John Carter (Texas politician)
John Rice Carter (born November 6, 1941) is the U.S. Representative serving Texas's 31st congressional district since 2003. He is a Republican.[1] The district includes the northern suburbs of Austin, as well as Fort Hood.
John Carter | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 31st district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2003 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Secretary of the House Republican Conference | |
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013 | |
Leader | John Boehner |
Preceded by | John Doolittle |
Succeeded by | Virginia Foxx |
Personal details | |
Born | John Rice Carter November 6, 1941 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Erika Carter (m. 1968) |
Children | 4 |
Residence | Round Rock, TX, U.S. |
Education | Texas Tech University (BA) University of Texas at Austin (JD) |
Website | House website |
Early life, education, and career
Carter was born in Houston, but has spent most of his life in central Texas. He graduated from Texas Tech University[2] with a degree in history in 1964, and earned a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1969.[1][3]
After graduating from law school, Carter served as the first general counsel to the Texas House of Representatives' Agriculture Committee.[4] Carter later began a private law practice in Round Rock.
In 1981, Carter was appointed as judge of the 277th District Court of Williamson County.[1] He was elected to the post a year later, the first Republican elected to a countywide position in the county. He was reelected four times.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
Carter retired from the bench in 2001 in order to run for Congress in the newly created Texas 31st District. After finishing second in the Republican primary, he defeated Peter Wareing in the runoff, which was tantamount to election in what was then reckoned as a heavily Republican district.[5]
For his first term, 2003–2005, Carter represented a district that stretched from the suburbs of Austin to far western Houston, and included College Station, home of Texas A&M University. From the 2003 Texas redistricting until 2013, Carter represented a district stretching from the fringes of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex through more rural portions of Central Texas. Redistricting after the 2010 census, which first affected the 2013–2015 term, reduced the 31st to Bell and Williamson counties. The 31st District now includes Fort Hood, home of the U.S. Army's 3d Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Cavalry Division.
In the November 2016 general election, Carter won his eighth term in Congress. With 166,060 votes (58.4 percent), he defeated Democrat Mike Clark and Libertarian Scott Ballard, who received 103,852 votes (34.5 percent) and 14,676 (5.2 percent), respectively.[6]
In the November 2018 general election, Carter defeated Democrat MJ Hegar, getting 144,680 votes (50.6%) to her 136,362 votes (47.7%), the 3% margin was the smallest victory margin of his nine terms in Congress.[7]
Tenure
Carter is best known as the author of a law that made it easier to prove identity theft and provides stiff penalties for the offense. It was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2004.[8]
110th Congress
In the 110th Congress, Carter sponsored and co-sponsored a number of bills including the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, the Terrorist Death Penalty Act of 2008, and a bill condemning the vandalism of the Vietnam War Memorial on the National Mall.[9]
111th Congress
On June 12, 2009, Carter signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1503, which would require the production of a birth certificate from presidential candidates. The bill was introduced as a result of conspiracy theories which claimed that U.S. President Barack Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen.[10]
On September 15, 2009, in an opinion piece published in The Hill, Carter called the 111th Congress a "house of hypocrisy" after the House of Representatives voted to rebuke South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson for an outburst, but would not go after New York Representative and House Ways and Means Chair Charlie Rangel, who had been the subject of numerous ethical problems involving taxes and property.[11] Carter is also a proponent of the "Rangel Rule," where IRS penalties and interest would be eliminated if one paid back taxes, similar to the treatment Rangel, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and former South Dakota Senator (and one-time Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee) Tom Daschle received after their tax problems were made public.[12]
Carter introduced a "Privileged Resolution" that would have forced the resignation of Rangel from his position as Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee after he declined to resign voluntarily,[13] citing the inaction of the House Democratic Caucus and the ongoing investigations as reasons. The resolution failed along a largely party-line vote, with two Democrats and six Republicans breaking ranks.[14][15][16]
Carter amended his financial disclosure forms in mid-October 2009 to list nearly $300,000 in capital gains from the sale of ExxonMobil stock in 2006 and 2007. Though Carter listed the sale of the assets, he did not list the actual amount of capital gains, on which he did pay taxes.[17]
On November 16, 2009, Carter introduced legislation to give combatant casualty status to the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, similar to those who were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.[18]
115th Congress
On May 16, 2018, Carter was named the new chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Appropriations following the retirement of Charlie Dent. He had previously served as chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations.[19]
Carter signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 4760, the Securing America's Future Act of 2018, which failed to pass the House.[20]
116th Congress
On December 18, 2019, Carter voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles.
Committee assignments
Party leadership and caucus memberships
- House Army Caucus (Co-Chairman)
- House Republican Conference (Secretary)
- United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus[22]
- Republican Steering Committee
- Sportsmen's Caucus
- Tea Party Caucus
- Congressional Cement Caucus
- I-14 Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
Electoral history
Carter was re-elected to his tenth term in Congress on November 3, 2020.
Year | Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | John Carter | Republican | 69.1% | David Bagley | Democratic | 27.4% | ||||||
2004 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 64.8% | Jon Porter | Democratic | 32.5% | ||||||
2006 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 58.5% | Mary Beth Herrell | Democratic | 38.8% | ||||||
2008 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 60.3% | Brian Ruiz | Democratic | 36.6% | ||||||
2010 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 82.5% | Bill Oliver | Libertarian | 17.5% | ||||||
2012 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 61.3% | Stephen Wyman | Democratic | 35% | ||||||
2014 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 64% | Louie Minor | Democratic | 32% | ||||||
2016 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 58.4% | Mike Clark | Democratic | 36.5% | ||||||
2018 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 50.6% | Mary Jennings Hegar | Democratic | 47.7% | ||||||
2020 | John Carter (inc.) | Republican | 53.5% | Donna Imam | Democratic | 44.3% |
Personal life
Carter married his wife, Erika, in 1968. They have four grown children and six grandchildren.[23] Since 1971, the couple has lived in Round Rock, Texas.
References
- "The Arena: - Rep. John Carter Bio". www.politico.com. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
- Hensley, Doug (2015-05-13). "On the Hill, On the Rise". Texas Tech University System. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- "John Carter - Candidate for U.S. President, Republican Nomination - Election 2012". WSJ.com. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
- "John Carter - Candidate for U.S. President, Republican Nomination - Election 2012". WSJ.com. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
- King, Michael (October 18, 2002). "Capitol Chronicle". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- "Texas Election Results: 31st House District". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "Bush signs lawto stiffenID theft penalties". msnbc.com. 2004-07-15. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
- Marcum, Karissa (September 28, 2007). "Lawmakers condemn vandalism at Vietnam memorial". The Hill. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "H.R. 1503". The Library of Congress.
- Carter, John (September 15, 2009). "Speaking of apologies: Hypocrisy clouds Democrats' demand for "You lie" apology". The Hill.
- "GOP Congressman Intros 'Rangel Rule,' Eliminating IRS Late Fees". Fox News. January 28, 2009.
- "New Rangel Financial Violations Demand Removal from Ways and Means Chairmanship". John Carter's House Page.
- Allen, Jonathan (2009-10-07). "Rangel retains Ways and Means gavel". POLITICO. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- Romm, Tony (2009-10-07). "Democrats rebuff Rangel resolution". TheHill. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- Carter, John R. (2009-10-07). "H.Res.805 - 111th Congress (2009-2010): Raising a question of the privileges of the House". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- Singer, Paul (2009-10-21). "Carter Refiling Disclosure Forms to List Exxon Profits". Roll Call. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- "Legislation to Award Fort Hood Casualties Combatant Status Set for Introduction Tuesday". carter.house.gov. 2009-11-16. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- Payne, Matt (May 17, 2018). "Rep. Carter named chairman of Military Construction and Veterans Affairs". Kileen Daily Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- Goodlatte, Bob (2018-06-21). "H.R.4760 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Securing America's Future Act of 2018". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- "Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies". House Committee on Appropriations. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- "U.S. Representative John Carter: About Me". Congressman John Carter. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
External links
- Congressman John Carter official U.S. House website
- John Carter for Congress
- John Carter at Curlie
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Appearances on C-SPAN
U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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New constituency | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 31st congressional district 2003–present |
Incumbent |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by John Doolittle |
Secretary of the House Republican Conference 2007–2013 |
Succeeded by Virginia Foxx |
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
Preceded by Michael C. Burgess |
United States Representatives by seniority 61st |
Succeeded by Tom Cole |