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Jeff Flake

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Jeff Flake
Jeff Flake.jpg
U.S. Senate, Arizona
Incumbent
In office
2013-Present
Term ends
January 3, 2019
Years in position 0
PartyRepublican
PredecessorJon Kyl (R)
Elections and appointments
First electedNovember 6, 2012
Next electionNovember 2018
Campaign $$13,044,861
Term limitsN/A
Prior offices
U.S. House, Arizona
2001-2013
Education
Bachelor'sBrigham Young University
Master'sBrigham Young University
Personal
BirthdayDecember 31, 1962
Place of birthSnowflake, Arizona
ProfessionPublic Affairs Director
Net worth$32,500
ReligionThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon)
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Contents

Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Flake (b. December 31, 1962) is a Republican member of the U.S. Senate representing Arizona. Flake was first elected to the Senate in 2012. He previously served in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2013.

Flake won election to U.S. Senate, representing Arizona, on November 6, 2012.[1] Flake defeated Wil Cardon, Bryan Hackbarth, and Clair Van Steenwyk in the August 28, 2012 Republican primary.[2] He then overtook Richard Carmona (D), Sheila Bilyeu (L), and Ian Gilyeat (I) in the general election on November 6, 2012. [3]

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Flake is a "rank-and-file Republican".[4]

Biography

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 		The information about this individual is current as of when his or her last campaign ended. See anything that needs updating? Send a correction to our editors

Flake was born in Snowflake, Arizona. He earned a B.A. and an M.A. from Brigham Young University in 1986 and 1987, respectively.[5]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Flake's academic, professional and political career:[6]

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2013-2014

Flake serves on the following Senate committees[7]:

U.S. House

2011-2012

Flake served on the following committees:[8]

  • Appropriations Committee
    • Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
    • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
    • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies[9]

Issues

Gang of Eight

Flake is a member of the group of senators deemed the "Gang of Eight." This term is used to reference eight of the most influential Senators on immigration reform and includes four senators from each party.[10] The group calls for comprehensive and bipartisan immigration legislation that includes their "four basic pillars":

  • 1. A “tough but fair path to citizenship . . . .contingent upon securing our borders and tracking whether legal immigrants have left the country as required”;
  • 2. Reform our legal immigration system with a greater eye toward our economic needs;
  • 3. Workplace verification; and
  • 4. Setting up a system for admitting future workers (although the term “guest worker” is not used).[11]

Presidential preference

2012

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

Jeff Flake endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. [12]

Campaign themes

2012

Flake's campaign website listed the following issues:[13]

  • Border Security
Excerpt: "One of the primary functions of the federal government is to provide national security, which includes border security. With a southern border so porous, and increasingly dangerous, the federal government continues to fail in this most basic function"
  • Healthcare
Excerpt: "Our healthcare system is badly in need of reform, but Obamacare is not the answer. We need a healthcare system that relies on choice and competition to improve quality and control cost."
  • Government Spending
Excerpt: "With the national debt over $14 trillion and this year's budget deficit estimated to be $1.65 trillion, we absolutely must get serious about cutting government spending. To put those numbers into perspective, each taxpayer in America is responsible for nearly $130,000 in U.S. debt. We must act now to get our fiscal house in order."
  • Government Reform
Excerpt: "For years I've been railing against the egregious practice of earmarking in Congress. I led the fight against earmarks when it was a lonely battle, and after 10 years it's great to see the new leaders in Washington have gotten the message. Both the House and Senate have instituted moratoriums on earmarks this Congress."
  • Education
Excerpt: "I've long been an advocate for school choice, parental control, and states' rights when it comes to education. Arizona parents and teachers do not need federal bureaucrats telling them how to educate their students. Before I was elected to Congress, I advocated for school choice in Arizona and was involved in efforts to establish Arizona's landmark charter school law."

Specific votes

Fiscal Cliff

Voted "No" Flake 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.[14]

Drones filibuster

See also: Rand Paul filibuster of John Brennan's CIA Nomination in March 2013

On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border, without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists have been critical that President Obama did not offer a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster -- 13 Republicans and one Democrat.[15][16][17]

Flake was one of the 13 Republican senators who joined Paul in his filibuster.[18][19]

According to the website Breitbart, there were 30 Republican senators who did not support the filibuster.[20][21]

The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no."[22]

Elections

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Arizona, 2012

Flake ran successfully in the 2012 election for the U.S. Senate, representing Arizona. Flake defeated Wil Cardon, Bryan Hackbarth, and Clair Van Steenwyk in the August 28, 2012 Republican primary. He defeated Richard Carmona (D), Marc Victor (L), and Ian Gilyeat (I) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[23][24]

U.S. Senate, Arizona, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark.jpgJeff Flake 49.2% 1,104,457
     Democratic Richard Carmona 46.2% 1,036,542
     Libertarian Marc Victor 4.6% 102,109
     Independent Steven Watts (Write-in) 0% 290
     Independent Don Manspeaker (Write-in) 0% 24
Total Votes 2,243,422
Source: Arizona Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Full history


Polls

2012

Jeff Flake vs. Richard Carmona
Response Rasmussen Reports (September 26, 2012)Average
Jeff Flake 47% 47%
Richard Carmona 41% 41%
Other 3% 3%
Undecided 9% 9%
Number polled 500 500
Margin of error +/-4.5 4.5%
Note: 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 donors

Comprehensive donor information for Flake is available dating back to 2000. Based on available campaign finance records, Flake raised a total of $13,044,861 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 25, 2013.[31]

Jeff Flake's Campaign Contribution History
Year Office Result Contributions
2012 US Senate (Arizona) Won $9,026,106
2010 US House (Arizona, District 6) Won $538,758
2008 US House (Arizona, District 6) Won $1,289,321
2006 US House (Arizona, District 6) Won $543,620
2004 US House (Arizona, District 6) Won $644,789
2002 US House (Arizona, District 6) Won $373,429
2000 US House (Arizona, District 1) Won $628,838
Grand Total Raised $13,044,861

2012

Flake won election to the U.S. Senate in 2012. During that election cycle, Flake's campaign committee raised a total of $9,026,106 and spent $9,556,220.[32]

Out-of-state donations

According to an Open Secrets report, Flake ranked among the top ten senate candidates receiving out-of-state donations during the 2012 election cycle. He received $3,105,010, or 52.3%, of his donations from outside of Arizona. [33]

2010

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

Flake won election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Flake's campaign committee raised a total of $538,758 and spent $774,232.[34]

His top 5 contributors between 2009-2010 were:

Analysis

Lifetime voting record

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

According to the website GovTrack, Flake missed 1 of 92 roll call votes from January 2013 to March 2013. This amounts to 1.1%, which is better than the median of 1.7% among current senators as of March 2013.[35]

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Flake paid his congressional staff a total of $987,119 in 2011. He ranked 182nd on the list of the lowest paid Republican Representative Staff Salaries and he ranked 244th overall of the lowest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Arizona ranked 47th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[36]

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, Flake's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between -$234,998 and $299,999. That averages to $32,500, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Senators in 2011 of $6,358,668. His average net worth decreased by 50.00% from 2010.[37]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Flake's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $-219,997 and $349,999. That averages to $65,001, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2010 of $7,561,133.[38]

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. Flake ranked 90th in the conservative rankings in 2012.[39]

2011

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Flake ranked 91st in the conservative rankings.[40]

Political positions

Percentage voting with party

The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Flake votes with the Republican Party 87.9% of the time. This ranks 212th among the 242 House Republicans in 2011.[41]

Personal

Flake and his wife, Cheryl, have five children.[42]

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Jeff + Flake + Arizona + Senate

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

Jeff Flake News Feed


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

External links


References

  1. ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Arizona," November 7, 2012
  2. ↑ Open Secrets "Arizona Senate Race, 2012 Cycle," Accessed December 28, 2011
  3. ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Arizona," November 7, 2012
  4. ↑ Gov Track "Flake" Accessed May 18, 2012
  5. ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "FLAKE, Jeff, (1962 - )"
  6. ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress "Jeff Flake," Accessed October 30, 2011
  7. ↑ Congressional Quarterly "Senate Committee List" Accessed January 22, 2013
  8. ↑ Jeff Flake, Congressman, Arizona's Sixth District "Biography"
  9. ↑ The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Chairman Hal Rogers "Transportation Subcommittee Members"
  10. ↑ ABC News "Who Are the Gang Of 8 in Senate Immigration Debate?" Accessed May 7, 2013
  11. ↑ Washington Post "Gang of Eight immigration plan: Reality-based legislating" Accessed May 7, 2013
  12. ↑ The Hill, "2012 GOP Lawmaker Endorsements for President," retrieved November 23, 2011
  13. ↑ Campaign website, Issues
  14. ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
  15. ↑ CNN "Rand Paul says he's heard from White House after filibuster," March 7, 2013
  16. ↑ USA Today "Rand Paul filibuster ranks among Senate's longest," March 7, 2013
  17. ↑ ABC News "Rand Paul Wins Applause From GOP and Liberals," March 7, 2013
  18. ↑ The Blaze, "Here Are All the GOP Senators That Participated in Rand Paul’s 12+ Hour Filibuster… and the Ones Who Didn’t," March 7, 2013
  19. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Sen. Rand Paul ends marathon filibuster of John Brennan," March 7, 2013
  20. ↑ Breitbart "AWOL: Meet The GOP Senators Who Refused to Stand With Rand," March 7, 2013
  21. ↑ Politico "Rand Paul filibuster blasted by Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham," March 7, 2013
  22. ↑ Washington Post "Eric Holder responds to Rand Paul with ‘no’," March 7, 2013
  23. ↑ Associate Press primary results
  24. ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Arizona," November 7, 2012
  25. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
  26. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008"
  27. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006"
  28. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004"
  29. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002"
  30. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000"
  31. ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Jeff Flake," Accessed March 25, 2013
  32. ↑ Open Secrets "Jeff Flake 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 19, 2013
  33. ↑ Open Secrets, "More than 60 Lawmakers Relied Mostly on Out-of-State Money", May 7, 2013
  34. ↑ Open Secrets "Jeff Flake 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed October 30, 2011
  35. ↑ GovTrack, "Jeff Flake," Accessed April 2, 2013
  36. ↑ LegiStorm "Jeff Flake"
  37. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Flake, (R-Arizona), 2011"
  38. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Flake, (R-Arizona), 2010"
  39. ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
  40. ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
  41. ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party," October 30, 2011
  42. ↑ National Journal, "Arizona, Senate," November 7, 2012
Political offices
Preceded by
Jon Kyl 		U.S. Senate - Arizona
2013-Present 		Succeeded by
'
Preceded by
Matt Salmon 		U.S. House of Representatives - Arizona, District 6
2001-2013 		Succeeded by
David Schweikert
v • d • e
Arizona's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
John McCain (R) • Jeff Flake (R)
CongressLogo.png
Representatives
Ann Kirkpatrick (R) • David Schweikert (R) • Ed Pastor (D) • Kyrsten Sinema (D) • Paul Gosar (R) • Raul Grijalva (D) • Trent Franks (R) • Ron Barber (D) • Matt Salmon (R)
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