John C. Fleming
Encyclopedia
John Calvin Fleming, Jr. (born July 5, 1951) is a Minden, Louisiana
physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican
U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district
. Fleming defeated Democratic nominee Paul Carmouche
in the 2008 election by a margin of only 356 votes.
He is a second cousin five times removed to Henry Clay
of Kentucky
, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. senator, and secretary of state
. Fleming is a member of Sons of the American Revolution
and Jamestowne Society.
Fleming is the first U.S. representative from Minden since 1937, when John N. Sandlin
vacated the seat, having lost a contested primary
for the United States Senate to Allen J. Ellender
of Houma
, the seat of Terrebonne Parish
in south Louisiana. Fleming is only the second Republican to hold the seat since Reconstruction. Republicans first seriously contested the seat in a special election in 1961, when their nominee, Shreveport oilman Charlton Lyons
, polled 46 percent of the vote against the successful Democrat, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., of Plain Dealing
in northern Bossier Parish.
, the seat of Lauderdale County
in eastern Mississippi
. He grew up in a working class home in which his mother became disabled when he was still young and could not work. Just prior to graduating from high school, Fleming's father suddenly died of a heart attack which required him to work his way through college. He attended college at the University of Mississippi
in Oxford
and medical school in Jackson
. He entered the United States Navy
to help fund his medical education. He was awarded his B.S. degree in 1973 and M.D.
degree in 1976.
Fleming and his wife, Cindy, have been married since 1978 and have four children.
at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Camp Pendleton, California
. He also trained at the drug and alcohol treatment unit at the Navy Regional Medical Center in Long Beach
. Serving in the Navy after his residency, Fleming practiced military family medicine on the island
of Guam
. There from 1979 to 1981, he was the director of drug and alcohol treatment and chairman of the Navy’s Family Advocacy Committee. Thereafter, he performed similar duties in Charleston
, South Carolina
.
After leaving the Navy, Fleming established a private practice in 1982 in Minden. His family practice emphasizes the treatment of depression
, attention span disorder, and the prevention of chronic disease. He is certified by the American Board of Family Practice and is on the staff at the Minden Medical Center. Fleming is a member of the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians (LAFP). In 2007, he was chosen as the LAFP "Louisiana Family Practice Physician of the Year."
Fleming is the author of the 2006 book Preventing Addiction: What Parents Must Know to Immunize Their Kids Against Drug and Alcohol Addiction, which is aimed at assisting parents in keeping their children from potential chemical dependency. He has appeared on numerous national broadcast programs to promote his book.
in northern Louisiana and owns Fleming Expansions, LLC, a regional developer for The UPS Store
, which supports stores in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas
.
, in which Fleming criticized President Obama's proposed plan to increase taxes on the wealthy, Fleming told host Chris Jansing
, "The amount that I have to invest in my business and feed my family is more like $600,000 of that $6.3 million...So by the time I feed my family I have, maybe, $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment." When Jansing asked Fleming if he thought the "average person" might be unsympathetic to Fleming's position, Fleming responded, "Class warfare never created a job...This is not about attacking people who make certain incomes. You know in this country, most people feel that being successful in their business is a virtue, not a vice, and once we begin to identify it as a vice, this country is going down."
Fleming's remarks were widely reported and resulted in considerable commentary. Bruce Alpert of Louisiana newspaper The Times-Picayune reported that "on liberal blogs, Fleming was portrayed as insensitive to millions of working Americans who are struggling to meet expenses in the face of high unemployment and stagnant wages." Conservative sources including Bill O'Reilly
and the Drudge Report
defended Fleming's remarks; Josh Beavers, publisher of the Minden Press-Herald
in Fleming's hometown, wrote an editorial which stated, "[Fleming's] sentiment was only that the more taxes he pays the fewer people he can employ. High taxes on business owners thwart economic activity."
of traditionally Democratic Webster Parish (2000 population: 41,831), having defeated the no-party candidate, Dr. Carlos A. Irizarry, 7,842 (60.6 percent) to 5,143 (39.6 percent). He succeeded Dr. Carl A. Hines, a Minden Democrat who did not seek reelection.
for his campaign.
Fleming supported the FairTax
, which would replace the income tax
with a sales tax
rate, as defined in the legislation, of 23 percent of the total payment, equivalent to a 30 percent traditional U.S. sales tax
($23 on top of every $77 spent before taxes.)
The primary and subsequent runoff election were delayed because of the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav
. In the October 4, 2008, Republican closed primary, Fleming ran against Jeff Thompson of Shreveport (McCrery's choice), and Chris Gorman (a trucking executive). In a close election, no candidate received a majority of the votes. Fleming led with 14,500 votes (35.1 percent), followed by Gorman with 14,072 votes (34.1 percent), and Thompson with 12,693 votes (30.8 percent). This set up a primary runoff between Fleming and Gorman which was held on November 4, along with the national presidential election.
In the runoff, Fleming defeated Gorman, 43,012 votes (55.6 percent) to 34,405 (44.4 percent) and carried all but one of the thirteen parishes in the district. On November 4, the total Republican vote for District 4 Representative was 72,754 ballots below the total cast on the Democratic side (150,171), where Carmouche won easily over Willie Banks, Jr., an African American
attorney, 93,093 (62 percent) to 57,078 (38 percent).
In the 2006 race against McCrery, "Catfish" Kelley ran as a Republican and drew 12 percent of the vote under the still existing jungle primary
format. In 2008, his 3 percent was far more than the margin between Fleming and Carmouche. A plurality is sufficient to win the general election—which, along with the District 2
race, were the last congressional races in the nation in 2008.
Outgoing Vice President
Dick Cheney
appeared in Shreveport on November 21 to speak at a fundraiser for Fleming. Politico.com indicated that McCrery supports Fleming but had made no official endorsement and had not appeared at any of Fleming's campaign events. On December 2, McCrery spoke on Fleming's behalf in an appearance on the Moon Griffon
radio
program, which is syndicated in most Louisiana media markets. He used the argument that Carmouche, if successful, would cast his first vote for Speaker
Nancy Pelosi
of California
.
Carmouche led in the count most of the evening, but Bossier Parish, considered the most Republican-leaning in the district (2nd most in the state after St. Tammany Parish), erased an earlier 2,000 vote lead for Carmouche and gave Fleming a district-wide margin of 356 votes. Carmouche won Caddo Parish, 22,742-15,510, but Fleming lost his own Webster Parish, 3,790 to 3,622. Bossier Parish gave Fleming 9,311 votes to Carmouche's 5,301 ballots. Fleming also won in traditionally Democratic Natchitoches and Claiborne parishes. Fleming succeeds Republican James Otis "Jim" McCrery, Jr
., a 21-year incumbent
who did not seek reelection.
On December 10, 2008, Paul Carmouche formally conceded the election to Fleming.
Political consultant Lee Fletcher
managed Fleming's campaign for Congress and served for the first few months in the term as Fleming's chief of staff. However, cancer
struck Fletcher, who died at the age of forty-three on September 30, 2009. Fletcher previously was the chief of staff to former 5th Congressional District U.S. Representative John Cooksey
of Monroe
. In 2002, Fletcher himself narrowly lost the 5th District congressional race to Rodney Alexander
of Jackson Parish
, then a Democrat who subsequently switched parties in August 2004.
. Artis Cash, a Shreveport community organizer, ran as an Independent in the general election. Buddy Roemer, a Republican, supported David Melville in the general election.
John Fleming was reelected by a large margin over David Melville, with 62.3% of the popular vote. Melville garnered 32.4% of the popular vote while Independent candidate Artis Cash came in third, with 5.3% of the popular vote. Fleming presented himself as an anti-Obama
style Republican who would work to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
. Fleming claimed that Democratic policies were out of step with his district and most of America.
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...
physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district
Louisiana's 4th congressional district
Louisiana's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district is located in the northwestern part of the state and is based in Shreveport-Bossier City. It also includes the cities of Minden, DeRidder, and Natchitoches.The district is currently...
. Fleming defeated Democratic nominee Paul Carmouche
Paul Carmouche
Paul J. Carmouche is an American Lawyer who served as a five-term District Attorney for Caddo Parish, Louisiana from 1979 to 2009. Before his tenure as District Attorney, Carmouche graduated from Loyola University New Orleans Law School in 1969 and worked as an assistant in the District Attorney's...
in the 2008 election by a margin of only 356 votes.
He is a second cousin five times removed to Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. senator, and secretary of state
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
. Fleming is a member of Sons of the American Revolution
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a Louisville, Kentucky-based fraternal organization in the United States...
and Jamestowne Society.
Fleming is the first U.S. representative from Minden since 1937, when John N. Sandlin
John N. Sandlin
John Nicholas Sandlin, Sr. , of Minden, Louisiana, represented his state's Fourth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1921 to 1937. In 1936, rather than seeking a ninth term in the House, Sandlin, upon the request of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt,...
vacated the seat, having lost a contested primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the United States Senate to Allen J. Ellender
Allen J. Ellender
Allen Joseph Ellender was a popular U.S. senator from Houma, Louisiana , who served from 1937 until his death. He was a Democrat who was originally allied with the legendary Huey Pierce Long, Jr.. As Senator he compiled a generally conservative record, voting 77% of the time with the Conservative...
of Houma
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
, the seat of Terrebonne Parish
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...
in south Louisiana. Fleming is only the second Republican to hold the seat since Reconstruction. Republicans first seriously contested the seat in a special election in 1961, when their nominee, Shreveport oilman Charlton Lyons
Charlton Lyons
Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., also known as Big Papa Lyons , was a Shreveport oilman who in 1964 waged the first determined Republican bid for the Louisiana governorship since Reconstruction. Lyons also made a strong but losing bid for the United States House of Representatives in a special election...
, polled 46 percent of the vote against the successful Democrat, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., of Plain Dealing
Plain Dealing, Louisiana
Plain Dealing is a town in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States best known as the birthplace of former U.S. Representative Joe D. Waggonner, Jr. The population was 1,071 at the 2000 census...
in northern Bossier Parish.
Early life and education
Fleming was born in MeridianMeridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, the seat of Lauderdale County
Lauderdale County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,161 people, 29,990 households, and 20,573 families residing in the county. The population density was 111 people per square mile . There were 33,418 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile...
in eastern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. He grew up in a working class home in which his mother became disabled when he was still young and could not work. Just prior to graduating from high school, Fleming's father suddenly died of a heart attack which required him to work his way through college. He attended college at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
in Oxford
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
and medical school in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. He entered the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to help fund his medical education. He was awarded his B.S. degree in 1973 and M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree in 1976.
Fleming and his wife, Cindy, have been married since 1978 and have four children.
Medical career
After earning his medical degree, Fleming acted as chief resident in family medicineFamily medicine
Family medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, sexes, diseases, and parts of the body...
at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Camp Pendleton, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He also trained at the drug and alcohol treatment unit at the Navy Regional Medical Center in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. Serving in the Navy after his residency, Fleming practiced military family medicine on the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. There from 1979 to 1981, he was the director of drug and alcohol treatment and chairman of the Navy’s Family Advocacy Committee. Thereafter, he performed similar duties in Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
After leaving the Navy, Fleming established a private practice in 1982 in Minden. His family practice emphasizes the treatment of depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, attention span disorder, and the prevention of chronic disease.
Fleming is the author of the 2006 book Preventing Addiction: What Parents Must Know to Immunize Their Kids Against Drug and Alcohol Addiction, which is aimed at assisting parents in keeping their children from potential chemical dependency. He has appeared on numerous national broadcast programs to promote his book.
Business career
Fleming is also a businessman; he owns 33 Subway sandwich shopsSubway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
in northern Louisiana and owns Fleming Expansions, LLC, a regional developer for The UPS Store
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
, which supports stores in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
2011 tax plan comments
In a September 19, 2011 interview on MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, in which Fleming criticized President Obama's proposed plan to increase taxes on the wealthy, Fleming told host Chris Jansing
Chris Jansing
Christine 'Chris' Jansing is an American television news correspondent. She currently works for NBC News as host of Jansing and Company on MSNBC....
, "The amount that I have to invest in my business and feed my family is more like $600,000 of that $6.3 million...So by the time I feed my family I have, maybe, $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment." When Jansing asked Fleming if he thought the "average person" might be unsympathetic to Fleming's position, Fleming responded, "Class warfare never created a job...This is not about attacking people who make certain incomes. You know in this country, most people feel that being successful in their business is a virtue, not a vice, and once we begin to identify it as a vice, this country is going down."
Fleming's remarks were widely reported and resulted in considerable commentary. Bruce Alpert of Louisiana newspaper The Times-Picayune reported that "on liberal blogs, Fleming was portrayed as insensitive to millions of working Americans who are struggling to meet expenses in the face of high unemployment and stagnant wages." Conservative sources including Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
and the Drudge Report
Drudge Report
The Drudge Report is a news aggregation website. Run by Matt Drudge with the help of Joseph Curl and Charles Hurt, the site consists mainly of links to stories from the United States and international mainstream media about politics, entertainment, and current events as well as links to many...
defended Fleming's remarks; Josh Beavers, publisher of the Minden Press-Herald
Minden Press-Herald
The Minden Press-Herald is a Monday-Friday daily newspaper published in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, by Specht Newspapers, Inc...
in Fleming's hometown, wrote an editorial which stated, "[Fleming's] sentiment was only that the more taxes he pays the fewer people he can employ. High taxes on business owners thwart economic activity."
Early political career
On October 21, 1995, Republican Fleming was elected as coronerCoroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
of traditionally Democratic Webster Parish (2000 population: 41,831), having defeated the no-party candidate, Dr. Carlos A. Irizarry, 7,842 (60.6 percent) to 5,143 (39.6 percent). He succeeded Dr. Carl A. Hines, a Minden Democrat who did not seek reelection.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Strategic Forces Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral ResourcesUnited States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral ResourcesThe United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is one of the five subcommittees within the House Natural Resources Committee-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:*...
- Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
- Tea Party CaucusTea Party CaucusThe Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
2008 campaign
Fleming entered the race to become the Republican nominee for the District 4 House seat after McCrery announced retirement. He received political support from the LAFP and the American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) political action committeePolitical action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
for his campaign.
Fleming supported the FairTax
FairTax
The FairTax is a tax reform proposal for the federal government of the United States that would replace all federal taxes on personal and corporate income with a single broad national consumption tax on retail sales. The Fair Tax Act would apply a tax once at the point of purchase on all new goods...
, which would replace the income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
with a sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
rate, as defined in the legislation, of 23 percent of the total payment, equivalent to a 30 percent traditional U.S. sales tax
Sales taxes in the United States
There is no federal sales or use tax in the United States. 45 states and the District of Columbia impose sales and use taxes on the retail sale, lease and rental of many goods, as well as some services. Many cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts impose additional local...
($23 on top of every $77 spent before taxes.)
The primary and subsequent runoff election were delayed because of the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
. In the October 4, 2008, Republican closed primary, Fleming ran against Jeff Thompson of Shreveport (McCrery's choice), and Chris Gorman (a trucking executive). In a close election, no candidate received a majority of the votes. Fleming led with 14,500 votes (35.1 percent), followed by Gorman with 14,072 votes (34.1 percent), and Thompson with 12,693 votes (30.8 percent). This set up a primary runoff between Fleming and Gorman which was held on November 4, along with the national presidential election.
In the runoff, Fleming defeated Gorman, 43,012 votes (55.6 percent) to 34,405 (44.4 percent) and carried all but one of the thirteen parishes in the district. On November 4, the total Republican vote for District 4 Representative was 72,754 ballots below the total cast on the Democratic side (150,171), where Carmouche won easily over Willie Banks, Jr., an 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...
attorney, 93,093 (62 percent) to 57,078 (38 percent).
In the 2006 race against McCrery, "Catfish" Kelley ran as a Republican and drew 12 percent of the vote under the still existing jungle primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
format. In 2008, his 3 percent was far more than the margin between Fleming and Carmouche. A plurality is sufficient to win the general election—which, along with the District 2
Louisiana's 2nd congressional district
Louisiana's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district contains nearly all of the city of New Orleans , and some of its suburbs, including the West Bank portion of Jefferson Parish and South South Kenner.The district is currently represented...
race, were the last congressional races in the nation in 2008.
Outgoing Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
appeared in Shreveport on November 21 to speak at a fundraiser for Fleming. Politico.com indicated that McCrery supports Fleming but had made no official endorsement and had not appeared at any of Fleming's campaign events. On December 2, McCrery spoke on Fleming's behalf in an appearance on the 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...
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, which is syndicated in most Louisiana media markets. He used the argument that Carmouche, if successful, would cast his first vote for Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Carmouche led in the count most of the evening, but Bossier Parish, considered the most Republican-leaning in the district (2nd most in the state after St. Tammany Parish), erased an earlier 2,000 vote lead for Carmouche and gave Fleming a district-wide margin of 356 votes. Carmouche won Caddo Parish, 22,742-15,510, but Fleming lost his own Webster Parish, 3,790 to 3,622. Bossier Parish gave Fleming 9,311 votes to Carmouche's 5,301 ballots. Fleming also won in traditionally Democratic Natchitoches and Claiborne parishes. Fleming succeeds Republican James Otis "Jim" McCrery, Jr
Jim McCrery
James Otis "Jim" McCrery, III , 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...
., a 21-year incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
who did not seek reelection.
On December 10, 2008, Paul Carmouche formally conceded the election to Fleming.
Political consultant Lee Fletcher
Lee Fletcher
Dewey Lee Fletcher, Jr. , was an American political consultant and a talk radio host and blogger in Monroe, who was defeated by 974 votes in a 2002 race for the United States House of Representatives from the Fifth Congressional District in northeast Louisiana...
managed Fleming's campaign for Congress and served for the first few months in the term as Fleming's chief of staff. However, cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
struck Fletcher, who died at the age of forty-three on September 30, 2009. Fletcher previously was the chief of staff to former 5th Congressional District U.S. Representative John Cooksey
John Cooksey
John Charles Cooksey, M.D. is an ophthalmologist who was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana from 1997 to 2003.-Early life:...
of Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
. In 2002, Fletcher himself narrowly lost the 5th District congressional race to Rodney Alexander
Rodney Alexander
Rodney McKinnie Alexander is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state...
of Jackson Parish
Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Jackson Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita, and Union Parishes. In 2010, its population was 16,274. The parish seat is Jonesboro...
, then a Democrat who subsequently switched parties in August 2004.
2010 campaign
Fleming was unopposed in the Republican primary and was challenged by Democratic nominee David R. Melville, a Methodist minister from Bossier City and brother-in-law of former Governor Buddy RoemerBuddy 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...
. Artis Cash, a Shreveport community organizer, ran as an Independent in the general election. Buddy Roemer, a Republican, supported David Melville in the general election.
John Fleming was reelected by a large margin over David Melville, with 62.3% of the popular vote. Melville garnered 32.4% of the popular vote while Independent candidate Artis Cash came in third, with 5.3% of the popular vote. Fleming presented himself as an anti-Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
style Republican who would work to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
. Fleming claimed that Democratic policies were out of step with his district and most of America.
External links
- Congressman John Fleming official U.S. House site
- John Fleming for U.S. Congress official campaign site