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Brian Woodworth
From Ballotpedia
Brian Woodworth was a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois. Woodworth lost to Jesse Jackson Jr. in the November election.[1] Woodworth defeated James H. Taylor, Sr. in the Republican primary on March 20, 2012.[2]
Biography
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Education:[3]
- 1999: Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Juris Doctor
- 1996: Olivet Nazarene University, Bachelor of Science in geology and environmental science
- Olivet Nazarene University, Master of Arts in philosophy of history
Career
Woodworth has worked as a lawyer and as a professor at Olivet Nazarene University.[4]
Campaign themes
2012
Woodworth had 3 main campaign themes. They were:
- Economy & Jobs: Excerpt: "Our nation’s job market and economy have been weakened by the uncertainty created from the ineffective policies of Washington insiders. American businesses want to expand and hire more hard-working Americans, but their desires for growth are often obstructed by unnecessary federal regulations, out-of-touch politicians, and unresponsive federal bureaucracies. The American people need fresh leaders who will listen to their concerns and give them a voice in Congress. Small businesses are the backbone of our local communities: they invest in the future of our communities, and they employ our friends and family members. They sponsor the youth sports leagues in which our children play, and they donate to the local charities that provide relief and comfort to our neighbors. In return for all that these businesses contribute to our communities, our political leaders should do all they can to provide small businesses with certainty, empower their growth, and encourage more investment into the futures of our communities. We must work to create an environment in which businesses and entrepreneurs will feel confident that their investments will not be thwarted by unresponsive federal agencies and a disengaged Washington."
- American Energy: Excerpt: "American families are in desperate need of real energy solutions, and our country deserves leaders who are seriously committed to developing America’s true energy potential. Despite bipartisan support in both the House and Senate for the Keystone XL project, President Obama stated that he would block legislation on this issue until after the November election. In response to Obama’s threat reject a bill on Keystone, Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D – CA.) told Politico, “I think the president’s wrong on this.” Like many other Americans, I was disappointed by President Obama’s decision to ignore the advice of his own Jobs Council and delay a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline proposal until after the November 2012 election. For unemployed American workers and families who suffer from high energy prices, November is too long of a wait. While our nation’s portfolio of alternative sources of energy has plenty of room to grow, we cannot deny that our nation and its economy run on traditional sources of energy, and it will continue to do so for years to come. The American people deserve to have representatives in Washington who will plan for the nation’s future without abandoning its present concerns. The answer lies in stronger leadership in Washington. We need leaders who will support projects that create private sector jobs for out-of-work Americans, and contribute to our nation’s energy security."
- Healthcare: Excerpt "President Obama’s signature legislation on healthcare, or Obamacare, has failed to achieve what should be the primary objective of health care reform—to make healthcare more affordable for hardworking Americans. Instead of reducing healthcare costs, Obamacare has increased healthcare costs for some businesses, including those businesses with more than 50 employees. It should not be forgotten that when President Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010, over 50 percent of the public was opposed to Obamacare. While opposition to the bill has remained close to 50 percent, as of January 22, 2012, support has declined to less than 38 percent.[5] It’s clear that Washington did not, and has not, listened to the voice of the people on this issue. What Americans both need and deserve is the opportunity to hit “reset” on healthcare reform. Doing so would allow us to create sensible and easy-to-understand healthcare reform that is driven by the will of the American people and free-market solutions, rather than have it be dictated to us by the desires of out-of-touch bureaucrats in Washington, D.C."
Elections
2012
Woodworth ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 2nd District. Woodworth defeated James H. Taylor, Sr. (R) in the Republican primary.[6]
Incumbent Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. defeated challenger Debbie Halvorson in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012.[2] Jackson then defeated Woodworth in the general election on November 6, 2012.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Jesse Jackson Jr. Incumbent |
63.3% | 188,303 | |
| Republican | Brian Woodworth | 23.2% | 69,115 | |
| Independent | Marcus Lewis | 13.5% | 40,006 | |
| Total Votes | 297,424 | |||
| Source: Illinois Board of Elections "2012 General Election Official Vote Totals" | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Brian Woodworth |
63.7% | 11,123 |
| James Taylor Sr. | 36.3% | 6,347 |
| Total Votes | 17,470 | |
Polls
| Illinois' Congressional District 2 General election, 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Jesse Jackson Jr. (D) | Brian Woodworth (R) | Marcus Lucas (I) | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||||
| We Ask America (October 21, 2012) | 58% | 27% | 15% | +/-3.5 | 819 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign finance summary
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External links
- Brian Woodworth Campaign Page (dead link)
- Woodworth Facebook Page
- Chicago Tribune Questionnaire
- Chicago Tribune Endorsement
- Brian Woodworth Twitter Page
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Illinois"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ABC News 7, "Election Results Primary 2012," accessed March 20, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Woodworth for Congress Facebook Page, "Info," accessed February 25, 2012
- ↑ [Submission to page by candidate]
- ↑ RealClearPolitics.com, "RCP Average for Obama and Democrats’ Healthcare Plan,” accessed May 2012
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed December 27, 2011
Senators
Tammy Duckworth (D)
Dick Durbin (D)
Representatives
District 1
Jonathan Jackson (D)
District 2
Robin Kelly (D)
District 3
Delia Ramirez (D)
District 4
Jesus Garcia (D)
District 5
Mike Quigley (D)
District 6
Sean Casten (D)
District 7
Danny Davis (D)
District 8
District 9
Jan Schakowsky (D)
District 10
Brad Schneider (D)
District 11
Bill Foster (D)
District 12
Mike Bost (R)
District 13
Nikki Budzinski (D)
District 14
Lauren Underwood (D)
District 15
Mary Miller (R)
District 16
Darin LaHood (R)
District 17
Eric Sorensen (D)
Democratic Party (16)
Republican Party (3)
