Scott DesJarlais
| Scott DesJarlais | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, Tennessee, District 4 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2011-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 2 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Predecessor | Lincoln Davis (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | November 2, 2010 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $2,199,170 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of South Dakota, 1987 | |
| M.D. | University of South Dakota, 1991 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | February 21, 1964 | |
| Place of birth | Des Moines, IA | |
| Net worth | $548,005 | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Scott DesJarlais (b. February 21, 1964) is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Tennessee, representing the 4th district. DesJarlais was first elected in 2010. He was re-elected in 2012.
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, DesJarlais is a "rank-and-file Republican".[1]
Career
- 1987: Graduated from University of South Dakota
- 1991: Graduated from University of South Dakota, Vermillion, S. Dak.
- 2011-Present: U.S Representative from Tennessee
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
DesJarlais serves on the following committees:[2]
- Committee on Agriculture
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
- Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
- United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs
- Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements
2011-2012
- Agriculture
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
- Education and the Workforce
- Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
- Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending
- Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives
Issues
Campaign themes
According to DesJarlais' website, his campaign themes included:
- Jobs: "Entrepreneurs and hard-working Americans should be rewarded and not punished for their achievements."
- Healthcare: "Americans experience the best healthcare at affordable prices when big insurance and big government aren’t meddlesome middlemen interfering in the doctor patient relationship."
- Social Security: "We must phase in incremental solutions to give younger generations an opportunity to participate in these programs and to secure their futures, while keeping the promises made to our current seniors 55 and older."[3]
Political positions
Campaign mailings
According to the House Statement of Disbursements, between October and December of 2011, DesJarlais spent $224,346.33 on official mailings to constituents - making him number one in the House. In defending the spending, DesJarlais said, "We decided early on that one of our top priorities would be constituent outreach. This strategy has allowed me to incorporate the opinions and beliefs of 4th District residents into the important issues being debated in Congress."[4]
Presidential preference
2012
Scott DesJarlais endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. [5]
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
DesJarlais voted against 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 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[6]
Elections
2012
DesJarlais was re-elected.[7] DesJarlais was running in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Tennessee's 4th District. DesJarlais defeated Shannon Kelley in the August 2 Republican primary. He faced Eric Stewart (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[8]
An October 2012 article in The Daily named DesJarlais one of the 20 worst candidates in 2012.[9]
| U.S. House, Tennessee, District 4 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Eric Stewart | 44.2% | 102,022 | |
| Republican |  Scott DesJarlais Incumbent |
55.8% | 128,568 | |
| Total Votes | 230,590 | |||
| Source: Tennessee Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
| U.S. House, Tennessee's 4th Congressional District Republican Primary, 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|
Scott DesJarlais Incumbent |
76.8% | 36,088 |
| Shannon Kelley | 23.2% | 10,927 |
| Total Votes | 47,015 | |
2010
On November 2, 2010, DesJarlais won election to the United States House of Representatives. He defeated Lincoln Davis and Paul H. Curtis in the general election.[10]
| U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Congressional District 4 Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Scott DesJarlais |
58.6% | 103,969 | |
| Democrat | Lincoln Davis Incumbent | 39.6% | 70,254 | |
| Independent | Paul H. Curtis | 1.8% | 3,178 | |
| Total Votes | 177,401 | |||
Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for DeJarlais is available dating back to 2010. Based on available campaign finance records, DeJarlais raised a total of $2,199,170 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 2, 2013.[11]
| Scott DesJarlais's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (Tennessee, District 4) |  |
$1,260,459 | |
| 2010 | US House (Tennessee, District 4) | |
$938,711 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $2,199,170 | |||
2012
| U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee, 4th District, 2012 - Scott DesJarlais Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $1,260,459 |
| Total Spent | $1,266,554 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $710,407 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $700,575 |
| Top contributors to Scott DesJarlais's campaign committee | |
| Chattanooga Orthopaedic Group | $16,999 |
| Sequatchie Concrete | $13,250 |
| Nhc Healthcare | $12,000 |
| American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons | $10,000 |
| American Bankers Assn | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Leadership PACs | $137,000 |
| Health Professionals | $128,783 |
| Retired | $57,460 |
| Real Estate | $41,800 |
| Crop Production & Basic Processing | $36,250 |
2010
DesJarlais won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. During that re-election cycle, DesJarlais's campaign committee raised a total of $938,711 and spent $923,280.[13]
His top 5 contributors between 2009-2010 were:
| U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Congressional District 4 Election, 2010 - Scott DesJarlais Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $938,711 |
| Total Spent | $923,280 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $1,488,038 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $1,411,746 |
| Top contributors to Scott DesJarlais's campaign committee | |
| Lhoist North America | $20,800 |
| American Development Corp | $14,400 |
| Sequatchie Concrete | $13,500 |
| American College of Radiology | $10,000 |
| GOP Generation Y Fund | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Health Professionals | $127,550 |
| Leadership PACs | $101,400 |
| Retired | $90,233 |
| Building Materials & Equipment | $42,950 |
| Retail Sales | $25,040 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, DesJarlais missed 9 of 1,698 roll call votes from January 2011 to April 2013. This amounts to .5%, which is better than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[14]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Desjarlais paid his congressional staff a total of $573,613 in 2011. Overall, Tennessee ranks 39th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[15]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, DesJarlais's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $171,013 and $924,997. That averages to $548,005, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232. His average net worth increased by 9.27% from 2010.[16]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Desjarlais' net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $153,009 to $849,996. That averages to $501,502.50 which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2010 of $7,561,133.[17]
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. DesJarlais was 1 of 3 members who ranked 59th in the conservative rankings in 2012.[18]
2011
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. DesJarlais ranked 131st in the conservative rankings.[19]
Percentage voting with party
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Scott DesJarlais voted with the Republican Party 95.1% of the time, which ranked 45 among the 242 House Republican members in December 2011.[20]
Personal
Scott DesJarlais is married to Amy. They have 3 children.
DesJarlais had a previous marriage end in divorce in 2001. On October 10, 2012, the Huffinton Post obtained the transcript of a September 2000 phone call in which DeJarlais pressured his mistress into obtaining an abortion. According to the transcript, DesJarlais, who is a pro-life doctor, was trying to save his marriage. When confronted with the transcript, DeJarlais did not deny its contents, but instead characterized the story as a "desperate personal attack."[21] In the phone transcript, DeJarlais says, "You told me you'd have an abortion, and now we're getting too far along without one...If we need to go to Atlanta, or whatever, to get this solved and get it over with so we can get on with our lives, then let's do it." DeJarlais blames the woman for becoming pregnant, saying, "You lied to me about something that caused us to be in this situation, and that's not my fault, that's yours." The woman responded "Well, it's your fault for sleeping with your patient."[21]
On October 11, 2012, the day after the transcript became public, DeJarlais said, "I don't mind telling people that there was no pregnancy, and no abortion...But I also don't mind telling people that this was a protracted two-year divorce back in 1999 and 2000. There was some difficult times, for sure."[22]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Scott + DesJarlais + Tennessee + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Scott DesJarlais News Feed
- Fundraising ceaseless for TN officials in D.C. - The Tennessean
- Tennessee GOP leaders McCormick, Casada back Rep. Joe Carr for Congress - Chattanooga Times Free Press
- State Rep. Joe Carr to seek DesJarlais' US House seat - The Tennessean
- DesJarlais: Holder resignation needed - Columbia Daily Herald
- Bowling named to transportation committee - Tullahoma News and Guardian
- DesJarlais to participate in hearing on Benghazi today - Nooga.com
- TN lawmakers join clamor for inquiries on Obama administration actions - The Tennessean
- Tennessee lawmakers build up war chests - The Tennessean
- Reps. Chuck Fleischmann, Scott DesJarlais mulling over Marketplace Fairness Act - Nooga.com
- IRS Targeting Of Non-Profit Groups For Extra Scrutiny Shifted: Report - Huffington Post
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External links
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ Gov Track "DesJarlais" Accessed May 25, 2012
- ↑ CQ.com, House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress
- ↑ Scott DesJarlais for Congress, "Issues," Accessed September 11, 2012
- ↑ Chattanooga Times Free Press "Congressman Scott DesJarlais spends $224,000 on mailings" Accessed March 16, 2012
- ↑ The Hill, "2012 GOP Lawmaker Endorsements for President," accessed March 21, 2012
- ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ Politico "2012 Election Map, Tennessee"
- ↑ Associated Press primary results
- ↑ The Daily, "The worst candidates of 2012," October 29, 2012
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Scott DesJarlais," Accessed April 2, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "DesJarlais Campaign Contributions," Accessed March 1, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Scott DesJarlais 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed November 16, 2011
- ↑ GovTrack, "DesJarlais," Accessed April 10, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm, "Scott Eugene Desjarlais," Accessed September 18, 2012
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "DesJarlais (R-Tenn), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Scott Eugene Desjarlais (R-Tenn), 2010," Accessed September 18, 2012
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 28, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Huffington Post, "Scott DesJarlais, Pro-Life Republican Congressman And Doctor, Pressured Mistress Patient To Get Abortion," October 10, 2012
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Scott DesJarlais: Mistress Was Not Pregnant, No Abortion," October 11, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lincoln Davis |
U.S. House of Representatives - Tennessee District 4 2011–present |
Succeeded by - |
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