Gary Peters

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Gary Peters
Gary Peters.jpg
U.S. House, Michigan, District 14
Incumbent
In office
January 3, 2009-Present
Term ends
January 3, 2015
Years in position 4
PartyDemocratic
PredecessorJoe Knollenberg (R)
Compensation
Base salary$174,000/year
Elections and appointments
Last electionNovember 6, 2012
First electedNovember 4, 2008
Next electionNovember 4, 2014
Campaign $$8,115,940
Term limitsN/A
Prior offices
Michigan State Senate
1995-2002
Rochester Hills, Michigan, City Council
1991-1992
Education
Bachelor'sAlma College
Master'sUniversity of Detroit
J.D.Wayne State University
Military service
Service/branchUnited States Navy Reserve
Years of service1993-2000, 2001-2005
Personal
BirthdayDecember 1, 1958
Place of birthPontiac, Michigan
ProfessionInvestment Banker, Professor
Net worth$2,562,581
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Contents

Gary C. Peters (b. December 1, 1958) is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Michigan's 14th congressional district. Peters was first elected to the House in 2008. He won re-election in 2012 to the 14th congressional district seat. On May 1, 2013, Peters announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat that will be vacated in 2014 by retiring Michigan Senator Carl Levin.[1]

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Peters is a "centrist Democrat".[2]

Biography

Peters was born in 1958 in Pontiac, Michigan. After graduating from Alma College in 1980, Peters went on to receive his M.B.A from the University of Detroit and his J.D. from Wayne State University in 1985 and 1989, respectively. Prior to his political career, Peters worked as a professor and investment banker. He also served in the United States Naval Reserve from 1993-2000 and from 2001-1005.[3]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Peters' professional and political career[3]:

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2013-2014

Peters serves on the following committees:[4]

  • Financial Services Committee
    • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises
    • Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade

2011-2012

Peters served on the following House committees[5]:

  • Financial Services Committee
    • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises
    • Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology
  • Small Business Committee
    • Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology
    • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access

Issues

Specific votes

Peters voted for the stimulus bill.[6] 57% of U.S. voters believe that the stimulus has either hurt the economy (36%) or had no impact (21%). 38% believe the stimulus helped the economy. [7]

Peters also voted in favor of the "Cash for Clunkers" bill.[8] According to a June 2009 Rasmussen Reports poll, 54% of likely U.S. voters opposed Cash for Clunkers, while 35% supported it.[9]

Peters supported the "Cap and Trade" bill.[10] Just after the bill’s passage, 42% of likely U.S. voters said that cap and trade would hurt the economy, while 19% believed it would help. 15% said that the bill would have no impact.[11]

Finally, Peters voted in favor of the health care reform bill.[12] 57% of likely voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care reform bill, including 46% who strongly favor repeal. 35% of likely voters oppose repeal. 51% of likely voters believe the health care reform bill will be bad for the country, while 36% believe it will be beneficial.[13]

Fiscal cliff

Voted "Yes" Peters voted for 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 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[14]

Campaign themes

2012

The campaign issues below were highlighted on Peters' campaign website.[15]

  • Bridging the 8 Mile Divide to Unite the Greater Detroit Region

Excerpt: "Investing in a regional transit system to serve all... Ending the foreclosure crisis by helping families stay in their homes... Connecting local workers with local employers."[16]

  • Healthcare

Excerpt: "In Congress, Gary stood with President Obama and voted to pass the historic Affordable Care Act despite continual attacks from the Tea Party. Gary also successfully helped expand health care coverage to over 4 million low income children and pregnant women."[17]

  • Jobs and the Economy

Excerpt: "In Congress, Gary led the fight to save our auto industry, worked to expand small business lending to spur new job creation, and he's always stood up to Tea Party proposals to gut the social safety net for families facing tough times."[18]

  • Proud Democratic Fighter for Michigan

Excerpt: "As our Congressman, Gary Peters has worked to protect collective bargaining rights and fought for policies that put middle class families ahead of billionaire special interests."[19]

  • Accountability and Reform on Wall Street

Excerpt: "As part of this work, Peters helped create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - the first agency dedicated entirely to protecting regular Americans from abusive and predatory lending practices. And when corporate executives rewarded themselves with taxpayer funded bailout bonuses, Gary Peters led the fight to hold them accountable by writing and passing a bill to reclaim this money."[20]

Elections

2014

See also: Michigan gubernatorial election, 2014

On May 1, 2013, Peters announced he would be seeking election to the United States Senate seat that will be vacated in 2014 by retiring Michigan Senator Carl Levin.[1]

Peters was previously considered to be a potential 2014 Democratic candidate for Governor of Michigan.[21]

2012

See also: Michigan's 14th congressional district elections, 2012

Peters won the election.[22] Peters was running in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Michigan's 14th District. He defeated incumbent Hansen Clarke, Brenda Lawrence, Bob Costello, and Mary Waters in the August 7 Democratic primary. He faced John Hauler (R), Leonard Schwartz (L), and Douglas Campbell (G) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[23] Peters was considered a vulnerable incumbent.[24]


Gary Peters, "Roots"[25]

U.S. House, Michigan, District 14 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark.jpgGary Peters Incumbent 82.3% 270,450
     Republican John Hauler 15.6% 51,395
     Libertarian Leonard Schwartz 1.2% 3,968
     Green Douglas Campbell 0.9% 2,979
Total Votes 328,792
Source: Michigan Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Endorsements

Peters was endorsed by the organizations and individuals below. A full list of Peters' endorsements can be found at his campaign website.[26]

  • Michigan AFL-CIO
  • American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Michigan Council 25
  • American Federation of Teachers Michigan (AFT Michigan)
  • American Postal Workers Union Local 480-481
  • Michigan Association of Police Organizations (MAPO)
  • Michigan Teamsters Joint Council 43
  • Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Michigan State Council
  • United Auto Workers (UAW)
  • United Steelworkers District 2
  • The Detroit Free Press
  • Mayor Dave Bing, Detroit
  • Fmr. Governor James Blanchard, State of Michigan

Full history


Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Peters is available dating back to 2008. Based on available campaign finance records, Peters raised a total of $8,115,940 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 16, 2013.[29]

Gary Peters's Campaign Contribution History
Year Office Result Contributions
2012 US House (Michigan, District 14) Won $2,281,359
2010 US House (Michigan, District 9) Won $3,284,646
2008 US House (Michigan, District 9) Won $2,549,935
Grand Total Raised $8,115,940

2012

Breakdown of funds according to source.

Peters won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. During that election cycle, Peters' campaign committee raised a total of $2,281,359 and spent $1,887,340.[30]

2010

Breakdown of the source of Peters' campaign funds before the 2010 election.

Peters won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. During that election cycle, Peters' campaign committee raised a total of $3,284,646 and spent $3,236,452.[31]

Analysis

Lifetime voting record

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

According to the website GovTrack, Peters missed 59 of 3,350 roll call votes from Jan 2009 to Mar 2013, which is 1.8% of votes during that period. This is better than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving.[32]

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Peters paid his congressional staff a total of $904,112 in 2011. He ranked 28th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic Representative Staff Salaries and he ranked 147th overall of the lowest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Michigan ranked 13th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[33]

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, Peters' net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $934,163 and $4,191,000. This averages to $2,562,581, which is a 0.0587% increase since 2010. This is lower than the $5,107,874 average net worth for Democratic representatives in 2011.[34]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Peters' net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $797,165 and $4,043,999. That averages to $2,420,582, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2010 of $4,465,875.[35]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year, National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted, as compared to other members in the previous year. More information about the analysis process can be found on the vote ratings page.

2012

According to the data released in 2013, Peters was ranked the 105th most liberal representative during 2012.[36]

2011

According to the data released in 2012, Gary Peters was ranked the 161st most liberal representative during 2011.[37]

Percentage voting with party

November 2011

The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Gary Peters voted with the Democratic Party 86.6% of the time, which ranked 165 among the 192 House Democratic members in December 2011.[38]

Personal

Peters lives in Bloomfield, Michigan, with his wife, Colleen. They have three children.[39]

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Gary + Peters + Michigan + House

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

Gary Peters News Feed


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External links


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Washington Post "Gary Peters announces Michigan Senate campaign," May 1, 2013
  2. ↑ Gov Track "Peters" Accessed May 16, 2012
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Biographical Guide to Members of Congress "Gary Peters" Accessed December 23, 2011
  4. ↑ CQ.com, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress"
  5. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "House of Representatives Committee Assignments" Accessed December 23, 2011
  6. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 46," January 28, 2009
  7. ↑ Rasmussen "38% Say Stimulus Plan Helped Economy, 36% Say It Hurt," August 24, 2010
  8. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 314," June 9, 2009
  9. ↑ Rasmussen "54% Oppose “Cash for Clunkers” Plan To Spur Purchase of Greener Cars," June 23, 2009
  10. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 477," June 26, 2009
  11. ↑ Rasmussen "42% Say Climate Change Bill Will Hurt The Economy," June 30, 2009
  12. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 165," March 21, 2010
  13. ↑ Rasmussen "61% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law," September 20, 2010
  14. ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
  15. ↑ Gary Peters "Issues," Accessed October 9, 2012
  16. ↑ [http://www.petersforcongress.com/issues/BridgingOurCommunities Gary Peters "Bridging Our Communities," Accessed October 9, 2012.
  17. ↑ Gary Peters "Healthcare," Accessed October 9, 2012
  18. ↑ Gary Peters "Jobs," Accessed October 9, 2012
  19. ↑ Gary Peters "Proud Democrat," Accessed October 9, 2012
  20. ↑ Gary Peters "Wall Street," Accessed October 9, 2012
  21. ↑ Public Policy Polling, "Snyder's popularity plummets," December 18, 2012
  22. ↑ Politico "2012 Election Map, Michigan"
  23. ↑ Associated Press primary results
  24. ↑ New York Times "House Race Ratings" Accessed October 3
  25. ↑ YouTube channel
  26. ↑ Gary Peters "Endorsements," Accessed October 9, 2012
  27. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
  28. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008"
  29. ↑ 'Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Gary Peters," Accessed May 16, 2013
  30. ↑ Open Secrets " 2012 Re-Election Cycle," Accessed February 15, 2013
  31. ↑ Open Secrets "Gary Peters 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed December 23, 2011
  32. ↑ GovTrack, "Gary Peters" Accessed April 2013
  33. ↑ LegiStorm "Gary Peters"
  34. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Peters, (D-Michigan), 2011"
  35. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Peters, (D-Michigan), 2010"
  36. ↑ National Journal, "TABLE: House Liberal Scores by Issue Area," February 26, 2013
  37. ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
  38. ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
  39. ↑ Official House Site "Biography," Accessed December 23, 2011
Political offices
Preceded by
Joe Knollenberg 		U.S. House of Representatives - Michigan
2009-present 		Succeeded by
'
Preceded by
' 		Michigan State Senate
1995-2002 		Succeeded by
'
Preceded by
' 		Rochester Hills, Michigan, City Council
1991-1992 		Succeeded by
'
v • d • e
Michigan's current delegation to the United States Congress
SenatorsCongressLogo.png
Representatives
Bill Huizenga (R) • Candice Miller (R) • Dan Kildee (D) • Dan Benishek (R) • Dave Camp (R) • Fred Upton (R) • Gary Peters (D) • John Conyers, Jr. (D) • John D. Dingell, Jr. (D) • Justin Amash (R) • Mike Rogers (R) • Sandy Levin (D) • Kerry Bentivolio (R) • Tim Walberg (R)
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