Does your state lean blue or lean red? Check out our new report, highlighting partisan control of state government from 1992-2013.
Lois Capps
| Lois Capps | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, California, District 24 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 1998-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 15 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Predecessor | Walter Capps (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | March 10, 1998 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $10,404,626 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | Pacific Lutheran University | |
| Master's | Yale University & University of California, Santa Barbara | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | January 10, 1938 | |
| Place of birth | Ladysmith, WI | |
| Profession | Nurse, Educator | |
| Net worth | $98,006 | |
| Religion | Lutheran | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Capps won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing California's 24th District as a Democrat.[1] She was displaced from her former district, the 23rd by redistricting.[2]
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Capps is a "far-left Democratic leader".[3]
Biography
Capps was born in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. She earned a B.S. from Pacific Lutheran University in 1959, an M.A. from Yale University in 1964, and another M.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1990.[4]
Before her political career, Capps, worked as a nurse, an educator, and worked as the Director of the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Project and the Parent and Child Enrichment Center of Santa Barbara County, California.[5]
Career
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Capps serves on the following committees:[6]
- Energy and Commerce Committee
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
- Subcommittee on Health
2011-2012
Capps served on the following committees:[7]
- Energy and Commerce Committee
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy
- Subcommittee on Health
Issues
Campaign themes
2012
Capps's campaign website listed the following issues:[8]
- Creating Jobs and Getting Our Economy Moving Again
- Excerpt: "Encouraging job creation and getting our economy fully restarted are my top priorities. And though the economy has been slowly rebuilding since the end of the Bush Administration when we were losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month, we still have work to do."
- Ensuring Quality, Affordable Healthcare For All
- Excerpt: "As a nurse, ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care has always been one of my top priorities. And as the Vice-Chair of a key Health Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, I worked hard to ensure health insurance reform legislation meets the many needs of Central Coast residents."
- Moving To A Clean Energy Future
- Excerpt: "Our nation’s overreliance on fossil fuels imperils our environment and hurts American families. By shipping billions of dollars overseas every year to purchase oil and gas from unstable, often hostile regions of the world, we threaten our economy, national security, and planet’s health."
- Promoting Equality and Opportunity for Women
- Excerpt: "While women make up more than half of this country, we still account for less than 20% of Members of Congress. That is one reason why I have worked so hard to promote policies that empower women and ensure that all opportunities for success are open to them."
- Promoting Fiscal Responsibility
- Excerpt: "The large federal deficit is a threat to our long term economic prosperity. We must enact a balanced plan to address this challenge as we did during the 1990s, the last time our budget was balanced. Of course, the most important deficit reduction step is to get our economy back to full speed and I’ve outlined my plan to do that."
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
Capps 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. She 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.[9]
Elections
2014
Capps is a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program. The program is designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2014 election.[10]
2012
Capps won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing California's 24th District as a Democrat.[1] She was displaced from her former district, the 23rd by redistricting. She and Abel Maldonado (R) advanced past the June 5, 2012, blanket primary, defeating Chris Mitchum (R) and Matt Boutte (Ind). They faced off in the November 6, 2012, general election.[11][12]
According to the Washington Post, Capps' seat is a new battleground as Democrats and Republicans seek to gain control of the House. With Capps' territory overhauled in redistricting, she is now running in a district that is nearly evenly split Democratic and Republican. She formerly had a Democratic advantage in the double-digits.[13]
| U.S. House, California, District 24 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Lois Capps Incumbent |
55.1% | 156,749 | |
| Republican | Abel Maldonado | 44.9% | 127,746 | |
| Total Votes | 284,495 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Lois Capps, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Capps is available dating back to 2000. Based on available campaign finance records, Capps raised a total of $10,404,626 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 22, 2013.[21]
| Lois Capps's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (California, District 24) |  |
$3,320,070 | |
| 2010 | US House (California, District 23) | |
$955,565 | |
| 2008 | US House (California, District 23) | |
$1,054,974 | |
| 2006 | US House (California, District 23) | |
$874,676 | |
| 2004 | US House (California, District 23) | |
$1,109,883 | |
| 2002 | US House (California, District 23) | |
$1,449,620 | |
| 2000 | US House (California, District 22) | |
$1,639,838 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $10,404,626 | |||
2012
Capps won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Capps's campaign committee raised a total of $3,320,070 and spent $3,286,649.[22]
| U.S. House, California District 24, 2012 - Lois Capps Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $3,320,070 |
| Total Spent | $3,286,649 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $1,937,469 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $1,904,430 |
| Top contributors to Lois Capps's campaign committee | |
| JStreetPAC | $46,743 |
| EMILY's List | $40,117 |
| University of California | $31,850 |
| Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte | $19,930 |
| League of Conservation Voters | $13,603 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Retired | $306,250 |
| Health Professionals | $279,175 |
| Women's Issues | $173,097 |
| Leadership PACs | $128,723 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $122,695 |
2010
Capps won re-election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Capps's campaign committee raised a total of $955,565 and spent $991,079.[23]
His top 5 contributors between 2009-2010 were:
| U.S. House, California District 23, 2010 - Lois Capps Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $955,565 |
| Total Spent | $991,079 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $611,864 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $607,299 |
| Top contributors to Lois Capps's campaign committee | |
| American Assn for Justice | $10,000 |
| American Assn/Oral & Maxillofacial Surg | $10,000 |
| American Nurses Assn | $10,000 |
| Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers | $10,000 |
| National Cable & Telecommunications Assn | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Health Professionals | $153,149 |
| Retired | $93,349 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $38,575 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $37,350 |
| Lobbyists | $32,650 |
Personal
Capps is a widow and has three children.
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Capps missed 249 of 10,365 roll call votes from March 1998 to March 2013. This amounts to 2.4%, which is worse than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[24]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Capps paid her congressional staff a total of $1,138,251 in 2011. She ranked 160th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic Representative Staff Salaries and she ranked 40th overall of the highest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, California ranked 5th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[25]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Capps's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between -$3,976,987 and $4,172,999. That averages to $98,006, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2011 of $5,107,874. Her average net worth decreased by 13.27% from 2010.[26]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Capps' net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $-3,974,987 and $4,200,999. That averages to $113,006, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2010 of $4,465,875.[27]
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. Capps ranked 73rd in the liberal rankings in 2012.[28]
2011
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Capps ranked 85th in the liberal rankings.[29]
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, Lois Capps voted with the Democratic Party 96.9% of the time, which ranked 2 among the 192 House Democratic members in 2011.[30]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Lois + Capps + California + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Lois Capps News Feed
- After 2012 House Defeats, GOP Sees (Again) Golden Opportunity in California - National Journal (blog)
- A Blue Vision and the Politics of the Ocean - National Geographic
- Parties Push For House Retirements - National Journal
- The Edge: The Beginning of the End of the War on Terror - National Journal
- Bills introduced - Lexology (registration)
- Thomas D. Elias: Big changes for California's aging congressional delegation - Los Angeles Daily News
- The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's Day on the Hill Goes Virtual - Marketwire (press release)
- Congressional Votes for California the Week of 05/17 - 05/23/2013 - Targeted News Service (subscription)
- Capps Introduces Bill to Improve Public Health Preparedness for Climate Change - Noozhawk
- Climate change causes prostitution? Rep. Barbara Lee explains - Los Angeles Times
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CNN "California Districts Race - 2012 Election Center"
- ↑ "Lois Capps running for reelection", CalCoastNews.com, July 29, 2011
- ↑ Gov Track "Capps" Accessed May 23, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "CAPPS, Lois, (1938 - )"
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "CAPPS, Lois, (1938 - )"
- ↑ CQ.com - Roll Call, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ Congresswoman Lois Capps, Representing California's 23rd District "Committee and Caucus Memberships"
- ↑ Campaign website, Issues
- ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "DCCC Chairman Steve Israel Announces 2013-2014 Frontline Members," March 5, 2013
- ↑ California Secretary of State, Official candidate list
- ↑ Unofficial election results
- ↑ Washington Post blog "The 10 House districts that might surprise you," May 11, 2012
- ↑ 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 4, 2008"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Lois Capps," Accessed March 22, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Lois Capps 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 20, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Lois Capps 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed November 6, 2011
- ↑ GovTrack, "Lois Capps," Accessed April 2, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm "Lois Capps"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Capps, (D-Cali), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Capps, (D-Cali), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Walter Capps |
U.S. House of Representatives - California, District 24 1998-Present |
Succeeded by ' |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
