Chris Chocola
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| Chris Chocola | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Club for Growth |
| Role: | Former president |
| Location: | Naples, Fla. |
| Education: | •Hillsdale College •Thomas Cooley Law School |
Chris Chocola is a former Republican member of the U.S. House from Indiana and the former president and CEO of the Club for Growth, a free-market advocacy group.[1] Chocola left the leadership position at Club for Growth in 2014 and remains on the group's board of directors.[2]
Career
Originally from Michigan, Chris Chocola graduated from Hillsdale College in 1984 and later earned his law degree from Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich., in 1988.[3] After graduating from law school, Chocola worked for CTB International, a company that "makes equipment for the poultry, hog, egg production and grain industries."[4] CTB was founded by Chocola's grandfather. Chocola began working there in 1991 and converted the business into a publicly traded company. When CTB was sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 2002, Chocola was the copmany's chairman.[5]
As president of the Club for Growth, according to The New York Times, Chocola had "tremendous power, rating members of Congress on their fiscally conservative purism."[6] During his time at the organization—from 2008 to 2014—the Club for Growth spent money in elections advocating for candidates who were "supportive of their free-market agenda." These included Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in 2010 as well as Chris McDaniel (R-Miss.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) in 2014.[7]
In 2014, Chocola stepped down as president of the Club for Growth. The Wall Street Journal reported that Chocola left because "the distance between Washington and his new home in northern Michigan is too great for regular travel."[8]
For the 2016 presidential election, Chocola endorsed Marco Rubio (R). In a statement announcing his support, Chocola cited Rubio's fiscal policy, saying, "I am proud to support Marco Rubio, a strong fiscal conservative and living testament to the American Dream."[9]
Top influencers by state
Influencers in American politics are power players who help get candidates elected, put through policy proposals, cause ideological changes, and affect popular perceptions. They can take on many forms: politicians, lobbyists, advisors, donors, corporations, industry groups, labor unions, single-issue organizations, nonprofits, to name a few.
In 2016, Ballotpedia identified Chris Chocola as a top influencer by state. We identified top influencers across the country through several means, including the following:
- Local knowledge of our professional staff
- Surveys of activists, thought leaders and journalists from across the country and political spectrum
- Outreach to political journalists in each state who helped refine our lists
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Chris Chocola'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Major Leadership Change At The Tea Party Group Club For Growth," December 11, 2014
- ↑ Club for Growth, "Board of Directors," accessed February 16, 2016
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Chocola, Chris," accessed February 16, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "CTB Shareholders Approve Berkshire Deal," November 1, 2002
- ↑ Bloomberg, "J. Christopher Chocola," accessed February 16, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "A Conservative Leader Was Less So in Congress," March 1, 2012
- ↑ Politico, "Club for Growth plots role as 2016 kingmaker," March 1, 2015
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Conservative Club for Growth Names New Chief After 2014 Setbacks," December 11, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Rubio picks up support of former Club for Growth president Chris Chocola," January 5, 2016
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