Mike Fitzpatrick
Michael G. "Mike" Fitzpatrick | |
|---|---|
| File:Cong Fitzpatrick.jpg | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 8th district | |
| In office 2005-present | |
| Preceded by | Jim Greenwood |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
Michael G. Fitzpatrick (born June 28, 1963) is a Republican U.S. politician from the state of Pennsylvania, currently representing the state's 8th Congressional district (map) in the U.S. House.
Education and early career
Fitzpatrick was born in Philadelphia. A graduate of Bishop Egan High School in Lower Bucks County, Fitzpatrick was awarded an Honors Degree (B.A. 1985) from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, and a Law Degree (Juris Doctor 1988) from the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. He is admitted to the practice of law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is a member of the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and American Bar Associations.
Fitzpatrick served as Special Counsel at the Philadelphia law firm of Saul Ewing LLP.
He was a member of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners beginning in January 1995. He served as Chairman of the Board in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003. During that time, the County made improvements to the emergency management system, including the enhancement of the 9-1-1 system, the construction of a new state-of-the-art emergency operating center, and took a leadership role in the five-county anti-terrorism task force.[citation needed]
Congressional career
In July 2004, popular moderate Republican James C. Greenwood unexpectedly withdrew from his re-election campaign. A convention of Republican committee members chose Fitzpatrick over the more moderate State Senator Joe Conti to run against Democrat Virginia "Ginny" Schrader. [1] Fitzpatrick won the general election against Schrader 55.3%-44.3%, with the remaining vote split between two minor candidates. [2] His district, the Pennsylvania 8th, includes all of Bucks County, a sliver of Montgomery County, and parts of two Northeast Philadelphia wards. [3]
He is on the United States House Committee on Financial Services and the United States House Committee on Small Business.
In May 2006, Fitzpatrick introduced the Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006, which requires most schools and libraries to actively restrict minors from access to "Commercial Social Networking Websites" and "Chat Rooms". In late July, the DOPA Act overwhelmingly passed the House. Speaking before the vote was taken, Fitzpatrick said, "The social networking sites have become, in a sense, a happy hunting ground for child predators."[4]
2006 re-election campaign
Fitzpatrick will face Democrat Patrick Murphy in the November general election.
In January 2006, Fitzpatrick said he had donated to charity the $21,500 he received from political action committees headed by U.S. Representatives Bob Ney, R-Ohio, Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif.[1]
Fitzpatrick has been endorsed by several environmental groups including the Sierra Club. He is the only incumbent Republican congressman in Pennsylvania who has the support of the environmentalist lobby this election.
The Cook Political Report rates this race as "Lean Republican". However, Congressional Quarterly currently rates this race as "Toss-up." (See Notable U.S. House elections, 2006 - Pennsylvania.) An October 30th poll by Constituent Dynamics showed Fitzpatrick trailing Murphy 47% to 50%. [5]
Other
Fitzpatrick is involved with the Boy Scouts of America and is a member of the Temple Lower Bucks Hospital Board of Directors, the Conwell-Egan Catholic Board of Advisors, the Knights of Columbus, the Levittown Bristol Kiwanis Club, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Brehon Law Society.
He and his wife Kathleen have six children. He is Roman Catholic.
Mike Fitzpatrick has never served in the military and he currently has a 37.5% DAV Congressional Voting Record
Footnotes
- ^ Brian Scheid, "$211K raised by Fitzpatrick linked to convicted lobbyist", Bucks County Courier Times, January 22, 2006