Paul Cook
| Paul Cook | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, California, District 8 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| January 3, 2013-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 0 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Predecessor | Nancy Pelosi (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| First elected | November 6, 2012 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $590,514 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| California State Assembly | ||
| 2006-2012 | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | Southern Connecticut State University | |
| Master's | University of California, Riverside; California State University, San Bernardino | |
| Military service | ||
| Service/branch | U.S. Marines | |
| Years of service | 26 years | |
| Personal | ||
| Profession | Instructor | |
| Net worth | $974,508 | |
| Religion | Catholic | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Cook has worked as an instructor at Copper Mountain College and the University of California, Riverside.
He is a member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Red Cross, Saint Mary's Catholic Church, United Way, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and former Executive Director of the Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce.[2]
Cook was ineligible to run for re-election to the California State Assembly in 2012 due to term limits.
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Cook serves on the following committees:[3]
- Armed Services Committee
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Subcommittee on Seapower & Projection Forces
- Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
- Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
- Foreign Affairs Committee
- Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats
- Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade
California General Assembly
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Cook served on these committees:
- Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, California General Assembly
- Emergency Management Committee, California Legislature
- Governmental Organization Committee, California General Assembly
- Master Plan for Higher Education
- Sunset Review Committee, California Legislature
- Veterans Affairs Committee, California General Assembly, Chair
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Cook served on these committees:
- Budget Committee, California General Assembly
- Governmental Organization Committee, California General Assembly
- Higher Education Committee, California General Assembly
- Select Committee on Inland Empire Transportation Issues
- Select Committee on Preservation of California's Entertainment Industry
- Veterans Affairs Committee, California General Assembly (Vice Chair)
Issues
Political Courage test
Cook did not provide answers to the California State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test. The test provides voters with how a candidate would vote on the issues if elected.[4]
Legislative scorecard
Capitol Weekly, California's major weekly periodical covering the state legislature, publishes an annual legislative scorecard to pin down the political or ideological leanings of every member of the legislature based on how they voted on an assortment of bills in the most recent legislative session. The 2009 scores were based on votes on 19 bills, but did not include how legislators voted on the Proposition 1A (2009). On the scorecard, "100" is a perfect liberal score and "0" is a perfect conservative score. [5],[6]
On the 2009 Capitol Weekly legislative scorecard, Cook ranked as a 9.[7]
Sponsored legislation
Cook's sponsored legislation includes:
- AB 307 - Sex offenders: working with minors
- AB 588 - Local government finance
- AB 1476 - School facilities: repayment of penalties
For details and a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.
Campaign themes
2012
Cook's campaign website listed the following issues:[8]
- Jobs & Economic Prosperity
- Excerpt: "Government doesn't create jobs, the private sector does. Too often, government gets in the way of job creation. We can get this economy moving again by simplifying the tax code; lowering taxes; encouraging investment; getting wasteful spending under control; developing energy resources in America; and reducing government red tape and bureaucracy."
- Tax Reform
- Excerpt: "We need fundamental tax reform immediately. Our current system is too complicated and is a drain on the US economy. I support replacing our current code with one that is simple, fair, and reduced. I will oppose any increases in taxes, and I will oppose any new taxes. "
- The Budget & Debt
- Excerpt: "The national debt of the US is out of control, having risen to over $15 trillion dollars. This fiscal crisis now threatens even our national security. We must act today to ensure our nation's strength and economic vitality today and for the future. "
- National Defense
- Excerpt: "America's Armed Forces must be ready to face threats to freedom and democracy, both today and tomorrow. Congress should give them the tools necessary to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions, face down extremists and fanatics worldwide, and stand strong with Israel."
- Life
- Excerpt: "I have always been pro-life, and I always will be. I am against abortion. I am also in support of requiring parental notification before an underage abortion. A child contemplating an abortion needs the moral advice of a parent, not only for the sake of the unborn but for her sake as well."
Elections
2012
Cook was ineligible to run for re-election to the California State Assembly due to term limits. He instead ran for election to California's 8th congressional district, and won.[1] He and Gregg Imus (R) advanced past the June 5, 2012, blanket primary, defeating John Pinkerton (D), Dennis Albertsen (R), Jackie Conaway (D), George Craig (R), Bill Jensen (R), Phil Liberatore (R), Ryan McEachron (R), Brad Mitzelfelt (R), Joseph Napolitano (R), Angela Valles (R), and Anthony Adams (Ind). They faced off in the November 6, 2012, general election.[9][10]
| U.S. House, California, District 8 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Paul Cook |
57.4% | 103,093 | |
| Republican | Greg Imus | 42.6% | 76,551 | |
| Total Votes | 179,644 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
Cook won re-election to the 65th District Seat in 2010. He had no opposition in the June 8 primary. He advanced past the June 5, 2012, blanket primary, defeating Democrat Carl Wood in the November 2 general election.[11]
| California State Assembly, District 65 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Paul Cook (R)
|
78,475 | |||
| Carl Wood (D) | 57,212 | |||
2008
In 2008 Cook was re-elected to the California State Assembly District 65. Cook (R) finished with 93,566 votes while his opponent Carl Wood (D) finished with 82,305 votes.[12]
| California State Assembly District 65 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Paul Cook (R)
|
93,566 | |||
| Carl Wood (D) | 82,305 | |||
Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Cook is available dating back to 2012. Based on available campaign finance records, Cook raised a total of $590,514 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 22, 2013.[13]
| Paul Cook's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (California, District 8) |  |
$590,514 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $590,514 | |||
2012
Cook won election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Cook's campaign committee raised a total of $590,514 and spent $564,481.[14]
| U.S. House, California District 8, 2012 - Paul Cook Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $590,514 |
| Total Spent | $564,481 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $118,844 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $110,128 |
| Top contributors to Paul Cook's campaign committee | |
| Pehl, Foutz et al | $20,000 |
| Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers | $10,250 |
| American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees | $10,000 |
| Credit Union National Assn | $10,000 |
| Edison International | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Casinos/Gambling | $43,816 |
| Health Professionals | $27,900 |
| Public Sector Unions | $27,500 |
| Leadership PACs | $27,500 |
| Real Estate | $26,617 |
2010
In 2010, Cook raised $596,328 in contributions. [15]
His four largest contributors were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Republican Party Of Riverside County | $10,000 |
| Sterling BMW | $7,800 |
| Riverside Sheriffs Association | $7,800 |
| Chevron Corp | $7,800 |
2008
Major donors to Cook's campaign in 2008 were:[16]
| Contributor | 2008 total |
|---|---|
| CA Correctional Peace Officers Assoc | $7,200 |
| CA Assoc of Health Underwriters | $7,200 |
| Wayne Minor Motor Sports | $7,200 |
| San Manuel Band of Mission Indians | $7,200 |
| Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians | $7,200 |
2006
In 2006, Cook ran a hard-fought primary battle against Jim Ayers. Ayres spent $591,675 in his unsuccessful primary campaign that is the soursce of some of the allegations. In 2009, federal prosecutors indicted Ayers and others for what they say were financial irregularities related to campaign contributions in this primary election.[17]
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Cook missed 2 of 89 roll call votes from January 2013 to March 2013. This amounts to 2.2%, which is equal to the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[18]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Cook's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $574,017 and $1,375,000. That averages to $974,508, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232.[19]
Personal
Cook has a wife, Jeanne.
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term Paul + Cook + California + Legislature
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Paul Cook News Feed
- Two Weeks, Three States: Minnesota Becomes the 12th State to Legalize ... - Truth-Out
- Senate approves historic gay marriage vote, Dayton to sign bill Tuesday - West Central Tribune
- Who's leading ? and who's lagging ? in the global renewables race? - RenewEconomy
- Minnesota senators 'vote for love' - Alexandria Echo Press
- 2 Weeks, 3 States: Minnesota Becomes the 12th State to Legalize Marriage ... - Care2.com
- John Brennan, Portland 'Airport Stripper,' Plans To Fight $1000 Fine From TSA - Huffington Post
- A name for every place: Around Pacific County, from A to Z - Chinook Observer
- Bald: Where's John Paul Jones when you need him? - VTDigger - vtdigger.org
- Rep. Paul Cook Offers Alternative Plan to Twentynine Palms Base Expansion - Highland Community News (subscription)
- Minnesota Legislature approves gay marriage; governor says he'll sign ... - KTVL
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Legislation:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CNN "California Districts Race - 2012 Election Center"
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Cook
- ↑ CQ.com - Roll Call, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Cook Issue Positions
- ↑ Capitol Weekly, "Capitol Weekly's Legislative Scorecard", December 17, 2009
- ↑ Fox and Hounds Daily, "Random Thoughts on the Political Scene", December 18, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Weekly", Downloadable 2009 Capitol Weekly State Legislative Scorecard
- ↑ Campaign website, Issues
- ↑ California Secretary of State, Official candidate list
- ↑ Unofficial election results
- ↑ Sacramento Bee, California Assembly General election results
- ↑ California State Assembly election results
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Paul Cook," Accessed March 22, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Paul Cook 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 20, 2013
- ↑ 2010 contributions
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2008 Campaign contributions
- ↑ Follow the Money, Contributions to Jim Ayres 2006
- ↑ GovTrack, "Paul Cook," Accessed April 2, 2013
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Cook, (R-Cali), 2011"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nancy Pelosi |
U.S. House, California, District 8 January 3, 2013-Present |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by - |
California State Assembly District 65 2006–2012 |
Succeeded by Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
- Former member, California State Assembly
- 113th Congress
- Current member, U.S. House
- U.S. House, California
- Republican Party
- 2010 candidate
- 2010 incumbent
- 2010 winner
- House of Representatives candidate, 2010
- California
- Representative termed out, 2012
- State House incumbent retired, 2012
- 2012 challenger
- U.S. House candidate, 2012
- 2012 primary (winner)
- 2012 general election (winner)
- 2012 open seat
- State House running for U.S. House, 2012
