Local ballot measures in Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon and Wisconsin
Read the Tuesday Count!
Ron Barber
| Ron Barber | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, Arizona, District 2 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| June 29, 2012 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 1 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Predecessor | Gabrielle Giffords (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | June 12, 2012 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $2,776,638 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| High school | Rincon High School, 1963 | |
| Bachelor's | University of Arizona, 1967 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | August 25, 1945 | |
| Place of birth | Wakefield, England | |
| Net worth | $839,039 | |
| Religion | Catholic | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Barber's academic, professional and political career:[2]
- 1967: Graduated from University of Arizona, Tucson with B.A.
- 1976-2006: Staff and director, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Developmental Disabilities,
- 2007-2012: Staff, United States Representative Gabrielle Giffords
- 2012-Present: U.S Representative from Arizona
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Barber serves on the following committees:[3]
- Armed Services Committee
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Homeland Security Committee
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency Ranking Member
- United States House Committee on Small Business
2012
Issues
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
Barber 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.[4]
Campaign themes
2012
Barber's campaign website listed the following issues:[5]
- Standing Up For The Middle Class – Jobs And The Economy
- Excerpt: "I have worked my whole life in Southern Arizona. My wife and I ran a small business for 22 years, and now our children are raising their families here as well. That’s why making sure that our economy improves and provides good jobs is my top priority. We can’t have a thriving America without a thriving middle class."
- Fiscal Responsibility
- Excerpt: "Getting our nation’s finances under control is critically important. We can do it—but only if we also focus on growing our economy. That is why I support a balanced approach that includes spending cuts as well as making sure that the rich and corporations pay their fair share."
- Social Security and Medicare
- Excerpt: "I have pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare, and make sure that it is available to future generations. Millions of Americans have paid into Social Security and Medicare expecting that it would be there when they retired. For many Americans, this is their only source of income and health care security in their senior years–and they deserve representatives who will fight to make sure its there for them."
- Border Security
- Excerpt: "Southern Arizonans who live near our border with Mexico deserve the same safety and security as every American. I have spent countless hours along our border meeting with residents, business owners, and law enforcement officials, and I know what we need to get the job done."
- Military and Veterans
- Excerpt: "I was raised in a military family and lived on Davis-Monthan Air Force base, so I understand what our military families sacrifice when they serve. I will be a strong voice in Congress for those who serve currently and have served."
Elections
2014
According to a Washington Post article in December 2012, Barber is one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in 2014.[6]
The National Republican Congressional Committee listed Barber's seat as one of seven early targets in the 2014 congressional elections.[7] The seven targets align perfectly with the seven most Republican districts currently held by Democrats, according to FairVote's partisanship index. Barber's district ranks as the 7th most Republican (46% D).[8]
Barber 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.[9]
2012
Regular election
Barber ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Arizona's 2nd District. He defeated Matt Heinz in the Democratic primary on August 28, 2012. He defeated Martha McSally (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[10][11][12]
| U.S. House, Arizona, District 2 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Ron Barber |
50.4% | 147,338 | |
| Republican | Martha McSally | 49.6% | 144,884 | |
| Libertarian | Anthony Powell | 0% | 57 | |
| Total Votes | 292,279 | |||
| Source: Arizona Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Special election
Barber won the 2012 special election for the U.S. House, representing Arizona's 8th District. The election was held to replace recently resigned Representative Gabrielle Giffords. He was unopposed in the April 17 Democratic primary. He defeated Jesse Kelly (R) and Charlie Manolakis (G) in the general election on June 12, 2012.[13][14]
On June 12, 2012, Ron Barber won election to the United States House. He defeated Jesse Kelly (R) and Charlie Manolakis (G) in the special election.[15]
| U.S. House, Arizona District 8 Special Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Ron Barber |
52.3% | 111,204 | |
| Republican | Jesse Kelly | 45.4% | 96,465 | |
| Green | Charlie Manolakis | 2.3% | 4,869 | |
| Total Votes | 212,538 | |||
Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Barber is available dating back to 2012. Based on available campaign finance records, Barber raised a total of $2,776,638 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 22, 2013.[16]
| Ron Barber's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (Arizona, District 2) |  |
$2,776,638 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $2,776,638 | |||
2012
Barber won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Barber's campaign committee raised a total of $2,776,638 and spent $2,690,570.[17]
| U.S. House, Arizona District 2, 2012 - Ron Barber Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $2,776,638 |
| Total Spent | $2,690,570 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $1,458,135 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $1,438,089 |
| Top contributors to Ron Barber's campaign committee | |
| University of Arizona | $36,550 |
| Service Employees International Union | $30,250 |
| Operating Engineers Union | $30,000 |
| Plumbers/Pipefitters Union | $25,000 |
| American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees | $21,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Retired | $299,323 |
| Leadership PACs | $157,500 |
| Public Sector Unions | $125,750 |
| Building Trade Unions | $92,500 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $87,500 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Barber missed 9 of 367 roll call votes from June 2012 to March 2013. This amounts to 2.5%, which is worse than 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, Barber's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $214,078 and $1,464,000. That averages to $839,039, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2011 of $5,107,874.[19]
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. Barber's vote ratings are not available for 2012.[20]
Personal
Barber and his wife, Nancy, have two children.[21]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Ron + Barber + Arizona + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Ron Barber News Feed
- ObamaCare and Vulnerable Democrats - Wall Street Journal
- Saguaro National Park has plans to expand, and willing sellers may make it ... - Arizona Daily Star
- Political Insider: Brewer says Medicaid battle will end soon - AZCentral.com - Arizona Republic
- IRS scandal adds fuel to Obamacare fire - CNN (blog)
- Gabrielle Giffords Fast Facts - CNN
- GOP draws Red Zone over 7 House Dem seats - Politico
- 5 Staffers to Watch Among House Freshmen - National Journal
- House campaign committees further gear up for 2014 - NBCNews.com (blog)
- House Democrats aim to give 2014 recruits a head start - Washington Post - Washington Post (blog)
- Immigration Plan Backers Thwart Most Republican Changes - Bloomberg
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 appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ Seattle PI "Voters in Arizona's 2nd pick Barber over McSally," November 17, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress "Ron Barber," Accessed September 19, 2012
- ↑ CQ.com - Roll Call, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ Campaign website, Issues
- ↑ Washington Post "House Democrats Face Long Odds in 2014," December 7, 2012
- ↑ The Hill, "NRCC, promising to 'stay on offense,' targets seven Dems," January 16, 2013
- ↑ FairVote "NRCC Targets Foreshadow Power of Partisanship in 2014 Elections," January 18, 2013
- ↑ Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "DCCC Chairman Steve Israel Announces 2013-2014 Frontline Members," March 5, 2013
- ↑ Official primary candidate list
- ↑ Associated Press primary results
- ↑ ABC News "2012 General Election Results"
- ↑ Washington Post "Voters in Arizona's 8th Congressional District pick Kelly as GOP candidate for Giffords' seat," April 18, 2012
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State - Unofficial special election results
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Official Special Election Canvass of Results," Accessed April 22, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Ron Barber," Accessed March 22, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Ron Barber 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 19, 2013
- ↑ GovTrack, "Ron Barber," Accessed April 2, 2013
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Barber, (D-Arizona), 2011"
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart biography
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gabrielle Giffords |
U.S. House - Arizona District 2 2012-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| |||||||||||||
