Melvin L. Watt
| Melvin L. Watt | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, North Carolina, District 12 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| January 3, 1993-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 20 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Predecessor | N/A | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | November 3, 1992 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $3,791,750 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | |
| J.D. | Yale University | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | August 26, 1945 | |
| Place of birth | Steele Creek, North Carolina | |
| Profession | Attorney | |
| Net worth | $1,041,021 | |
| Religion | Presbyterian | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Watt is a "moderate Democratic follower".[2]
Watt won re-election on November 6th, 2012.[3]
On May 1, 2013 President Obama nominated Watt to be the next director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.[4]
Biography
Watt was born in Steele Creek, North Carolina. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina in 1967, and his J.D. from Yale University in 1970.[5]
Career
After earning his degrees, Watt worked as an attorney in private practice. He was also a member of the North Carolina State Senate from 1985 to 1987.[6]
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Watt serves on the following committees:[7]
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises
- United States House Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet - Ranking Member
2011-2012
Watt served on the following committees:[8]
- Judiciary Committee
- Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law
- Financial Services Committee
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
- Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity
Issues
House Judiciary Committee
Congressman Watt was first appointed to the House Judiciary Committee shortly after he was first sworn into Congress in 1993. Watt has served continuously on the committee up to this date.[9] Congressman Watt serves on the House Judiciary Subcommittees on Courts and Competition Policy, the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Members, and on Commercial and Administrative Law.[10] [11] [12]
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
Watt 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.[13]
Elections
2012
Watt ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing North Carolina's 12th District. On March 30, 2012 the 12th district was included in a list released by the National Journal of the top ten most contorted congressional districts, as a result of redistricting. [14] Watt won the nomination on the Democratic ticket after defeating Matt Newton in the Democratic primary.[1] He faced Jack Brosch (R) in the November 6, 2012 general election. The Washington Post listed the House of Representatives elections in North Carolina in 2012 as one of the states that could have determined whether Democrats retook the House or Republicans held their majority in 2013.[15] North Carolina was rated 8th on the list.[15]
| U.S. House, North Carolina, District 12 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat |  Melvin L. Watt Incumbent |
79.6% | 247,591 | |
| Republican | Jack Brosch | 20.4% | 63,317 | |
| Total Votes | 310,908 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Primary results
The primary took place on May 8, 2012.[16]
| U.S. House of Representatives-North Carolina, District 12 Democratic Primary, 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|
Mel Watt |
80.9% | 52,968 |
| Matt Newton | 19.1% | 12,495 |
| Total Votes | 65,463 | |
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Melvin Watt, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Watt is available dating back to 2000. Based on available campaign finance records, Watt raised a total of $3,791,750 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 16, 2013.[27]
| Melvin L. Watt's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | U.S. House (North Carolina, District 12) |  |
$852,387 | |
| 2010 | U.S. House (North Carolina, District 12) | |
$604,719 | |
| 2008 | U.S. House (North Carolina, District 12) | |
$680,471 | |
| 2006 | U.S. House (North Carolina, District 12) | |
$503,513 | |
| 2004 | U.S. House (North Carolina, District 12) | |
$579,199 | |
| 2002 | U.S. House (North Carolina, District 12) | |
$260,595 | |
| 2000 | U.S. House (North Carolina, District 12) | |
$310,866 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $3,791,750 | |||
2012
Watt won election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Watt's campaign committee raised a total of $852,387 and spent $857,241.[28]
| U.S. House of Representatives, North Carolina's 12th Congressional District, 2012 - Melvin L. Watt Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $852,387 |
| Total Spent | $857,241 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $15,678 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $16,221 |
| Top contributors to Melvin L. Watt's campaign committee | |
| Time Warner Cable | $14,000 |
| American Assn for Justice | $10,000 |
| American Express | $10,000 |
| American Resort Development Assn | $10,000 |
| Bank of America | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| TV/Movies/Music | $60,500 |
| Insurance | $58,750 |
| Commercial Banks | $48,250 |
| Securities & Investment | $47,500 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $39,250 |
2010
| U.S. House, North Carolina, 2010 - Melvin L. Watt Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $604,719 |
| Total Spent | $591,204 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $0 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $0 |
| Top contributors to Melvin L. Watt's campaign committee | |
| Promontory Financial Group | $20,300 |
| American Assn for Justice | $10,000 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority | $10,000 |
| CSX Corp | $10,000 |
| Goldman Sachs | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $45,646 |
| Securities & Investment | $42,400 |
| Commercial Banks | $40,000 |
| Insurance | $34,750 |
| Misc Finance | $31,600 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Watt missed 253 of 13,539 roll call votes from Jan 1993 to Apr 2013, which is 1.9% of votes during that period. This is better than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving.[30]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Melvin paid his congressional staff a total of $1,027,436 in 2011. Overall, North Carolina ranked 7th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[31]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Watt's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $456,044 to $1,625,999. That averages to $1,041,021, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic House members in 2011 of $5,107,874. His average net worth increased by 15.03% from 2010.[32]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Watt's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $399,043 to $1,411,000. With an average net worth of $905,021.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democrats in 2010 of $4,465,875.[33]
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. Watt ranked 45th in the liberal rankings among members of the U.S. House.[34]
2011
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Watt ranked 50th in the liberal rankings among members of the U.S. House.[35]
Percentage voting with party
January 2012
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Melvin L. Watt voted with the Democratic Party 93.7% of the time, which ranked 69th among the 192 House Democratic members in January 2012.[36]
Personal
Watt is married to Eulada Paysour Watt, an educator. They have two sons, Brian and Jason, both of whom are graduates of Yale University and have earned graduate degrees.[37]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Melvin + Watt + North Carolina + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Melvin Watt News Feed
- Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency: Who Is Mel Watt? - AllGov
- NC's Rep. Mel Watt receives early and bipartisan support to head FHFA - Northdallasgazette
- Obama to nominate Democratic Rep. Mel Watt to head housing agency - Los Angeles Times
- Obama Urges Congress To Back Mel Watt, New Housing Regulator - Huffington Post
- Housing nominee Mel Watt helped create the subprime crisis - Daily Caller
- Obama housing nominee: Most white people won't vote for black candidate ... - Daily Caller
- FHFA Nominee Watt Pledges to Sell Bank Shares - Wall Street Journal (blog)
- Mel Watt Departure Would Create Crowded Special Election #NC12
- Congressman, former lobbyist get housing, FCC nods - The Advocate
- Rep. Mel Watt's grandson Nico, 2, steals focus during testimony of Attorney ... - The Sun
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External links
- Congressman Mel Watt official U.S. House site
- Mel Watt for Congress official campaign site
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections "Primary Election Results" Accessed May 9, 2012.
- ↑ Gov Track "Watt" Accessed May 23, 2012
- ↑ Politico "2012 Election Map, North Carolina"
- ↑ Washington Post "Obama taps telecom lobbyist for FCC, Rep. Watt to head housing finance agency" Accessed May 2, 2013
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "WATT, Melvin L., (1945 - )"
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "WATT, Melvin L., (1945 - )"
- ↑ CQ.com, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress"
- ↑ Congressman Mel Watt, Serving North Carolina's 12th District "Committee Assignments"
- ↑ "Black Americans in Congress" Committee Assignments(See Judiciary)
- ↑ "House Judiciary Committee" 111th Congress Membership, Courts Subcommittee
- ↑ "House Judiciary Committee" 111th Congress Membership, Constitution Subcommittee
- ↑ "House Judiciary Committee" 111th Congress Membership, Commercial/Administrative Law Subcommittee
- ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ National Journal "Modern Gerrymanders: 10 Most Contorted Congressional Districts—MAPS" Accessed March 31, 2012
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Washington Post "The 10 states that will determine control of the House in 2012" Accessed April 25, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections "2012 Primary Results" Accessed October 10, 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"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1996"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1994"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1992"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Melvin L. Watt" Accessed May 16, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Melvin Watt 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed March 4, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Melvin L. Watt 2010 Election Data," Accessed January 5, 2012
- ↑ GovTrack, "Melvin Watt" Accessed April 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm, "Melvin L. Watt," Accessed October 1, 2012
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org "Melvin L. Watt (D-NC), 2011," accessed February 21, 2013
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Melvin L. Watt (D-NC), 2010," Accessed October 1, 2012
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," March 7, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
- ↑ Congressman Mel Watt, Serving North Carolina's 12th District "About Mel"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by N/A |
U.S. House of Representatives - North Carolina District 12 1993–Present |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by ' |
North Carolina State Senate 1985-1987 |
Succeeded by ' |
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