Jimmy Duncan (politician)
John J. Duncan, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office November 8, 1988 | |
| Preceded by | John Duncan, Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Lynn Duncan |
| Residence | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Alma mater | University of Tennessee, George Washington University |
| Occupation | attorney, judge |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army National Guard United States Army |
| Years of service | 1970-1987 |
John James "Jimmy" Duncan, Jr. (born July 21, 1947) is the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1988. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Knoxville.
Early life, education and career
Duncan was born in Lebanon, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree and subsequently received a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. in 1973 and was admitted to the bar that same year. He was an attorney in private practice until he became a state court judge in Knox County, Tennessee, where he served from 1981 to 1988. He also served in the Army National Guard from 1970 to 1987.
U.S. House of Representatives
Duncan voted against authorizing the War in Iraq based on opposition to what he believed to be an unnecessary foreign involvement. He also opposed and voted against a June 2006 House declaration in support of the war.[1] He was one of the most conservative Republicans to do so.[2] The Family Research Council rated him as a 92% or above since 2002[2] and the NRA has rated him in equally positive terms.[2] He is a frequent contributor to Chronicles, a magazine associated with the paleoconservative movement. Duncan and Ron Paul were the only two Republicans to vote against funding for the Iraq War on May 24, 2007.[3] Duncan voted, along with three other Republicans, to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by April 2008 on July 12, 2007.[4]
On March 10, 2010, Duncan again joined three other Republicans in voting for the removal of troops from Afghanistan.[5] Duncan and Paul were the only members of Congress to vote for the removal of troops for Afghanistan and against all recent bailout and stimulus bills.[6]
Duncan is a member of the Liberty Caucus (sometimes called the Liberty Committee), a group of libertarian-minded congressional Republicans.[7] Congressman Ron Paul hosts a luncheon for the Liberty Caucus every Thursday. Other members include Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Zach Wamp of Tennessee and Jeff Flake of Arizona.[8] Despite the moderate Republican, he voted against the Wall Street bailout. Duncan, in a column explaining his vote, stated he "thought it would be better in the long run not to adopt the socialist approach."[9] According to National Journal’s 2009 Vote Ratings, he was ranked as the 133rd conservative member in the House.[10]
Committee assignments
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Political campaigns
He was first elected to Congress in 1988, in a special election to succeed his late father, John Duncan, Sr. and elected to the seat for a full term in his own right the same day. He has been re-elected every two years since then from a district that has been held continuously by Republicans (or their antecedents) since 1859. He has never faced a serious or well-funded challenge for reelection, and was reelected without major-party opposition from 1994 through 2000.
References
- ^ NWSource.com
- ^ a b c Vote-smart.org
- ^ Bresnahan, John (2007-05-25). "McNerney Takes Tough Vote On The War". CBS News. The Politico.
- ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll624.xml
- ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll098.xml
- ^ "17 courageous Congressmen voted against all bailouts | Republican Liberty Caucus". Rlc.org. 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ^ "The Liberty Committee". Retrieved 2007-06-24.
- ^ Caldwell, Christopher (2007-07-22). "The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-Medicare Candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ Duncan, Jimmy (October 20, 2008). "Duncan Column on the Financial Bailout". Official House Site.
- ^ "2009 VOTE RATINGS". National Journal. Feb. 27, 2010.
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External links
- U.S. Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr. official U.S. House site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
- Video of Duncan explaining why supporting the Iraq war isn't conservative