Bob Etheridge: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Bobby Ray "Bob" Etheridge''' (born August 7, 1941) |
'''Bobby Ray "Bob" Etheridge''' (born August 7, 1941) was the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] for {{ushr|NC|2}}, serving since 1997. He is a member of the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]]. He was defeated in the 2010 election by [[Renee Ellmers]]. |
||
==Early life, education and career== |
==Early life, education and career== |
||
Revision as of 21:57, 23 November 2010
Bob Etheridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | David Funderburk |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Faye Etheridge |
| Residence | Lillington, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | Campbell University |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | U.S. Representative Bob Etheridge |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1965–1967 |
Bobby Ray "Bob" Etheridge (born August 7, 1941) was the U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was defeated in the 2010 election by Renee Ellmers.
Early life, education and career
Born in Sampson County, North Carolina, Etheridge attended the Cleveland School and was a high school basketball standout. He attended Campbell University on an athletic scholarship and became the first member of his family to earn a diploma when he received a business degree in 1965. He then served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1967.[1] He has also done graduate work in the field of economics.
Etheridge is also a part-time tobacco farmer and hardware store owner.
Early political career
Etheridge began his political career as a Harnett County commissioner from 1973 through 1976. He was then elected in 1978 to the North Carolina House of Representatives, and served two terms (1979–1988) and rose to chair the House Appropriations Committee. Having gained a reputation for his strong stances on educational issues, he was elected in 1988 and served two terms (1989–1996) as North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction.[2]
U. S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
Party leadership
- Democratic At-Large Whip (since 2008)
Caucus memberships
- New Democrat Coalition, a moderate, pro-growth organization
Etheridge previously served on the Agriculture and Homeland Security committees. He has focused on farm issues,[3] educational matters,[4] and providing a balanced budget.
In 2006, Etheridge joined Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth in proposing increased research and development of biofuels to reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil.[5]
Etheridge supported President Obama's proposed healthcare reforms, voting to pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act in November 2009 [6] and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.[7]
"Who Are You?" confrontation
In June 2010, Etheridge was approached by two young men on a Washington, D.C., sidewalk. The pair, who identified themselves as students working on a project, asked Etheridge if he "fully supported the Obama agenda" while videorecording his response. In the video, Etheridge first says "Who are you?" repeatedly, then is seen grabbing one of the young men by the wrists, neck, and back of the shirt, while repeatedly asking the young men who they were. The young men responded that they were "students working on a project". One of them is heard asking the congressman three times to let go of him while the Congressman continued to hold on to him.[8] Etheridge later apologized for the incident in a statement saying "I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction, and I apologize to all involved".[9] Etheridge called a press conference where he stated that there was no excuse for his actions. He refused to speculate on the motivation of those involved and said that it had been a "long day".[10] Republican political strategists acknowledged involvement in coordinating the incident.[11]
Political analysts have commented on the potential effect of this confrontation on Etheridge's chances of reelection against Republican candidate Renee Ellmers.[12][13][14] Subsequently on June 18, a 32-year-old man said he had been a victim of a similar incident occurring in 1996 in which Etheridge grabbed him when he was a high school student.[15] That report was later disputed by the retired principal who stated that "the student was in the wrong".[16]
Political campaigns
Etheridge was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1996.
2008
Etheridge was elected to his seventh consecutive term in the 2008 Congressional elections.[17] He defeated Republican Dan Mansell and Libertarian Will Adkins.[citation needed]
2010
Etheridge was challenged by Republican nominee Renee Ellmers and Libertarian nominee Tom Rose. On November 2, 2010, political newcomer Ellmers defeated Etheridge in the general election. Etheridge contested the result and requested a recount of the vote. [18] On November 19, 2010, the State Board of Elections director Gary Bartlett said that a recount in the 2nd Congressional District has confirmed that Ellmers defeated Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge by about 1,500 votes. Later that day, Etheridge conceded the election to Ellmers.
Personal life
Etheridge and his wife Faye have three children and seven grandchildren. They are active in their church and both teach Sunday School. For his decades-long work for the Boy Scouts of America, Etheridge was awarded the Silver Beaver Award; the highest award a Scout leader can receive.[2] He is a Freemason and has served as Grand Orator.[19]
See also
References
- ^ Bob Etheridge (D). The Washington Post.
- ^ a b "Biography". United States House of Representatives.
- ^ N.C. Congressman Wants Federal Disaster Relief for Farmers. WRAL. October 22, 2007.
- ^ Etheridge offers bold proposal. Wilmington Morning Star. September 18, 1990.
- ^ Rep. Bob Etheridge., Rep. Stephanie Herseth. The answer to our gas crisis. DeWitt Era-Enterprise. May 4, 2006.
- ^ House Vote 887
- ^ House Vote 167
- ^ "Congressman Assaults Student on Washington Sidewalk".
- ^ Kelly, Hinchcliffe (14 June 2010). "Congressman caught on camera in physical confrontation". WRAL. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- ^ "Etheridge talks about confrontation". WRAL. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- ^ Jim Rutenberg (2010-11-03). "Democrats Outrun by a 2-Year G.O.P. Comeback Plan". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
- ^ (2010-06-17). "Poll shows Etheridge trailing after video | abc11.com". Abclocal.go.com. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Christensen, Rob (2010-06-16). "Etheridge slip puts foe on map - Elections". NewsObserver.com. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ "Etheridge's District Moved To Leans Democrat - Real Clear Politics – TIME.com". Realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com. 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ Krahnert III, John (18 June 2010). "Former Resident Recalls Run-In With Etheridge". The Pilot. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ O'Brien, Michael (6 June 2010). "Principal disputes former student's allegation of run-in with Etheridge". The Hill.
- ^ Etheridge Wins Seventh Term In Office, Bob Etheridge for Congress, November 05, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
- ^ Miller, Sean J. (November 12, 2010). "Still trailing, Rep. etheridge calls for a recount". The Hill. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ^ Carter, Ric (2006). "Farm boy makes a life of service" (PDF). The North Carolina Mason. 131 (2). Retrieved 18 June 2010.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)
External links
- U.S. Representative Bob Etheridge official House site
- Bob Etheridge for Congress official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Profile at Vote Smart
- New Democrat Coalition
- North Carolina Superintendents of Public Instruction
- 1941 births
- Living people
- Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
- North Carolina Democrats
- Campbell University alumni
- People from Sampson County, North Carolina
- United States Army soldiers