J. D. Hayworth

J. D. Hayworth
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 5th district
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Karan English
Succeeded by	Harry Mitchell
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary Hayworth
Residence	Scottsdale, Arizona
Alma mater	North Carolina State University
Occupation	Broadcaster

John David "J.D." Hayworth Jr. (born July 12, 1958) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007 from the 5th District of Arizona (map). He was a television sportscaster and radio journalist before being elected to the House. He hosted a conservative talk radio program on KFYI in Phoenix until January 2010, when he resigned due to his run for Senate.

Hayworth is running against incumbent Senator John McCain for the Republican nomination to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate in 2010.

Early life, education, and broadcasting career

Hayworth was born in High Point, North Carolina. His grandfather, Ray Hayworth, was a Major League Baseball catcher from 1926 to 1945. Hayworth received a bachelor's degree in speech communications and political science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh in 1980.

He was a sportscaster for WFBC-TV (now WYFF-TV), the NBC station in Greenville, South Carolina, from 1981 to 1986, and WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1986 to 1987. While in Greenville, he was a member of Edwards Road Baptist Church. From 1987 to 1994, he was the sports anchor on the news reports of KTSP-TV (later KSAZ-TV), which was then the CBS affiliate in Phoenix. He was a terrible broadcaster.

Hayworth married in 1989. He and his wife Mary have three children.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committees

As a Congressman, Hayworth served on the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. To date, he is the only representative from Arizona to have served on the committee. While working on the committee, he was given a “satisfactory” (64 percent) rating from the National Taxpayers Union. Hayworth supported the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, signed into law by President George W. Bush.

Campaigns

In 1994, Hayworth ran in what was then the 6th District and defeated incumbent Democrat Karan English, taking 54 percent of the vote to English's 42 percent. Hayworth criticized English's support for the Clinton budget plan, which Hayworth termed the largest tax increase in history. English had been endorsed in her successful 1992 campaign by the former Arizona Republican icon Barry Goldwater when she ran against Doug Wead, but not in 1994 when she ran against Hayworth.

In 1996, Hayworth fired two of his campaign aides for their part in forging his signature to file a campaign affidavit on time. He won in 1996 with 48 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Steve Owens.

In 1998, Hayworth signed and filed the form in person, with television cameras, campaign volunteers, and the Arizona Secretary of State watching. He again defeated Owens, 52 percent to 45 percent.

His next three elections he won handily: He won in 2000 against Larry K. Nelson, 60 percent to 37 percent; in 2002 against Craig Columbus, getting 61 percent of the vote; and in 2004 against Justice Elizabeth Rogers, getting 60 percent.

During his first four terms, Hayworth represented a district that took in most of the northeastern portion of the state, including Flagstaff. Most of its population, however, was located in the Phoenix suburbs. After the 2000 census, his district was renumbered the 5th District and was made a much more compact district centered more in the Phoenix area.

Media profile

Hayworth and Barney Frank at a Capitol Hill press conference.

Known for his outspoken nature—he called President Clinton an "unprincipled philandering president" who had "the most corrupt administration in U.S. history"—Hayworth is a frequent guest on conservative TV and talk radio. He sometimes substitutes as host of the nationally syndicated Laura Ingraham political commentary show on the Talk Radio Network.

Hayworth's spokesman noted that he graduated from college with honors and this is simply what happens when you are an outspoken conservative.

Hayworth has never shied away from controversy. In the same campaign letter in which he criticized Clinton, he said his Democratic opponent was "bankrolled by trial lawyers, radical homosexual rights groups, environmental extremists... along with almost every other left-wing wacko group you can think of."

Political positions

Like most Republicans elected in the 1994 landslide, Hayworth was an ardent conservative. He supports stronger border security and opposes the temporary worker program proposed by President George W. Bush for illegal aliens.

In January 2006, Regnery published Whatever It Takes: Illegal Immigration, Border Security, and the War on Terror, a book by Hayworth and his chief of staff, Joseph J. Eule. In the book, Hayworth said that Bush is too close to GOP contributors from the agribusiness, meat packing and construction industries, whom he calls "addicted" to a steady stream of workers from Mexico and Central America to keep wages down. Hayworth also argues that current immigration law misinterprets the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, says that a child of undocumented immigrants born in the U.S. should not be given U.S. citizenship, and advocates the "Americanization" program Henry Ford advocated in an interview with the New York Times in 1914.

The ever-so-successful process that used to be called "Americanization" was a major movement in the early 1900s … Henry Ford, a leader in this movement, said, "These men of many nations must be taught American ways, the English language, and the right way to live." Talk like that today and our liberal elites will brand you a cultural imperialist, or worse. But if you ask me, Ford had a better idea.

Controversies

Wife was Bookkeeper

Between 2001 and 2005 inclusive, Hayworth's wife Mary was legally paid $20,400 per year by TEAM PAC, Hayworth's leadership political action committee. In 2002, a spokesman for Hayworth said that his wife handled bookkeeping and many administrative details for the PAC.

Indian tribes

Main article: Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal

In 1997, Hayworth helped stop a proposal to tax Indian casinos, which would have taken $1.9 billion off reservations. Senator John McCain's campaign "has attacked Hayworth's ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was sentenced in September 2008 to four years in prison on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion."

2006 Congressional campaign

See also: United States House elections, 2006

Arizona's Fifth District mainly comprises Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, western Chandler and Fountain Hills, suburbs of Phoenix.

Hayworth had considered running for the Governor of Arizona in the 2006 elections against incumbent Democrat Janet Napolitano, but in March 2005 he announced that he preferred to stay in Congress. In the spring of 2005, Napolitano was enjoying a 79 percent favorable job rating.

Several prominent local Republicans endorsed Harry Mitchell in the race. This defection of Republicans had a result on the general election: CD-5, despite having a 60% Republican active registered voter advantage over Democrats (139,057 vs 86,743 in October 2006), nevertheless voted in favor of the Democrat Mitchell.

Radio talk show host

On April 23, 2007, it was announced on Phoenix radio station KFYI that Hayworth would begin hosting an afternoon drive time (4–7 PM) talk show on the station starting April 26, 2007.

Hayworth left his position as a political talk show host following his January 22, 2010 broadcast. At the time of his resignation he made the decision to challenge McCain in the 2010 Republican primary.

2010 Senate campaign

See also: United States Senate election in Arizona, 2010

In November 2009, Rasmussen Reports released the results of a poll of likely 2010 Republican primary voters in Arizona showing a statistical tie in in a hypothetical primary challenge to incumbent John McCain for the 2010 Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Arizona. Hayworth says he is considering running against McCain because he has "a profound disagreement with Senator John McCain over the concept of amnesty, whether he wants to call it comprehensive immigration reform or a pathway for guest workers to remain."

In February, 2010, Hayworth announced that he was indeed running against McCain. By mid March, Rasmussen reported only 7 points separating the two, despite campaigning by Palin. Some credit was given to other McCain challengers' dropping out, thereby allowing Hayworth to pick up their support. He probably won't win because he's a terrible candidate.

External links

• United States Congress. "J. D. Hayworth (id: H000413)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Campaign website
• Associated Press profile
• Voting record maintained by the Washington Post