Jim McCrery
Encyclopedia
James Otis "Jim" McCrery, III (born September 18, 1949), is an American
lawyer
who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives
from 1988 to 2009; he represented the 4th District of Louisiana
, based in the northwestern quadrant of the state.
McCrery was a ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee. He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the National Republican Congressional Committee
and the Republican Main Street Partnership
(a group of moderate Republicans). Had the Republicans maintained control of the U.S. House in 2007, he would have been in line to chair the Ways and Means Committee. Instead, the slot went to the veteran Democrat
Charles Rangel of Harlem in New York City
.
On December 7, 2007 McCrery announced his decision not to seek reelection in 2008. Closed primaries were held by both parties in the fall to begin the process of choosing a successor to McCrery
. In a general election scheduled for December 6, Republican physician
John C. Fleming
of Minden
, the seat of Webster Parish, narrowly defeated the outgoing Caddo Parish District Attorney
Paul J. Carmouche, a Democrat from Shreveport
. McCrery's choice as his successor, Jeff Thompson, was eliminated in the Republican primary. After Fleming won the Republican nomination, McCrery endorsed him in an appearance on Moon Griffon
's syndicated radio
program.
McCrery was born in Shreveport and reared in Leesville
, the seat of Vernon Parish. He graduated from Leesville High School
in 1967. In 1971, McCrery earned a bachelor of arts
degree in both English
and history
from Louisiana Tech University
in Ruston
in Lincoln Parish. Thereafter, he obtained a law
degree from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge in 1975. McCrery joined the law firm of Jackson, Smith & Ford in Leesville, where he worked from 1975 to 1978. He then served in Shreveport as an assistant city attorney from 1979-1980.
From 1981 to 1984, McCrery was a district manager and later legislative director for then Democratic U.S. Representative Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer, III
, of Bossier City
. He returned to Louisiana in 1984 to work for Georgia Pacific Corporation, a paper company. He remained there until his election to Congress four years later.
McCrery emerged from the special election in a runoff with Democratic State Senator Foster L. Campbell, Jr.
, of Elm Grove in Bossier Parish. A third contender, Shreveport journalist and then public relations representative Stanley R. Tiner
, a Democrat, was eliminated in the first round of voting. McCrery became only the sixth Republican to represent Louisiana in the House since the end of Reconstruction. In his bid for a full term in 1988, he handily defeated Adeline McDade Roemer (born 1923), the Democratic mother of his former benefactor Buddy Roemer.
In 1992, Louisiana lost a district as a result of sluggish population growth during the 1980s. Also, the state was ordered to draw a second black-majority district by the Justice Department
. The legislature responded by shifting most of Shreveport and Bossier City's black voters into a new 4th District. Most of McCrery's former territory was merged with the 5th District, represented by 16-year incumbent Democrat Jerry Huckaby
. On paper, McCrery was in serious danger, since Huckaby retained nearly all of his former territory. However, the old 4th was considerably more urbanized than the old 5th due to the presence of Shreveport, and 60 percent of the new 5th's voters had been represented by McCrery. Also, the new 5th was only 5 percent African American
(compared with a 30 percent black population in the old 5th). McCrery was thus such a heavy favorite that national Democratic leaders wrote off the seat as a loss and urged Huckaby to retire. Huckaby chose to stay in the race and was heavily defeated, carrying only one parish in the district. McCrery thus became the first Louisiana Republican to unseat a Democratic incumbent at the federal level.
McCrery was reelected seven more times with no substantive opposition, and was completely unopposed in 1996, 1998 and 2004. His district was renumbered as the 4th again in 1997, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the majority-black, Shreveport-to-Baton Rouge 4th was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
In the mid-term election of 2006
, McCrery defeated Democratic challengers Patti Cox and Artis Cash and Republican Chester T. "Catfish" Kelley, a Shreveport businessman who advertises his catfish
restaurant on the Rush Limbaugh
radio
program and who has been interviewed on the statewide Moon Griffon radio talk show.
From 2007–2009, McCrery was the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.
McCrery sponsored or cosponsored six public bills in the 109th Congress that have been signed into law by the president, all of which involved disaster mitigation and assistance in response to 2005 hurricanes Katrina
, Rita
, and Wilma
.
He is the firm's lead Republican. Among his clients is General Electric
.
.
McCrery was one of a number of political figures profiled in the 2009 documentary Outrage, a film which claimed to out
closeted gay public officials who had supported anti-gay legislation. The film's discussion of McCrery's purported homosexuality was based largely on a September 1992 article in The Advocate
, entitled "The Outing of a Family-Values Congressman," which upon publication had received little attention and no corroboration from the mainstream press. In response to the film, McCreary said he had heard about but not seen it, adding that "This is not the first time I've had to deal with this sort of thing. It's best for me -- and I would tell anyone else mentioned in the film -- not to comment on it." In the past, both the congressman and his wife Johnette have strongly denied the allegations.
by referring to her as the Vice Premier of the "Republic of China
" in a letter. The Republic of China is a name for the self-ruling government on the island of Taiwan
, which the PRC
considers a rogue province.
for president.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1988 to 2009; he represented the 4th District of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, based in the northwestern quadrant of the state.
McCrery was a ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee. He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
and the Republican Main Street Partnership
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards a moderate fiscal conservatism and limited government to a degree. The group is the rough equivalent of...
(a group of moderate Republicans). Had the Republicans maintained control of the U.S. House in 2007, he would have been in line to chair the Ways and Means Committee. Instead, the slot went to the veteran Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Charles Rangel of Harlem in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
On December 7, 2007 McCrery announced his decision not to seek reelection in 2008. Closed primaries were held by both parties in the fall to begin the process of choosing a successor to McCrery
United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana, 2008
The 2008 congressional elections in Louisiana to determine representation for the state of Louisiana in the United States House of Representatives occurred November 4, 2008. Louisiana has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census...
. In a general election scheduled for December 6, Republican physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
John C. Fleming
John C. Fleming
John Calvin Fleming, Jr. is a Minden, Louisiana physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district...
of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Webster Parish, narrowly defeated the outgoing Caddo Parish District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Paul J. Carmouche, a Democrat from Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. McCrery's choice as his successor, Jeff Thompson, was eliminated in the Republican primary. After Fleming won the Republican nomination, McCrery endorsed him in an appearance on Moon Griffon
Moon Griffon
Blane M. Griffon, known as Moon Griffon is a conservative radio talk show host who broadcasts statewide through station KMLB FM in Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana. He has sometimes been called the "Rush Limbaugh of Louisiana" though his program reflects his distinct...
's syndicated radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
program.
Before Congress
Leesville, Louisiana
Leesville is a city in and the parish seat of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,753 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to the Fort Polk U.S. Army installation...
, the seat of Vernon Parish. He graduated from Leesville High School
Leesville High School
Leesville High School is a school located in Leesville, Louisiana, United States. The 9-12 school is a part of the Vernon Parish School Board....
in 1967. In 1971, McCrery earned a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in both English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
in Lincoln Parish. Thereafter, he obtained a law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
degree from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge in 1975. McCrery joined the law firm of Jackson, Smith & Ford in Leesville, where he worked from 1975 to 1978. He then served in Shreveport as an assistant city attorney from 1979-1980.
From 1981 to 1984, McCrery was a district manager and later legislative director for then Democratic U.S. Representative Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer, III
Buddy Roemer
Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III is an American politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, from 1988 to 1992. He was elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party on March 11, 1991...
, of Bossier City
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
. He returned to Louisiana in 1984 to work for Georgia Pacific Corporation, a paper company. He remained there until his election to Congress four years later.
Congressional career
After Roemer resigned from Congress to become governor, McCrery ran for his former boss' seat as a Republican.McCrery emerged from the special election in a runoff with Democratic State Senator Foster L. Campbell, Jr.
Foster Campbell
Foster L. Campbell, Jr. , is a Democratic member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, a former 26-year member of the Louisiana State Senate, and an unsuccessful candidate for governor in the October 20, 2007, jungle primary. Campbell polled 161,425 votes and won two parishes: Red River and...
, of Elm Grove in Bossier Parish. A third contender, Shreveport journalist and then public relations representative Stanley R. Tiner
Stanley R. Tiner
Stanley Ray Tiner has since May 2000 been the executive editor and vice president of The Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi-Gulfport, Mississippi. He previously served briefly as the executive editor of The Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and as editor of the Press-Register in Mobile, Alabama...
, a Democrat, was eliminated in the first round of voting. McCrery became only the sixth Republican to represent Louisiana in the House since the end of Reconstruction. In his bid for a full term in 1988, he handily defeated Adeline McDade Roemer (born 1923), the Democratic mother of his former benefactor Buddy Roemer.
In 1992, Louisiana lost a district as a result of sluggish population growth during the 1980s. Also, the state was ordered to draw a second black-majority district by the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. The legislature responded by shifting most of Shreveport and Bossier City's black voters into a new 4th District. Most of McCrery's former territory was merged with the 5th District, represented by 16-year incumbent Democrat Jerry Huckaby
Jerry Huckaby
Thomas Jerald Huckaby, usually known as Jerry Huckaby , is a retired businessman who served as a Democratic U.S. representative from the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana between 1977 and 1993...
. On paper, McCrery was in serious danger, since Huckaby retained nearly all of his former territory. However, the old 4th was considerably more urbanized than the old 5th due to the presence of Shreveport, and 60 percent of the new 5th's voters had been represented by McCrery. Also, the new 5th was only 5 percent African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
(compared with a 30 percent black population in the old 5th). McCrery was thus such a heavy favorite that national Democratic leaders wrote off the seat as a loss and urged Huckaby to retire. Huckaby chose to stay in the race and was heavily defeated, carrying only one parish in the district. McCrery thus became the first Louisiana Republican to unseat a Democratic incumbent at the federal level.
McCrery was reelected seven more times with no substantive opposition, and was completely unopposed in 1996, 1998 and 2004. His district was renumbered as the 4th again in 1997, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the majority-black, Shreveport-to-Baton Rouge 4th was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
In the mid-term election of 2006
Louisiana House elections, 2006
The first round of the Louisiana House election of 2006 were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. The terms of all seven Representatives to the United States House of Representatives will expire on January 3, 2007, and will be put up for contest. The winning candidates will serve a two-year term from...
, McCrery defeated Democratic challengers Patti Cox and Artis Cash and Republican Chester T. "Catfish" Kelley, a Shreveport businessman who advertises his catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
restaurant on the Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
program and who has been interviewed on the statewide Moon Griffon radio talk show.
From 2007–2009, McCrery was the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Subcommittees and laws
Congressman McCrery sat on the following House Ways and Means subcommittees:- Health
- Human Resources
- Social Security (chairman)
McCrery sponsored or cosponsored six public bills in the 109th Congress that have been signed into law by the president, all of which involved disaster mitigation and assistance in response to 2005 hurricanes Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
, and Wilma
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season...
.
Post Congress
In January 2009, Rep. McCrery joined a top Washington, DC lobbying firm, Capitol Counsel.He is the firm's lead Republican. Among his clients is General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.
Family and personal life
On August 3, 1991, McCrery married the former Johnette Hawkins (born 1966), a former television newswoman. They have two children, Otis and Claiborne. McCrery is a MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
.
McCrery was one of a number of political figures profiled in the 2009 documentary Outrage, a film which claimed to out
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
closeted gay public officials who had supported anti-gay legislation. The film's discussion of McCrery's purported homosexuality was based largely on a September 1992 article in The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
, entitled "The Outing of a Family-Values Congressman," which upon publication had received little attention and no corroboration from the mainstream press. In response to the film, McCreary said he had heard about but not seen it, adding that "This is not the first time I've had to deal with this sort of thing. It's best for me -- and I would tell anyone else mentioned in the film -- not to comment on it." In the past, both the congressman and his wife Johnette have strongly denied the allegations.
Chinese Vice Premier gaffe
Also, during the China-U.S trade talks of March 2007, McCrery and New York Democrat Charles Rangel committed a gaffe when they accidentally insulted the Chinese Vice Premier, Wu YiWu Yi
Wu Yi was one of four Vice Premiers of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, overseeing the country's economy until March 2008. Known as the "iron lady", Wu is one of the toughest negotiators in China's government.-Biography:...
by referring to her as the Vice Premier of the "Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
" in a letter. The Republic of China is a name for the self-ruling government on the island of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, which the PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
considers a rogue province.
2008 Presidential support
In 2007, in the early stages of the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination for 2008, McCrery announced his endorsement of unsuccessful candidate Mitt RomneyMitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
for president.
External links
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
CongresspediaCongresspediaCongresspedia was a wiki that ran from April 2006 to March 2009, designed to hold information on the workings of the U.S. Congress. It was fully contained within SourceWatch, a larger wiki meant to document the people, organizations and issues shaping the public agenda. The Congresspedia portion of... - Election Central Guide to 2008