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Leonard Lance

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Leonard Lance
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 7th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2009
Preceded byMike Ferguson
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 23rd district
In office
January 8, 2002 - January 3, 2009
Preceded byJack Ascherl[1]
Succeeded byMarcia Karrow[2]
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 23rd district
In office
January 14, 1992 - January 8, 2002
Preceded byC. Richard Kamin[3]
Succeeded byMichael Doherty[4]
Personal details
Born (1952-06-25) June 25, 1952 (age 72)
Easton, Pennsylvania
Political partyRepublican
SpouseHeidi A. Rohrbach
ResidenceClinton Township, New Jersey[5]
Alma materLehigh University (B.A.)
Vanderbilt University (J.D.)
Princeton University (M.P.A.)
OccupationAttorney
Websitehttp://lance.house.gov/

Leonard Lance (born June 25, 1952) is the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 7th congressional district, serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly.

Early life, education, and early political career

Leonard Lance was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, into a political family. His father, Wesley L. Lance, was a State Senator.[6] His great-uncle, H. Kiefer Lance, was also active in New Jersey politics.

After attending North Hunterdon High School in Annandale, New Jersey, Lance received a B.A. from Lehigh University, a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.[7]

Leonard Lance served as the law clerk to the Warren County Court in 1977 and 1978. He was assistant counsel for county and municipal matters to Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of the New Jersey Council on the Humanities during the Whitman Administration by appointment of the Governor.

New Jersey legislature

Lance served in the New Jersey General Assembly for 10 years (1992–2002). In 2002 he was elected to the New Jersey Senate and held the position of Minority Leader from 2004 to 2008.[7]

Elections

In 1987, he first ran for the General Assembly. He lost the Republican primary, ranking third with 17% in New Jersey's 23rd District.[8] After redistricting, he ran for the newly redrawn 23rd District in 1991, and won the Republican primary. In the general election, he ranked second with 30%, winning a seat. Incumbent Republican State Assemblyman Chuck Haytaian ranked first in the district with 33%.[3] In 1993, Lance won re-election to a second term with 40%.[9] In 1995, he won re-election to a third term with 34%.[10] In 1997, he won re-election to a fourth term with 30%.[11] In 1999, he won re-election to a fifth term with 36%.[4]

After redistricting, he ran for the New Jersey Senate in 2001 in the 23rd District. He defeated Democrat Frederick P. Cook 69%-31%.[12] In 2003, he won re-election to a second term with 68%.[13] In 2007, he won re-election to a third term with 67%.[2]

Committee assignments

In the general assembly, he served as the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee from 2000 to 2002 and the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, when it handled the state budget, from 1996 to 2000. While Appropriations Committee Chairman, the committee oversaw state finances, taxation and spending on individual legislation, while budget issues were passed to a separate Budget Committee.

He served on the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, the Legislative Services Commission and the Budget and Appropriations Committee.[7] As Republican Budget Officer, he served as the Ranking Minority Member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, along with serving as the Republican Senate Caucus' chief point person on budget and finance issues and in budget negotiations.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

1996

Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Dick Zimmer of New Jersey's 12th congressional district decided to retire in order to run for the U.S. Senate. Lance decided to run and lost, ranking third with 26% of the vote. He carried two of the district's five counties: Mercer and Hunterdon. Michael Pappas a former Mayor of Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ won the Republican primary with 38%.[14]

2008
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2008 § District 7; United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2010 § District 7; and United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2012 § District 7

On June 3, 2008, Lance won the Republican primary to replace retiring U.S. Congressman Mike Ferguson in the New Jersey's 7th congressional district with 40% of the vote, defeating six opponents: Kate Whitman, the daughter of former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, former Summit Common Council President P. Kelly Hatfield, Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks, veteran Tom Roughneen, activist Darren Young, and professor A.D. Amir.[15] The primary left his campaign's funds depleted, leading him to hold several fundraisers, including one with President George W. Bush. Touring his district, he ran on a platform of fiscal conservatism, moderate social values, and environmentalism. He vowed to be "an independent voice" in Congress if elected.

His Democratic opponent was Linda Stender, a New Jersey Assemblywoman who unsuccessfully challenged Republican incumbent Ferguson in 2006.

During the campaign, Lance took strong positions against the Alternative Minimum Tax, the estate tax, Governor Jon Corzine's controversial toll hike plan, and the partisan nature of the United States Congress. He came under fire from Stender's campaign for his 2006 vote in the New Jersey Senate against a bill which prevented pharmacists from refusing to dispense medication such as birth control pills due to religious concerns. Lance was one of only a few Senators to vote against the bill. However, both Lance and Stender are pro-choice. Lance was firmly opposed to negotiations with Iran on the presidential level, saying that he only favors holding such talks on a ministerial level. He also made energy independence one of his signature issues, along with fiscal accountability and debt reduction. On foreign policy, both candidates supported withdrawal from Iraq, a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and increased attention to the genocide in Darfur.

Lance and Stender debated each other twice during the campaign. In September, they met in Scotch Plains for a debate hosted at the Jewish Community Campus of Central New Jersey. It was moderated by Westfield Rabbi Douglas Sagal. The candidates met in October in Edison for a second debate, which was televised on News 12 New Jersey and moderated by Walt Kane.

On October 21, The Star-Ledger editorial board endorsed Lance in the 2008 election. On October 25, The New York Times followed suit. Eight other newspapers also endorsed Lance over Stender.

On Election Day, November 4, 2008, Lance won the seat, defeating Linda Stender.[16] Results of the election were Lance 142,004 51% to Stender 116,171 41%.

2010

On June 8, 2010, Lance defeated three other candidates in the 7th District Republican primary, two of whom claimed to be tea party activists. He received 56% of the vote with the rest of the vote split among: businessman David Larsen (31%), IT consultant Alonzo "Lon" Hosford (8%), and real estate appraiser Bruce Baker (5%) - the lowest percentage of any of the state's winning incumbents.[17][18]

Lance defeated the Democratic nominee, science teacher Ed Potosnak, in the November general election by a vote of 104,642 to 71,486.

2012

After redistricting, Lance announced he would run in the newly redrawn New Jersey's 7th congressional district, which is reportedly more Republican and more favorable to Lance.[19][20]

In the 2012 Republican primary, Lance was again challenged by Larsen, who identifies himself with the Tea Party movement although he is not formally a member.[21] On June 5, 2012, Lance again won renomination to the 7th District seat, with 61 percent of the vote to Larsen's 39 percent.[22] Lance will face the Democratic challenger, Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula, in the November election.

Tenure

Lance is conservative on fiscal issues. He is moderate on social issues, as he is pro-choice but voted against continued funding to Planned Parenthood, a national women's reproductive health care provider that also performs abortions. He also joined his party in opposing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, and 2009 "war supplemental", while breaking with it in voting for the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, and the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. During President Bush's tenure and while he was still in the state senate, Lance openly voiced support for the Iraq War.

In June 2009 Lance was one of only eight Republicans in the House of Representatives to break with their party and vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Lance had campaigned as a strong advocate for environmental protection and reduction of American dependence on foreign oil. In supporting the bill, Lance cited the bill's economic benefits for New Jersey, the fact that it would not enlarge the national debt, estimates by the Energy Information Administration and Congressional Budget Office suggesting that costs to consumers would be minimal, and its goal of reducing American dependence on foreign oil.[23]

Lance voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,[24] and has been at the forefront of action to encourage the Supreme Court to review the legislation. Lance is a member of the centrist Republican Main Street Partnership.

Committee assignments

Caucus Memberships
  • Congressional Arts Caucus

Personal life

He married his wife, Heidi A. Rohrbach, a vice president at JPMorgan Chase, in 1996. They have a son, named Peter Frank. .[25] He is currently a trustee of the Newark Museum, of Centenary College in Hackettstown and of McCarter Theatre in Princeton.

References

  1. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=215434
  2. ^ a b http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=338935
  3. ^ a b http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=241047
  4. ^ a b http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=36972
  5. ^ "Congressman Leonard Lance : Biography". Lance.house.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  6. ^ Hon. Leonard Lance (MPA '82), Princeton University Policy Research Institute for the Region. Accessed May 11, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c Senator Lance's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
  8. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=723038
  9. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=149409
  10. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=218787
  11. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=719396
  12. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=3603
  13. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=20012
  14. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=46016
  15. ^ "Lance takes 7th District GOP race", The Star-Ledger, June 4, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  16. ^ Bricketto, Martin C. "Leonard Lance defeats Linda Stender to win election to District 7", Home News Tribune, November 5, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
  17. ^ "U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance clinches Republican nomination in the 7th District". The Star-Ledger. 2010-06-08. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  18. ^ "2010 New Jersey Election Results". The Star-Ledger. 2010-06-14. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  19. ^ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70817.html
  20. ^ http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/01/the_effects_of_congressional_r.html
  21. ^ http://newjerseyhills.com/hunterdon_review/news/tea-party-backer-oldwick-resident-david-larsen-to-battle-lance/article_9f136464-5736-11e1-b0cb-0019bb2963f4.html
  22. ^ http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2012/06/lance_defeats_larsen_in_7th_di.html
  23. ^ "Congressman Leonard Lance : Press Releases : Energy Bill Vote Was in New Jersey's Best Interest". Lance.house.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  24. ^ "Lance Poised to Vote to Repeal Costly Health Care Law". lance.house.gov. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  25. ^ Heidi Rohrbach, Leonard Lance, NY Times, August 11, 1996, retrieved July 17, 2011
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 7th congressional district
2009–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
313th 		Succeeded by
New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by New Jersey State Assemblyman - District 23
January 1991 - January 2002 		Succeeded by
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by New Jersey State Senator - District 23
January 2002 - January 2009 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Office Vacant During Two Year Equally Divided Senate
 Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate
January 13, 2004 - January 8, 2008 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican Budget Officer of the New Jersey Senate
January 8, 2008 - January 3, 2009 		Succeeded by

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