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Jay Rockefeller
| Jay Rockefeller | ||
 | ||
| U.S. Senate, West Virginia | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 1985-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 28 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Predecessor | Jennings Randolph (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | 2008 | |
| First elected | 1984 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| Governor of West Virginia | ||
| 1977-1985 | ||
| West Virginia Secretary of State | ||
| 1968-1972 | ||
| West Virginia House of Delegates | ||
| 1966-1968 | ||
| Education | ||
| High school | Phillips Academy, Exeter, NH | |
| Bachelor's | Harvard University | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | June 18, 1937 | |
| Place of birth | New York City, NY | |
| Net worth | $102,706,012 | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
Contents |
Rockefeller will not run for re-election to a sixth term in 2014. On January 11, 2013, he announced that he will retire his Senate seat at the end of the term in order to spend more time with his family.[1]
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Rockefeller is a "rank-and-file Democrat".[2]
Biography
Rockefeller was born in New York City in 1937. After graduating from Harvard University, Rockefeller joined a volunteer group whose work took him to West Virginia. After two years in the state, he became a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.[3][4]
Career
- 1985-present: U.S. Senate
- 1977-1985: Governor of West Virginia
- 1968-1972: West Virginia Secretary of State
- 1966-1968: West Virginia House of Delegates
Committee assignments
U.S. Senate
2013-2014
Rockefeller serves on the following Senate committees[5]:
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chair
- Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
- Subcommittee on Science and Space
- Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
- Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
- Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
- Committee on Finance
- The Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy
- The Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
- The Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
- The Subcommittee on Healthcare Chair
- Select Committee on Intelligence
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
2011-2012
Rockefeller was a member of the following committees[6]:
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chair
- Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
- Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
- Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism
- Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
- Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
- Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Sciences
- Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
- Committee on Finance
- Subcommittee on Health Care Chair
- Subcommittee on International Trade, and Global Competitiveness
- Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy
- Select Committee on Intelligence
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Joint Committee on Taxation
- United States Trade Advisor
Issues
Fiscal Cliff
Rockefeller 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. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89/8 vote on January 1, 2013.[7]
Elections
2014
On January 11, 2013, Rockefeller announced that he will not seek re-election to a sixth term in 2014, citing the extra time retirement will allow him to spend with his family .[1]
The FiscalTimes compiled a list of the seven most vulnerable Senate seats up for election in 2014. The seven included in the list are: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia. Going into the 2014 election, all seven seats are held by Democrats.[8]
Rockefeller’s announcement that he won’t seek re-election opens up a seat in a recently strongly Republican presidential level state. However, West Virginia has remained relatively Democratic at the state level.[8] Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito appears to be strongest possible challenger, with early polling showing her leading all potential Democratic opponents. But Capito conceivably could face a challenge in the primary election.[8]
2008
On November 4, 2008, Rockefeller won re-election to the U.S. Senate, defeating Jay Wolfe (R), John R. "Rick" Bartlett (Write-in), and Chad Shaffer (Write-in).[9]
| U.S. Senate, West Virginia, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  John D. Rockefeller IV Incumbent |
63.7% | 447,560 | |
| Republican | Jay Wolfe | 36.3% | 254,629 | |
| Write-in | John R. "Rick" Bartlett | 0% | 83 | |
| Write-in | Chad Shaffer | 0% | 36 | |
| Total Votes | 702,308 | |||
Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Rockefeller is available dating back to 2002. Based on available campaign finance records, Rockefeller raised a total of $9,017,546 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 25, 2013.[10]
| Jay Rockefeller's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2008 | U.S. Senate (West Virginia) |  |
$5,972,208 | |
| 2002 | U.S. Senate (West Virginia) | |
$3,045,338 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $9,017,546 | |||
Rockefeller won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2008. During that re-election cycle, Rockefeller's campaign committee raised a total of $5,972,208 and spent $5,979,250.[11]
| U.S. Senate, West Virginia, 2008 - Jay Rockefeller Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $5,972,208 |
| Total Spent | $5,979,250 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $123,862 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $123,720 |
| Top contributors to Jay Rockefeller's campaign committee | |
| K&L Gates | $36,600 |
| Peabody Energy | $34,200 |
| Verizon Communications | $34,000 |
| AT&T Inc | $33,000 |
| WPP Group | $31,900 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $716,422 |
| Health Professionals | $263,950 |
| Securities & Investment | $261,050 |
| Air Transport | $223,050 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $196,050 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Rockefeller missed 484 of 9,539 roll call votes from January 1985 to April 2013. This amounts to 5.1%, which is worse than the median of 1.7% among current senators as of April 2013.[12]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Rockefeller paid his congressional staff a total of $2,664,847 in 2011. He ranks 24th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic Senatorial Staff Salaries and he ranks 62nd overall of the lowest paid Senatorial Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, West Virginia ranks 22nd in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[13]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Rockefeller's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $63,082,021 and $142,330,003. That averages to $102,706,012, which is higher than the average net worth of Democratic Senators in 2011 of $20,795,450. His average net worth increased by 3.68% from 2010.[14]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Rockefeller's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $61,632,019 and $136,482,003. That averages to $99,057,011 which is higher than the average net worth of Democratic Senators in 2010 of $19,383,524.[15]
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. Rockefeller ranked 18th in the liberal rankings in 2012.[16]
2011
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Rockefeller ranked 89th in the conservative rankings.[17]
Political positions
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, Rockefeller voted with the Democratic Party 94.2% of the time, which ranked 24 among the 51 Senate Democratic members in November 2011.[18]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Jay + Rockefeller + West Virginia + Senate
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Jay Rockefeller News Feed
- Senator Jay Rockefeller Announces Funding to Reverse ATF Layoffs - WHAG
- Senator Jay Rockefeller: Frederick Mayer is a true American hero - Charleston Gazette
- ACLU: CISPA Is Dead (For Now) - U.S. News & World Report
- Jay wants young footballers protected - Beckley Register-Herald
- Rockefeller Still Targeting June for Wheeler's FCC Chairman Hearing - Multichannel News
- Softball Senate offers penny for Pritzker's thoughts - Business First of Louisville (blog)
- Senate Will Not Vote on Cybersecurity Bill; Senators Jay Rockefeller and ... - ExecutiveGov
- Bearing down: How safe is that bridge you're driving over? - CNN
- Two ways immigration reform could succeed and three ways it could fail - Washington Post (blog)
- Foxx earns warm reception at hearing - Charlotte Post
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Personal
Rockefeller married Sharon Percy Rockefeller in 1967. They have four children and six grandchildren.[4]
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Fact-checking:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Legislation:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 USA Today, "Rockefeller's retirement sparks battle for Senate seat," January 11, 2013
- ↑ Gov Track "Jay Rockefeller," Accessed March 3, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "Jay Rockefeller," Accessed October 14, 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Official Senate website "About Jay," Accessed October 14, 2011
- ↑ Congressional Quarterly "Senate Committee List" Accessed January 22, 2013
- ↑ Official Senate website "Committee Assignments," Accessed October 14, 2011
- ↑ U.S. Senate "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Fiscal Times " 7 Senate Seats Most at Risk—Hint: They’re All Blue" Accessed February 15, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Donor history for Jay Rockefeller" Accessed April 25, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Jay Rockefeller 2008 Election Cycle," Accessed November 26, 2011
- ↑ GovTrack, "Rockefeller," Accessed April 11, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm "Jay Rockefeller"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rockefeller, (D-West Virginia), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rockefeller, (D-West VA), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 28, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: Senate," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jennings Randolph |
U.S. Senate - West Virginia 1985-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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