Johnny Isakson
| Johnny Isakson | ||
 | ||
| U.S. Senate, Georgia | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| January 3, 2005-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2017 | ||
| Years in position | 8 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Predecessor | Zell B. Miller (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | 2010 | |
| First elected | 2004 | |
| Next election | November 2016 | |
| Campaign $ | $19,885,638 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| 1999-2004 | ||
| Georgia State Senate | ||
| 1992-1996 | ||
| Georgia House of Representatives | ||
| 1976-1990 | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of Georgia | |
| Military service | ||
| Service/branch | Georgia Air National Guard | |
| Years of service | 1966-1972 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | December 28, 1944 | |
| Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia | |
| Profession | Real Estate Executive | |
| Net worth | $11,985,067 | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Isakson is a "rank-and-file Republican".[1]
Biography
Isakson was born in Atlanta, Georgia as a second generation Swedish-American. [2] He served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966 to 1972, leaving service as a staff sergeant.[3]Shortly after graduating from the University of Georgia, he opened the first Cobb County office of Northside Realty, a prominent Atlanta-area real estate firm.[4]
Career
- 1976-1990: Georgia House of Representatives
- 1990-1992: Chairman Georgia Board of Education
- 1992-1996: Georgia State Senate
- 1999-2004: U.S. House of Representatives
- 2004-Present: U.S. Senate
- Isakson also owns his own real-estate firm, on which he served as the president from 1979-2001.
Committee assignments
U.S. Senate
2013-2014
Isakson serves on the following Senate committees[5]:
- United States Senate Committee on Finance
- The Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy
- The Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and InfrastructureS
- United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
- Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety Ranking Member
- Subcommittee on Children and Families
- United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics Vice Chair
- United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
2011-2012
- United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation[6]
- Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
- Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
- Subcommittee on Science and Space
- Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
- United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions [6]
- Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging
- United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations[6]
- Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs
- Subcommittee on African Affairs (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
- United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship [6]
- United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs [6]
- United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics (Vice Chairman)[6]
Issues
Fiscal Cliff
Isakson 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]
Drones filibuster
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.[8][9][10]
According to the website Breitbart, Isakson was one of 30 Republican senators who did not support the filibuster.[11][12]
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."[13]
Elections
2010
On November 2, 2010, Isakson won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Michael "Mike" Thurmond (D), Chuck Donovan (L), Steve Davis (I), Raymond Beckworth (I), and Brian Russell Brown (I) in the general election.[14]
| U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Johnny Isakson Incumbent |
58.3% | 1,489,904 | |
| Democratic | Michael "Mike" Thurmond | 39% | 996,515 | |
| Libertarian | Chuck Donovan | 2.7% | 68,750 | |
| Independent | Steve Davis | 0% | 52 | |
| Independent | Raymond Beckworth | 0% | 24 | |
| Independent | Brian Russell Brown | 0% | 12 | |
| Total Votes | 2,555,257 | |||
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Johnny Isakson, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Isakson is available dating back to 2000. Based on available campaign finance records, Isakson raised a total of $19,885,638 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 3, 2013.[16]
| Johnny Isakson's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2010 | U.S. Senate (Georgia) |  |
$9,671,128 | |
| 2004 | U.S. Senate (Georgia) | |
$7,460,343 | |
| 2002 | U.S. House (Georgia, District 6) | |
$1,034,101 | |
| 2000 | U.S. House (Georgia, District 6) | $1,720,066 | ||
| Grand Total Raised | $19,885,638 | |||
2010
Isakson won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. During that re-election cycle, Isakson's campaign committee raised a total of $9,671,128 and spent $8,954,504.[17]
| U.S. Senate, Georgia, 2010 - Johnny Isakson Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $9,671,128 |
| Total Spent | $8,954,504 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $336,907 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $336,174 |
| Top contributors to Johnny Isakson's campaign committee | |
| Realogy Corp | $43,300 |
| Home Depot | $38,900 |
| Southern Co | $38,350 |
| Coca-Cola Co | $36,100 |
| Delta Airlines | $33,030 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Real Estate | $903,592 |
| Retired | $505,948 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $471,432 |
| Health Professionals | $300,416 |
| Insurance | $256,750 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Isakson missed 107 of 2,576 roll call votes from Jan 2005 to Mar 2013. This amounts to 4.2%, which is worse than the median of 1.7% among currently serving senators as of March 2013.[18]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Isakson paid his congressional staff a total of $2,676,628 in 2011. He ranks 9th on the list of the highest paid Republican Senatorial Staff Salaries and he ranks 65th overall of the lowest paid Senatorial Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Georgia ranks 44th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[19]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Isakson's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $6,292,135 and $17,678,000. That averages to $11,985,067, which is higher than the average net worth of Republican Senators in 2011 of $6,358,668. His average net worth increased by 0.08% from 2010.[20]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Isakson's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $6,440,115 and $17,509,999. That averages to $11,975,057, which is higher than the average net worth of Republican Senators in 2010 of $7,054,258.[21]
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. Isakson ranked 20th in the conservative rankings in 2012.[22]
2011
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Isakson ranked 33rd in the conservative rankings among U.S. Senators.[23]
Political positions
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Johnny Isakson voted with the Republican Party 92 of the time, which ranked 15 among the 47 Senate Republican members in November 2011.[24]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Johnny + Isakson + Georgia + Senate
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Johnny Isakson News Feed
- Mothers seeking gun control measures meet with Georgia senator - MyFox Atlanta
- Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson to speak at Berry Spring Commencement - Cedartown Standard
- Isakson close to the mark on ports claim - PolitiFact
- Your GOP convention blog: IRS 'must be brought to its knees,' says Johnny Isakson - Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
- US Sen. Johnny Isakson to Deliver Keynote at NAREE - RealEstateRama (press release)
- Georgia 2014 Senate Race: Big Scramble Seen For Open Seat - Huffington Post - Huffington Post
- Georgia avoids limit on reservoir use in Senate bill - Chattanooga Times Free Press
- US business keen to promote 'fast track' trade deals - Financial Times
- GOP US Senate candidates denounce immigration bill - Danbury News Times
- Former Marietta schools chief Cox lauded - Marietta Daily Journal
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1
Personal
Johnny and his wife, Dianne, have been married since 1968 and they have three grown children and nine grandchildren.They currently reside in Marietta, Georgia. [25]
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Fact-checking:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ Gov Track "John Isakson," Accessed March 3, 2012
- ↑ Johnny Isakson, U.S. Senator from Georgia "Floor Statement on Immigration Reform Remarks as Delivered on the Senate Floor" Accessed October 13, 2011
- ↑ Veterans in the U.S. Senate 109th Congress "Senate Vets" Accessed October 13, 2011
- ↑ Senator Johnny Isakson "Biography of Senator Johnny Isakson" Accessed Ocotber 13, 2011
- ↑ Congressional Quarterly "Senate Committee List" Accessed January 22, 2013
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Senator Johnny Isakson "Accomplishments" Accessed October 13, 2011
- ↑ U.S. Senate "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ CNN "Rand Paul says he's heard from White House after filibuster," March 7, 2013
- ↑ USA Today "Rand Paul filibuster ranks among Senate's longest," March 7, 2013
- ↑ ABC News "Rand Paul Wins Applause From GOP and Liberals," March 7, 2013
- ↑ Breitbart "AWOL: Meet The GOP Senators Who Refused to Stand With Rand," March 7, 2013
- ↑ Politico "Rand Paul filibuster blasted by Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham," March 7, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post "Eric Holder responds to Rand Paul with ‘no’," March 7, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Johnny Isakson" Accessed April 3, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Johnny Isakson 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed November 7, 2011
- ↑ GovTrack, "Johnny Isakson," Accessed March 29, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm "Johnny Isakson"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Isakson, (R-Arizona), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Isakson, (R-GA), 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"
- ↑ Senator Johnny Isakson "Meet Johnny" Accessed October 13, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Zell Miller |
U.S. Senate - Georgia 2005-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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