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Connie Mack IV

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Connie Mack IV
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 14th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2005
Preceded byPorter Goss
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 91st district
In office
January 3, 2001 – October 9, 2003[1]
Preceded byDebby P. Sanderson
Succeeded byEllyn Setnor Bogdanoff
Personal details
Born
Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV

(1967-08-12) August 12, 1967 (age 57)
Fort Myers, Florida
Political partyRepublican
SpouseMary Bono Mack
ChildrenAddison Mack
Connie Mack V
Residence(s)Fort Lauderdale, Florida (2000-2003)
Fort Myers, Florida (2003-present)
Alma materUniversity of Florida
OccupationMarketing Executive

Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV[2] (born August 12, 1967), popularly known as Connie Mack IV, is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 14th congressional district, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes Fort Myers and Naples.

Early life, education, and family

Mack was born in 1967 in Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida, the son of cancer prevention advocate Ludie Priscilla (née Hobbs) and former U.S. Senator Connie Mack.[3][4] In 1993, he earned a B.S. from the University of Florida. He became a marketing executive, working as a "special events coordinator" for Hooters.[5][6]

His father, Connie Mack III, represented the district from 1983 to 1989 (when it was numbered as the 13th District) before serving two terms in the U.S. Senate. He is a great-grandson of Connie Mack, the manager and owner of baseball's Philadelphia Athletics, and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is also a great-grandson of Morris Sheppard, U.S. Senator and Representative from Texas, and a step-great-grandson of Tom Connally, who was the Texas Junior Senator to Sheppard for 12 years (Sheppard's widow married Connally the year after Sheppard died).[7] Mack's great-great-grandfather was John Levi Sheppard, who was also a U.S. Representative from Texas.

Florida House of Representatives

Mack served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2003, representing the 91st district in Fort Lauderdale.

Elections

In 2000, incumbent Republican State Representative Debby Sanderson decided to retire to run for a seat in the Florida Senate. Connie Mack, then a business executive, decided to run for the open seat in the Fort Lauderdale based-91st House District. He defeated Democratic nominee Kevin Rader 56%-44%.[8] In 2002, he won re-election with 79% of the vote.[9]

Tenure

He became Deputy Majority Leader in his second term.

Committee assignments

He was Chairman of the Committee on State Administration.[10]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2004

In 2003, incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Porter Goss announced he wouldn't run for reelection in 2004. That October, Mack decided to resign his seat in the State Legislature to run for the open seat.[11] Had he not resigned his state house seat, he would have been unable to vote for himself in the primary or general election in the 14th District, as the Florida Constitution requires state legislators to be residents of the district they represent.

Mack sold his home in Fort Lauderdale and moved to Fort Myers, where he'd grown up, and entered the Republican primary for Florida's 14th congressional district, once held by his father. Mack stated "The people of the 14th District deserve to be represented in Washington by someone who shares our mainstream conservative Republican values in the mold of my father and Congressman Porter Goss."[12] He narrowly won a four-way primary with a plurality of 36% of the vote. He defeated well experienced challengers such as State Representative Carole Green and Lee County Commissioner Andy Coy.[13] The general election, which was tantamount to election in this heavily Republican district, was won by Mack with 68% of the vote.[14]

2006
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2006

Mack won re-election to a second term with 64% of the vote.[15]

2008
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2008

Mack won re-election to a third term with 59% of the vote. He faced Democrat nominee Robert Neeld for a third time and Republican State Senator Burt Saunders, who ran as an independent in the election. Neeld got 25% and Saunders got 14%.[16]

2010
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2010

Mack won re-election to a fourth term with 69% of the vote.[17]

Tenure

Mack is a vocal supporter of less federal spending and lower taxes. He is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.[18] Additionally, he is an original co-sponsor of a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget and has been one of the most outspoken opponents of federal bailouts.

Mack also has been a prominent advocate for greater congressional oversight of government activities related to surveillance. For example, he voted against George W. Bush's domestic eavesdropping program in 2006 and FISA Reform in 2007.[19]

Mack serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. In particular, Mack is an outspoken critic of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez,[20] and was one of the most vocal critics of the creation of the pan-Latin American TV network teleSUR.[21] He is also a member of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Mack helped secure over $81 million to expand Interstate 75 in Southwest Florida, a project of significant concern to the region.

Unlike many in his party (as well as in Congress in general), Mack has been a vigorous and outspoken defender of the whistle-blowing site WikiLeaks.[22]

Committee assignments

2012 U.S. Senate election

Mack speaking to a conservative group in February 2012.
Main article: United States Senate election in Florida, 2012

Mack was considered a potential candidate against incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson in the 2012 Senate election. However, he declined to run on March 25, 2011, citing family and his work in the U.S. House of Representatives.[23] On October 26, 2011, it was announced Mack had changed his mind regarding a challenge to Bill Nelson and that he will indeed seek the Republican nomination. Mack's spokesman cited the fact that he felt no one in the current field was able to defeat Nelson.[24]

Electoral history

Florida's 14th congressional district: Results 2004–2010[25]
Year Republican Votes Pct Democrat Votes Pct Other Votes Pct
2004 Connie Mack 226,622 67.6% Robert M. Neeld 108,672 32.4%
2006 Connie Mack (incumb.) 151,615 64.4% Robert M. Neeld 83,920 35.6% Write-in 4 0%
2008 Connie Mack (incumb.) 224,602 59.4% Robert M. Neeld 93,590 24.8% Burt Saunders 54,750 14.5%
2010 Connie Mack (incumb.) 188,341 68.6% James L. Roach 74,525 27.1% William Maverick St. Claire 11,825 4.3%

Personal life

Mack was married in 1996 and had two children before divorcing in 2006.[2] Mack married California Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack in 2007.


References

  1. ^ Miami Herald: Search Results
  2. ^ a b Zambo, Kristen (5 August 2006). "Mack divorce proceedings include sale of $825,000 home". Naples Daily News. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  3. ^ Biography - About Connie Mack - Congressman Connie Mack
  4. ^ mack
  5. ^ MACK, Connie, IV - Biographical Information
  6. ^ Connie Mack preaches penny-pinching on campaign trail, but has past of debt and liens
  7. ^ [1][dead link]
  8. ^ Our Campaigns - FL State House 091 Race - Nov 07, 2000
  9. ^ Our Campaigns - FL State House 091 Race - Nov 05, 2002
  10. ^ Workers%27 comp bill stripped%2C replaced
  11. ^ Connie Mack IV to Run for U.S. House | TheLedger.com
  12. ^ Younger Mack to seek dad%27s old House seat Series%3A AROUND THE STATE
  13. ^ Our Campaigns - FL - District 14 - R Primary Race - Aug 31, 2004
  14. ^ Our Campaigns - FL - District 14 Race - Nov 02, 2004
  15. ^ Our Campaigns - FL - District 14 Race - Nov 07, 2006
  16. ^ Our Campaigns - FL - District 14 Race - Nov 04, 2008
  17. ^ Our Campaigns - FL - District 14 Race - Nov 02, 2010
  18. ^ Current Taxpayer Protection Pledge Signers
  19. ^ Connie Mack IV on the Issues
  20. ^ RedState <http://www.crosstabs.org/stories/foreign_affairs/rep_mack_free_trade_is_key_to_combating_chavez>
  21. ^ Congressman works to counter socialist air time, on Connie Mack's HOR website <http://mack.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Articles.View&ContentRecord_id=108>
  22. ^ Levy-Baker, Cooper Rep. Mack once again stands up for WikiLeaks, Florida Independent
  23. ^ Smith, Adam (March 25, 2011). "Connie Mack will not run for U.S. Senate". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  24. ^ Catanese, Dave (October 26, 2011). "Connie Mack to enter Fla. Senate Race". Politico. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  25. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 14th congressional district
January 3, 2005 – present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
248th 		Succeeded by

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