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Melissa Bean

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Melissa Bean
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 8th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2005
Preceded byPhil Crane
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAlan Bean
ResidencePalatine, Illinois
Alma materOakton Community College, A.A., 1982 Roosevelt University, B.A., 2002
OccupationBusiness consultant, saleswoman

Melissa Luburich Bean (born on January 22, 1962) is an American politician and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2004, representing Illinois's 8th congressional district. The district includes most of Chicago's northwestern suburbs, such as Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Gurnee, Palatine, Mundelein, Zion, Barrington, McHenry, and Woodstock.

Early life, education and career

Bean graduated from Oakton Community College and Roosevelt University and lives in unincorporated Palatine Township with her husband and two children. Prior to her election to Congress, she was president of a home-based business, Sales Resources Inc., which counted many Fortune 1000 companies as clients.[1]

U.S. Congressional career

Bean is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Coalition.

Committees

Bean has been a member of the Small Business and Financial Services committees for her entire House tenure. Normally, House Democrats who serve on the Financial Services Committee can't serve on any other committee. However, Bean was granted a waiver by the Democratic leadership.

Since 2007, Bean has been chairwoman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports.

Record

Bean's business and financial record includes opposing a bill that would have allowed for drilling for oil in Lake Michigan which is a large source of drinking water for her district.[2] She has departed from the Democrats in voting in May 2006 to extend about $70 billion in tax cuts (she was one of just 15 Democrats to back the legislation), voting to permanently reduce the estate tax, and voting in favor of a presidential line-item veto. Similarly, she is one of only 15 Democrats to vote in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). [3]. In 2009, she voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the American Clean Energy and Security Act. She was a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.[4]

On other issues, Bean opposed President Bush's troop "surge" in Iraq. In a February 2006 speech given before the surge had been fully implemented, Bean said, "regrettably, this surge does not constitute a new course."[5] On social issues, Bean is pro-choice and voted in support of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Bean was one of four Democrats to vote against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, joining 155 of 159 Republicans, blocking the vote (which needed a 2/3 majority to pass, as it was brought to vote under a motion to suspend rules.)[6]

Electoral history

Illinois's 8th congressional district: Results 2002–2008[7]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
2002 Melissa L. Bean 70,626 43% Philip M. Crane 95,275 57% *
2004 Melissa L. Bean 139,792 52% Philip M. Crane 130,601 48%
2006 Melissa L. Bean 93,355 51% David McSweeney 80,720 44% Bill Scheurer Moderate 8,502 5% *
2008 Melissa L. Bean 146,563 60% Steve Greenberg 97,931 40%
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2002, Chuck Kelecic received 25 votes. In 2006, minor candidates received 817 votes.
2002

In 2002, Bean ran against 33-year 8th District Republican incumbent Phil Crane. She charged that Crane, once a leader of conservative forces in the House, had become a "do-nothing" Congressman. Her campaign focus was on lobbyist-funded trips that he had taken. She lost, but gained 43% of the vote. This was unexpected since she had received very little funding from the national party. The 8th had historically been the most Republican district in the Chicago area, and by some accounts was the most Republican district in all of Illinois. Bean's performance was even more notable since the 8th had reportedly been redrawn to protect Crane.

2004

Bean sought a rematch against Crane in the 2004. During the campaign, Bean raised almost as much money as Crane, mostly from individual donors, whereas Crane's money came mostly from political action committees. Her surprising performance in the previous election led the national party to pump a large amount of money into her campaign. Bean was endorsed by the Daily Herald, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times--the three major newspapers in her district.

Faced with having to actually campaign for what was previously thought to be a safe seat, the Republicans tried their best to keep Crane in office. However, on November 2, 2004, Bean defeated Crane with 52% of the vote. Although George W. Bush won the district with 56% of the vote — the largest margin of any district in the state — Bean was helped by US Senate candidate Barack Obama, who carried the district. She is the first Democrat to represent the district since its formation in 1935. (The district was numbered the 10th District from 1935 to 1949, the 13th from 1949 to 1973, the 12th from 1973 to 1993 and has been the 8th since 1993.)[8]

2006
Main article: Illinois 8th congressional district election, 2006

In 2006, Bean's seat was seen by Republicans as vulnerable to takeover due to her freshman status and the 8th district's historical Republican tilt at every level. As mentioned above, George W. Bush carried the district fairly easily in 2004. Most of the district's state representatives and state senators were Republicans. Even today, in much of the district Bean is the only elected Democrat above the county level. Bean's reelection was also a top priority of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Bean faced the winner of a competitive six-candidate Republican primary, David McSweeney, in the 2006 general election. As in 2004, Bean was endorsed by all three of the major newspapers in her district. She defeated McSweeney, 51% to 44%.

2008
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2008 § District 8

Bean decisively defeated her 2008 opponent, businessman Steve Greenberg.[9] Although she was one of forty-four Democrats in the House who voted to condemn the MoveOn.org group for their controversial "General Betray-us" ad in 2007, he has criticized her for accepting over $80,000 in campaign donations from them three years earlier.[10] [11] [12] Bean defeated Greenberg, 60% to 40%.

2010
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2010 § District 8

Bean will face Republican activist Joe Walsh in the general election.[13]

References

  1. ^ Melissa Bean (D). The Washington Post.
  2. ^ GOP Sees Opportunity to Pick Up Seat in Chicago Suburbs Kelley Beaucar Vlahos. FOX News. August 20, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  3. ^ http://www.cqpolitics.com/2006/07/il_8_freshman_bean_appears_str.html
  4. ^ "H.R.1409: Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 - U.S. Congress". OpenCongress. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  5. ^ Bean Speaks in Support of Iraq War Resolution, In Opposition to Troop Surge. Congresswoman Melissa Bean.
  6. ^ "H.R.847: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 - U.S. Congress". 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  7. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  8. ^ Lawrence Kestenbaum. "Illinois: U.S. Representatives". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  9. ^ "IL - District 08 Race - Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  10. ^ Dems who condemned MoveOn took its cash - Kenneth P. Vogel - Politico.com
  11. ^ FEC Disclosure Report Search Results
  12. ^ The Swamp: MoveOn dust-up hits Bean race
  13. ^ GOP congressional candidate asked to drop out. Associated Press. May 3, 2010.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 8th congressional district
2005–Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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