Ed Whitfield

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Ed Whitfield
Ed Whitfield.jpg
U.S. House, Kentucky, District 1
Incumbent
In office
January 3, 1995-Present
Term ends
January 3, 2015
Years in position 18
PartyRepublican
PredecessorTom Barlow (D)
Compensation
Base salary$174,000/year
Elections and appointments
Last electionNovember 6, 2012
First electedNovember 8, 1994
Next electionNovember 4, 2014
Campaign $$8,518,819
Term limitsN/A
Prior offices
Kentucky House of Representatives
1973-1975
Education
High schoolMadisonville High School, Madisonville, KY
Bachelor'sUniversity of Kentucky
J.D.University of Kentucky School of Law
Military service
Service/branchUnited States Army Reserve
Years of service1967-1973
Personal
BirthdayMay 25, 1943
Place of birthHopkinsville, Kentucky
ProfessionAttorney, Business Owner
Net worth$3,571,523
ReligionMethodist
Websites
Office website
Campaign website
Ed Whitfield campaign logo

Contents

Wayne Edward "Ed" Whitfield (b. May 25, 1943) is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Kentucky's 1st congressional district. Whitfield was first elected to the House in 1994.

Whitfield won re-election in 2012. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Charles Kendall Hatchett (D) in the November 6, 2012 general election.[1]

He previously was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1973 to 1975.[2]

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Whitfield is an average Republican member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Republican Party on the majority of bills.

Biography

Whitfield was born in 1943 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and attended high school in Madisonville, Kentucky. He earned both his B.S. and J.D. from the University of Kentucky in 1965 and 1969, respectively. Whitfield had also attended Wesley Theological Seminary and American University. Outside of politics, he has also worked as an attorney and business executive.[2]

Personal finances

See also: Net Worth of United States Senators and Representatives

According to research from Open Secrets, Whitfield's average net worth as of 2010 is $2,794,523. His net increased by 1.21% from 2004-2010.

According to an analysis by the Washington Post, Whitfield sold General Electric stock worth between $50,000 and $100,000 prior to a successful Republican filibuster that kept legislation backed by the company from being passed.[3]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Whitfield's professional and political career[2]:

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2013-2014

Whitfield serves on the following committees:[4]

2011-2012

Whitfield served on the following House committees:[5]

Issues

  • Whitfield voted to audit the Federal Reserve.[6]

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Ed Whitfield endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. [7]

Campaign themes

2012

Whitfield's website highlights the following campaign themes:[8]

  • Defense

Excerpt: 'I have always been a vocal proponent of maintaining a strong national defense.'

  • Education

Excerpt: 'I believe that local school officials, not federal employees at the Department of Education, should make decisions about the educational needs of our Kentucky schools'

  • Fiscal Reform and the Economy

Excerpt: 'By instituting commonsense government reforms and reducing government spending, I am committed to doing everything he can to promote job growth in our Kentucky communities and get our economy back on track.'

  • Energy

Excerpt: 'I believe that America must develop an "All of the Above" energy strategy that responsibly develops and uses the sources of energy available in America.'

  • Healthcare

Excerpt: 'In the current session of Congress, I have voted to repeal the law (Affordable Care Act) and also voted to prevent funding for its implementation. Make no mistake: I know there needs to be reform to ensure quality care at the lowest price possible'

  • Homeland Security

Excerpt: 'To combat these threats, I continue to remain focused on making sure our communities are given the resources they need to meet whatever challenges they may face."

  • 2nd Amendment

Excerpt: 'I strongly support Americans’ Constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms and have consistently opposed efforts to restrict rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment."

  • Tax Relief

Excerpt: 'I am committed to reducing the heavy burden of taxation on our nation's families and businesses.'

  • Transportation

Excerpt: 'I remain committed to making sure that the locks, dams, and other associated infrastructure components that maintain Kentucky’s waterways, roads, and railways are adequately funded and properly maintained.'

  • Veteran Affairs

Excerpt: 'I will continue to fight to provide veterans with the medical and educational benefits they have earned.'

Specific votes

Fiscal Cliff

Voted "No" Whitfield voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[9]

Paul Ryan Budget Proposal

Voted "Yes" In March 2013 the Republican controlled House passed the budget proposal set out by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R) for the third straight year.[10] Whitfield was one of four Republican Representatives who voted in favor of Ryan's budget proposal after previously being in opposition.[10]

The proposal was killed after being voted down in the U.S. Senate with a 40-59 vote[11]

The proposal would have cut about $5 trillion over the next decade and aimed to balance the budget by the end of the 10-year period.[10] The 2013 bill had opposition from 10 Republicans — the same number that voted against it in 2012. In 2011 only four Republicans cast a vote in opposition.[10] Democrats have unanimously voted against the bill every year.

Elections

2012

See also: Kentucky's 1st congressional district elections, 2012

Whitfield won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Kentucky's 1st District. Whitfield won the nomination on the Republican ticket. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Charles Kendall Hatchett (D) in the November 6, 2012 general election.

Candidates wishing to run were initially required to file by the signature filing deadline of January 31, 2012. However because the legislature was unable to complete new redistricting maps on time, the deadline was pushed back one week.[12] The new deadline was February 7.[13] The primary elections took place on May 22, 2012.[14]

U.S. House, Kentucky District 1 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Charles Kendall Hatchett 30.4% 87,199
     Republican Green check mark.jpgEd Whitfield Incumbent 69.6% 199,956
Total Votes 287,155
Source: Kentucky Board of Elections "2012 General Election Official Vote Totals"

Media

In the following video, Whitfield takes to the U.S. House floor in support of repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.


Ed Whitfield, "06.20.2012 Domestic Energy and Jobs Act floor "[15]

Full history


Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Whitfield is available dating back to 2000. Based on available campaign finance records, Whitfield raised a total of $8,518,819 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 7, 2013.[25]

Ed Whitfield's Campaign Contribution History
Year Office Result Contributions
2012 U.S. House (Kentucky, District 1) Won $1,917,048
2010 U.S. House (Kentucky, District 1) Won $1,254,885
2008 U.S. House (Kentucky, District 1) Won $1,020,193
2006 U.S. House (Kentucky, District 1) Won $1,052,012
2004 U.S. House (Kentucky, District 1) Won $848,124
2002 U.S. House (Kentucky, District 1) Won $999,809
2000 U.S. House (Kentucky, District 1) Won $1,426,748
Grand Total Raised $8,518,819

2012

Breakdown of the source of Whitfield's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

Whitfield won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Whitfield's campaign committee raised a total of $1,917,048 and spent $1,466,340.[26]

2010

Breakdown of the source of Whitfield's campaign funds before the 2010 election.

Whitfield won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. During that re-election cycle, Whitfield's campaign committee raised a total of $1,254,885 and spent $859,805.[27]

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Whitfield is a "rank-and-file Republican," as of June 18, 2013.[28]

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Whitfield missed 390 of 12,398 roll call votes from Jan 1995 to Mar 2013. This amounts to 3.1%, which is worse than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[29]

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Whitfield paid his congressional staff a total of $1,103,639 in 2011. He ranked 13th on the list of the highest paid Republican Representative Staff Salaries and he ranked 63rd overall of the highest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Kentucky ranked 10th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[30]

Net worth

See also: Net Worth of United States Senators and Representatives

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Whitfield's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $2,023,048 and $5,119,999. That averages to $3,571,523, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232. His average net worth increased by 27.80% from 2010.[31]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Whitfield's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $1,479,047 and $4,109,999. That averages to $2,794,523, which was lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2010 of $7,561,133.[32]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

2012

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Whitfield ranked 218th in the conservative rankings in 2012.[33]

2011

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Whitfield ranked 198th in the conservative rankings.[34]

Voting with party

June 2013

The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Ed Whitfield has voted with the Republican Party 96.3 of the time, which ranked 120 among the 233 House Republican members as of June 2013.[35]

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Ed + Whitfield + Kentucky + House

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Ed Whitfield News Feed


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Personal

Whitfield is married to Connie Harriman, a former Assistant Secretary of the Interior.[36]

External links


References

  1. ↑ Politico "2012 Election Map"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Biographical Guide to Members of Congress "Ed Whitfield" Accessed November 12, 2011
  3. ↑ Washington Post, "Members of Congress trade in companies while making laws that affect those same firms," June 23, 2012
  4. ↑ CQ.com, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress"
  5. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "House of Representatives Committee Assignments" Accessed November 12, 2011
  6. ↑ Office Website
  7. ↑ The Hill, "2012 GOP Lawmaker Endorsements for President," retrieved November 23, 2011
  8. ↑ Official Website
  9. ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Washington Post "10 House Republicans Vote Against Ryan Budget" Accessed March 22, 2013
  11. ↑ CBS News "Senate Rejects Paul Ryan Budget" Accessed March 22, 2013
  12. ↑ Courier Press "Judge to rule by Tuesday on Kentucky legislative filing deadline," January 30, 2012
  13. ↑ Kentucky.com "Lawmakers move to postpone congressional deadline," January 27, 2012
  14. ↑ Politico "2012 Election Map"
  15. ↑ YouTube channel
  16. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
  17. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008"
  18. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006"
  19. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004"
  20. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002"
  21. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000"
  22. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998"
  23. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1996"
  24. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1994"
  25. ↑ Open Secrets "Ed Whitfield" Accessed April 7, 2013
  26. ↑ Open Secrets "Ed Whitfield 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 20, 2013
  27. ↑ Open Secrets "Ed Whitfield 2010 Re-Election Cycle," Accessed November 12, 2011
  28. ↑ Gov Track "Whitfield" Accessed June 18, 2013
  29. ↑ GovTrack, "Ed Whitfield," Accessed April 1, 2013
  30. ↑ LegiStorm "Ed Whitfield"
  31. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Whitfield (R-KY), 2011"
  32. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Whitfield, (R-Kentucky), 2010"
  33. ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 28, 2013
  34. ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
  35. ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
  36. ↑ Official House Site "Biography," Accessed November 12, 2011
Political offices
Preceded by
Tom Barlow 		U.S. House of Representatives - Kentucky District 1
1995–present 		Succeeded by
'
Preceded by
' 		Kentucky House of Representatives
1973-1975 		Succeeded by
'
v • d • e
Kentucky's current delegation to the United States Congress
SenatorsCongressLogo.png
Representatives
Andy Barr (R) • Brett Guthrie (R) • Ed Whitfield (R) • Hal Rogers (R) • John Yarmuth (D) • Thomas Massie (R)
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Retrieved from "http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ed_Whitfield&oldid=1826306"
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