentalist," to his senate colleagues. He denied global warming.[8][9][10]
Committee assignments [edit]
- Appropriations/Base Budget
- Commerce
- Finance
- Insurance and Civil Justice Reform
- Pensions & Retirement and Aging
- Rules and Operation[11][12]
2008 gubernatorial election [edit]
Pittenger won the Republican primary on May 6, 2008 to become his party's nominee for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina with 59% of the vote, defeating three other candidates.[13][14][15] On May 27, 2008, he resigned from the Senate to focus on his campaign.[16] He lost the general election to fellow State Senator Walter H. Dalton 51%-46%.[17]
U.S. House of Representatives (2013-Present) [edit]
2012 election [edit]
After Sue Myrick announced her retirement as the Representative of North Carolina's 9th congressional district in early 2012, Pittenger announced that he would run to replace her.[18] He failed to win the primary outright on May 8, 2012, but ranked first with 32% of the vote in the eleven-candidate field.[19] In the primary run-off election held on July 17, 2012, he defeated former Mecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph 53%-47%.[20][21]
Pittenger won the general election on November 6, defeating Democratic Mecklenburg County Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Roberts 52%-47%.[22][23] While Pittenger lost the district's share of Mecklenburg County (47%), he ran up huge margins in the Union (63%) and Iredell (64%) portions of the district. Still, it was the closest that a Republican had come to losing this district since 1986. He took office in January 2013.
Committee assignments [edit]
Personal life [edit]
Pittenger lives in south Charlotte with his wife, Suzanne. A former longtime member of Central Church of God, he now attends another large evangelical church in Charlotte, Forest Hill Church.
Pittenger's father-in-law was Cy Bahakel, a former state senator and longtime owner of WCCB in Charlotte.
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Biography". Office of Congressman Robert Pittenger. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=24125
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=84971
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=287550
- ^ http://robertpittenger.com/about
- ^ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CO&s_site=charlotte&p_multi=CO&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=102BBE554D6FCB0B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
- ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2005/01/31/daily37.html?jst=b_ln_hl
- ^ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CO&s_site=charlotte&p_multi=CO&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=111A0A0E5A8083F0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
- ^ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CO&s_site=charlotte&p_multi=CO&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10F9C0D578F705E8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
- ^ http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=91707
- ^ http://www.ncleg.net/DocumentSites/SenateDocuments/2005-2006%20Session/2005%20Senate%20Committees%20by%20Member.pdf
- ^ http://www.ncleg.net/DocumentSites/SenateDocuments/2003-2004%20Session/2003%20Senate%20Committees%20by%20Member.pdf
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=415029
- ^ News & Observer: Charlotte candidate announces run
- ^ News & Observer: And the winners are...
- ^ News & Observer: Pittenger resigns from Senate
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=426463
- ^ News & Observer: Robert Pittenger preparing to enter congressional race
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=751734
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=771271
- ^ Morrill, Jim; Funk, Tim (2012-07-18). "Pittenger wins bitter race in 9th, will face Roberts". Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina: The McClatchy Company): Page 1. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=740216
- ^ NC State Board of Elections
External links [edit]
- Representative Robert Pittenger official U.S. House website
- Robert Pittenger for Congress official campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Profile at Ballotpedia
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Financial information (state office) at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
- Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
- Voting record at The Washington Post
- Pittenger Company
- Profile at the The News & Observer
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sue Myrick |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 9th congressional district 2013–Present |
Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Scott Peters D-California |
United States Representatives by seniority 412th |
Succeeded by Mark Pocan D-Wisconsin |
|
|||||||||||
