Vance McAllister
Vance McAllister (b. January 7, 1974, in Oak Grove, Louisiana) was previously a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives and represented Louisiana's 5th Congressional District.[1][2] He was elected in a special election on November 16, 2013.[3]
In the 2013 special election, McAllister had the support of the popular "Duck Dynasty" television series celebrities, Phil and Willie Robertson.[4]
McAllister initially announced on April 28, 2014, that he would retire at the end of his term in 2015 after calls for his resignation after it was found out he kissed one of his staffers.[5][6] The decision came after McAllister was recorded on video kissing a married campaign staffer.[7]
On June 30, 2014, McAllister announced he would instead leave the decision up to the voters and run for re-election in 2014.[8] He lost his bid for re-election by not receiving enough votes to participate in the runoff on December 6, 2014.[9]
McAllister was a 2015 Republican candidate for District 33 of the Louisiana State Senate.
Biography
McAllister was born on January 7, 1974, in Oak Grove, La. He graduated from Forest High School in 1992 and attended the University of Louisiana, Monroe.[10]
Career
He served in the United States Army from 1992 to 1994, and later in the Louisiana National Guard. Prior to entering Congress, McAllister was a business owner.[10]
- 2013 - 2015: Representative for Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
Noteworthy events
Congressional position comments
At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Monroe, Louisiana, on January 23, 2014, McAllister shared some blunt initial impressions of his position in Congress.[11]
“It sucks. It ain’t no fun. But, the day I start enjoying it in Washington, D.C., is the day that I should come home,” McAllister said[11]
Votes for money
A report in June 2014 alleged that McAllister told the Northeast Chapter of Louisiana CPAs an unidentified colleague on the House floor told him he would receive a $1,200 contribution from the Heritage Foundation if he voted against unidentified legislation related to the Bureau of Land Management.[12]
McAllister was quoted as saying he voted no but never received a check.[12] He claims that the quote “was taken completely out of context.”[12]
He said in a statement, “I have never cast a vote with the expectation or anticipation of receiving any money for a vote. I was just trying to illustrate how much money controls Washington, D.C., and the reporter took the comments totally out of context."[12]
Video kissing staffer
McAllister was recorded on video kissing a woman believed to be on his congressional staff just before Christmas 2013.[7]
Surveillance video from inside his district office in Monroe, Louisiana, showed McAllister kissing a woman identified by the newspaper as a congressional staffer for McAllister.[7][13]
McAllister's office issued a statement on April 7, 2014:
"There's no doubt I've fallen short and I'm asking for forgiveness. I'm asking for forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff, and my constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has to be earned whether you're a husband, a father, or a congressman. I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I've disappointed. From day one, I've always tried to be an honest man. I ran for Congress to make a difference and not to just be another politician. I don't want to make a political statement on this, I would just simply like to say that I'm very sorry for what I've done."[14][15]
McAllister's office said it planned to send a letter to House Speaker John Boehner on April 9, 2014, requesting an FBI investigation concerning the leak of the video.[16]
McAllister missed a scheduled campaign appearance on April 14, 2014, and reportedly was instead attending family counseling.[17][18]
GOP reaction
- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said April 8, 2014, that McAllister’s constituents “deserve an apology.”[19]
- “I think that his constituents deserve an apology. I’m glad he issued an apology,” Cantor said.[19]
- On April 29, 2014, Cantor called for McAllister to resign.[20]
- “When we took the majority, I had said that I believe we ought to hold ourselves to a higher standard. And I think what has happened in his instance doesn't meet that standard. So I told (McAllister) that I thought he should resign,” Cantor said.[20]
- Speaker John Boehner said on April 10, 2014, that McAllister has "decisions he has to make. I expect all members to be held to the highest ethical standards.”[21]
- Roger F. Villere, Jr. Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana publicly called on McAllister to resign on April 10, 2014.[22]
- "The Republican Party of Louisiana calls on Vance McAllister to resign his seat in Congress. Mr. McAllister's extreme hypocrisy is an example of why ordinary people are fed up with politics. A breach of trust of this magnitude can only be rectified by an immediate resignation. He has embarrassed our party, our state and the institution of Congress. A video showing him engaged in conduct unbecoming a member of Congress, on public time, in a public office, with one of his employees, was the focus of the national press for days. I call on Mr. McAllister to put the interests of his nation, state and party above his own and step aside. We are praying for Mr. McAllister and the families that are involved. I attempted to resolve this matter privately and directly with Mr. McAllister, but his chief of staff chose to make this information public. Therefore, I have chosen to release this statement today."[22]
- Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal (R) called for McAllister to resign on April 10, 2014.[23][24]
- "Congressman McAllister’s behavior is an embarrassment and he should resign. He says he wants privacy to work on his issues with his family. The best way to get privacy and work on putting his family back together is to resign from Congress."[23]
- National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden would not say on April 13, 2014, whether McAllister should resign.[25]
- "It's bad. It's wrong. He needs to answer and be held accountable. We should be held to a higher standard than what I've seen in that video," Walden said.[25]
Other reactions
- Potential challenger and state Rep. Bob Johnson (D) called on McAllister to resign on April 8, 2014.[26][27]
- "This is another embarrassment to Louisiana. I think he needs to resign, and I don't think he can be effective."[26]
- ULM Political Science Associate Professor Joshua Stockley.[28]
- "How can we trust you? You've already betrayed our trust once. How do we know you're not going to do it again."[28]
Governor Jindal's comments
McAllister issued a statement following Gov. Bobby Jindal's speech in Washington D.C. on February 24, 2014. In the speech Gov. Jindal said that President Obama was "surrendering" to the Democratic agenda and also spoke out against a federal minimum wage increase and Medicaid expansion.[29]
In the statement McAllister said:[29]
"I thought, ‘You know what, I'm not going to skirt the issue. Republican, Democrat, it don't matter. Those working poor have paid that money in. That money's going to Washington. It's their money. For me to say I'm against Medicaid expansion makes me the best congressman California and Massachusetts could ever have, because that's where that money's gonna go. It's about doing what's right. You keep your people healthy, they'll continue to work. They'll do better. The money's there. As a business guy, I don't like Gov. Jindal standing up there and trying to use political points to argue that the state can't afford the small fraction it would eventually have to pay to draw down billions in benefits. It don't take Einstein to figure out that's a pretty darn good return on your investment.'"
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
McAllister served on the following committees:[30][31][32]
- Agriculture Committee
- Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
- Department Operations, Oversight, and Nutrition
- General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Natural Resources Committee
Key votes
113th Congress
The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[33] For more information pertaining to McAllister's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[34]
Economy
Farm bill
On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[35] The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.[36][37] It also cut the food stamp program an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[37] McAllister voted with 161 other Republican representatives in favor of the bill.
2014 Budget
On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[38][39] The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582-page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill.[39] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[40] It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. McAllister voted with the majority of the Republican Party in favor of the bill.[38]
Government affairs
HR 676
On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit.[41] McAllister joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution.[42][43]
Elections
2015
- See also: Louisiana State Senate elections, 2015
Elections for the Louisiana State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on October 24, 2015, with a general election held in districts where necessary on November 21, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was September 10, 2015, at 4:30 p.m. CDT.[44]
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article. Incumbent Mike Walsworth (R) defeated Vance McAllister (R) in the October 24 blanket primary.[45][46]
| Louisiana State Senate, District 33 Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Mike Walsworth Incumbent |
62.3% | 15,891 | |
| Republican | Vance McAllister | 37.7% | 9,626 | |
| Total Votes | 25,517 | |||
2014
On June 30, 2014, McAllister announced he would leave the decision up to the voters and run for re-election in 2014.[47]
"Without a doubt this decision comes after much thought and prayer. This district has been home to me and my family all of my life. I know the needs of this congressional district very well. I also know that this district needs a strong, conservative voice in congress. I plan to continue to stand up for our veterans, bring common sense solutions to our nation's problems and most importantly I will fight to get our fiscal house back in order."[48]
McAllister initially announced on April 28, 2014, that he would retire at the end of his term in 2015.[5][49]
John Fleming, Representative for Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, said McCallister “absolutely” did the right thing by declining to run for re-election.[50]
“When something like this happens, there is huge pressure to tell it all and reveal it all, and you’re hounded until you do. After he announced his decision not to run again, which I respect, you’re not having that level of discussion. I think it’s best for both he and his family,” said Fleming.[50]
In June 2014, McAllister first indicated that he might reconsider another run. “I would imagine [I’ll decide] in the next couple of weeks. I’m leaning 55 to 45 percent for running. There is overwhelming support asking me to reconsider [and] it’s up to the people to decide,” he said.[51]
McAllister lost the general election by failing to acquire enough votes to be placed in a runoff. Candidates need to claim majority of the votes otherwise the two candidates with the most votes proceed to a runoff election on December 6, 2014. McAllister did not finish in the top two.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vance McAllister Incumbent | 11.11% | 26,606 | |
| Republican | Ralph Abraham |
23.16% | 55,489 | |
| Republican | Harris Brown | 4.13% | 9,890 | |
| Republican | Zach Dasher | 22.39% | 53,628 | |
| Republican | Clyde Holloway | 7.46% | 17,877 | |
| Republican | Ed Tarpley Jr. | 1.92% | 4,594 | |
| Democratic | Jamie Mayo |
28.22% | 67,611 | |
| Libertarian | Charles Saucier | 0.92% | 2,201 | |
| Green | Eliot Barron | 0.69% | 1,655 | |
| Total Votes | 239,551 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State | ||||
2013
McAllister won election to the U.S. House representing the 5th Congressional District of Louisiana.[1] The election was held to replace Rodney Alexander, who announced his resignation in order to take a position as the next Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs at the end of September 2013.[52]
He defeated Tom Gibbs, Peter Williams, Eliot Barron, S.B.A. Zaitoon, Henry Herford, Jr., Weldon Russell, Jamie Mayo, Robert Johnson, Marcus Hunter, Phillip Weatherly and Clyde Holloway in the open primary on October 19. He advanced to the general election on November 16, 2013, where he defeated Neil Riser (R).[53][54]
| U.S. House, Louisiana District 5 Runoff General Special Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Vance McAllister |
59.6% | 54,450 | |
| Republican | Neil Riser | 40.4% | 36,840 | |
| Total Votes | 91,290 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State, "11/16/2013 Special Election Results," | ||||
| U.S. House, Louisiana District 5 Special Election Open Primary, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Neil Riser |
32% | 33,045 | |
| Republican | Vance McAllister |
17.8% | 18,386 | |
| Republican | Clyde Holloway | 10.9% | 11,250 | |
| Republican | Phillip "Blake" Weatherly | 0.5% | 517 | |
| Republican | Jay Morris | 6.9% | 7,083 | |
| Democratic | Marcus Hunter | 3% | 3,088 | |
| Democratic | Robert Johnson | 9.6% | 9,971 | |
| Democratic | Jamie Mayo | 14.8% | 15,317 | |
| Democratic | Weldon Russell | 2.5% | 2,554 | |
| Libertarian | Henry Herford, Jr. | 0.9% | 886 | |
| Libertarian | S.B.A. Zaitoon | 0.1% | 129 | |
| Green | Eliot Barron | 0.5% | 492 | |
| Independent | Tom Gibbs | 0.3% | 324 | |
| Independent | Peter Williams | 0.3% | 335 | |
| Total Votes | 103,377 | |||
| Source: Official results via Louisiana Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign finance summary
Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.
Personal Gain Index
- See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
- See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:
PGI: Donation Concentration Metric
Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). McAllister received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Leadership PACs industry.
From 2013-2014, 12.81 percent of McAllister's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[55]
| Vance McAllister Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $983,205 |
| Total Spent | $982,972 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Leadership PACs | $58,800 |
| Crop Production & Basic Processing | $25,700 |
| Health Professionals | $14,850 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $14,250 |
| General Contractors | $12,350 |
| % total in top industry | 5.98% |
| % total in top two industries | 8.59% |
| % total in top five industries | 12.81% |
Analysis
Like-minded colleagues
The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.[56]
|
McAllister most often voted with: |
McAllister least often voted with: |
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, McAllister missed 47 of 510 roll call votes from November 2013 to August 2014. This amounts to 9.2 percent, which is worse than the median of 2.5 percent among current congressional representatives as of August 2014.[57]
Voting with party
The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.
2014
McAllister voted with the Republican Party 0.00 percent of the time, which ranked 231st among the 234 House Republican members as of August 2014.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
McAllister is married and has five children.[58]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Vance+ McAllister+ Louisiana+ Senate"
See also
- Louisiana
- United States congressional delegations from Louisiana
- United States House of Representatives
- Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
- Louisiana's 5th Congressional District special election, 2013
- Louisiana's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014
- Misconduct in the 113th Congress (2013-2014)
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial (federal level):
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Legislation:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KATC, "14 candidates in 5th District congressional race," accessed August 22, 2013
- ↑ Roll Call, "8 Things to Know About Rep.-Elect Vance McAllister," accessed November 19, 2013
- ↑ WAFB, "5th Congressional District Vance McAllister sworn in," accessed November 21, 2013
- ↑ The Republic, "Riser and McAllister headed to November runoff for Louisiana's 5th District congressional seat," accessed October 19, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister won't seek re-election, The News-Star reports ," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "UPDATE: McAllister won't seek re-election, will finish term," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Politico, "Report: Video shows Vance McAllister kissing staffer," accessed April 7, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Rep. Vance McAllister will run for re-election," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "House Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bioguide, "MCALLISTER, Vance M., (1974 - )," accessed November 25, 2013
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Shreveport Times, "U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister: Congressional job 'sucks'," accessed January 24, 2013
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Shreveport Times, "Vance McAllister says comments were taken 'out of context'," accessed June 9, 2014
- ↑ The Ouachita Citizen, "VIDEO: Rep. Vance McAllister in extramarital embrace," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Yahoo News, "Congressman apologizes after compromising video posted," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ NOLA, "Vance McAllister on video showing kiss with staffer: 'I've fallen short and I'm asking for forgiveness'," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "McAllister to ask for FBI probe on leaked video," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ The Town Talk, "Congressman McAllister seeking family counseling," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "McAllister cancels appearance, undergoing counseling," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Hill, "Cantor withholds judgment on McAllister," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 The Advertiser, "McAllister rejects Cantor’s call to resign," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Vance McAllister’s new problem: His own party," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Louisiana GOP, "Statement from Roger F. Villere, Jr. Chairman, Republican Party of Louisiana," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Washington Post, "Jindal: McAllister an ‘embarrassment,’ should resign," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Bobby Jindal calls on Vance McAllister to resign," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Politico, "Walden declines to say whether McAllister should resign," accessed April 14, 2014
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister should resign, says state lawmaker," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Vance McAllister's Potential Challenger Calls On Him To Resign," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Myarklamiss.com, "Reaction to Congressman Vance McAllister's Announcement to Seek Re-Election," June 30, 2014
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 KNOE TV,, "McAllister speaks out after Jindal episode in D.C.," accessed February 25, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister, Louisiana's newest congressman, get his committee assignments," accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ Insurance News Net, "Congressman McAllister Announces Subcommittee Assignments on the House Agriculture Committee," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ U.S. House of Representatives, "Committee assignments," accessed March 31, 2014
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014
- ↑ Clerk of U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 31: H.R. 2642," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "House clears farm bill," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 New York Times, "Senate passes long-stalled farm bill, with clear winners and losers," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 CNN.com, "House passes compromise $1.1 trillion budget for 2014," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 21," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "House passes $1.1 trillion omnibus," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ U.S. House, "House Resolution 676," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "Suing Obama: GOP-led House gives the go-ahead," July 31, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, "House clears way for lawsuit against Obama," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "2015 Elections," accessed January 2, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Candidate Inquiry," accessed October 13, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Official Election Results," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Rep. Vance McAllister will run for re-election," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, "Embattled Rep. Vance McAllister is running for re-election," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ NY Daily News, "Smooching Congressman Vance McAllister won't run for re-election," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 Shreveport Times, "John Fleming: Vance McAllister right not to run for re-election," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Vance McAllister might un-retire," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Nola.com, "Rodney Alexander to join Jindal administration, departure from Congress will trigger special election," accessed August 8, 2013
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "November 16, 2013, Election Results," accessed November 16, 2013
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "U. S. Representative -- 5th Congressional District," accessed October 19, 2013
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Vance McAllister," accessed September 24, 2014
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Vance McAllister," archived February 25, 2016
- ↑ GovTrack, "Vance McAllister," accessed August 4, 2014
- ↑ Washington Times, "Married Rep. Vance McAllister caught kissing staffer: “I’ve fallen short’," accessed April 8, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rodney Alexander (R) |
U.S. House of Representatives - Louisiana, District 5 2013–2015 |
Succeeded by Ralph Abraham (R) |
