Martin Heinrich
Encyclopedia
Martin T. Heinrich is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
The district includes the central area
of the state, in and around Albuquerque
.
, Heinrich graduated from the University of Missouri
in 1995 with a Bachelor's degree in Science
and Engineering
, and later took graduate
courses at the University of New Mexico
as well. He served as Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation, a New Mexico
non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people on natural science
and the environment
, and founded his own public affairs
consulting
firm.
City Council
from 2003 to 2007, which included one term as City Council President
in 2006. As a city councilman, he sought to reduce crime
, raise the minimum wage
, and create new jobs
, also advocating the use of wind
and solar power. In February 2006, he was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to be the state's Natural Resource
s Trustee.
Heinrich originally planned to oppose five-term Republican
incumbent Heather Wilson
; however, Wilson decided not to run for re-election to the House, instead announcing her candidacy for the seat in the United States Senate
being vacated by the retiring Pete Domenici
.
Heinrich won the Democratic primary
on June 3, 2008, receiving 43.5% of the vote. During the general election, he faced Bernalillo County
Sheriff
Darren White
, whom Heinrich associated with President
George W. Bush
. He also emphasized energy independence and ending the war in Iraq. He went on to defeat White by a margin of 55%-44%, largely helped by Barack Obama
carrying the 1st with 60 percent of the vote. Upon being sworn in on January 6, 2009, Heinrich became the first Democrat to ever represent the district. Although the 1st had been trending Democratic for some time (it has supported a Democrat for president in the last five elections), it had been in Republican hands since its creation in 1969.
2010
Heinrich was challenged by the Republican candidate Jon Barela. On November 2nd, 2010, Martin Heinrich narrowly won his re-election campaign and will serve as the Representative for the 1st Congressional District of New Mexico until 2012.
2012
Heinrich announced that he will run for the United States Senate to succeed Jeff Bingaman
, who is retiring at the end of his term.
Heinrich was voted most attractive person on Capitol Hill by The Hill
newspaper in July 2009.
He successfully ran for re-election in 2010 against Republican
Jon Barela
. Heinrich received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association during his 2010 run.
Heinrich received a 100% on NARAL Pro-Choice America's 2009 Congressional Record on Choice scorecard.
Heinrich has a 0% record on votes scored by the National Right to Life Committee.
non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people on natural science
and the environment
, and founded his own public affairs
consulting
firm. He later served on the Albuquerque City Council, advocating the use of wind
and solar power. In February 2006, he was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to be the state's Natural Resource
s Trustee. He also served on the Sierra Club's Rio Grande Chapter executive committee.
Heinrich received the Sierra Club's
first endorsement of the 2012 election cycle in August 2011. Sierra Club President Robin Mann stated, "As a member of Congress, Representative Heinrich has been an outstanding environmental champion during a period in which environmental issues faced steep and vicious opposition from well funded corporate opponents. The Sierra Club proudly throws its weight behind Martin Heinrich's candidacy for U.S. Senate."
In 2008, Heinrich stated, "I am not supportive of gay marriage, but I do believe that everybody in the United States has the same civil rights in front of the government. So I think it's important that civil rights that are available to heterosexual couples should be available to every single gay couple who also wants to make the same sort of commitments."
Heinrich was an original cosponsor of Congressman Jerry Nadler's 2009 legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
.
After his 2012 Senate primary opponent, Hector Balderas
, announced his support for gay marriage, Heinrich's staff released a statement to the New Mexico Independent newspaper stating, "Martin has supported gay marriage for some time. I just don't think he was asked about it. Thanks for asking!"
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...
for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party
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...
.
The district includes the central area
Central New Mexico
Central New Mexico is the central region of the U.S. state of New Mexico. In the center of this region is Albuquerque, New Mexico, the largest city in the state.- External links :*...
of the state, in and around Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
.
Early life, education and career
Born in Fallon, NevadaFallon, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...
, Heinrich graduated from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in 1995 with a Bachelor's degree in Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
, and later took graduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
courses at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
as well. He served as Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation, a New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people on natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
and the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, and founded his own public affairs
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
consulting
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
firm.
Early political career
Heinrich served on the AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
from 2003 to 2007, which included one term as City Council President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
in 2006. As a city councilman, he sought to reduce crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, raise the minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
, and create new jobs
Job creation program
Job Creation Programs are programs or projects undertaken by a government of a nation to assist unemployed members of the population in securing employment. A cornerstone of Keynesian economics, they are especially common during time of high unemployment...
, also advocating the use of wind
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
and solar power. In February 2006, he was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to be the state's Natural Resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s Trustee.
Elections
2008Heinrich originally planned to oppose five-term 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...
incumbent Heather Wilson
Heather Wilson
Heather A. Wilson , is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing from 1998 to 2009...
; however, Wilson decided not to run for re-election to the House, instead announcing her candidacy for the seat in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
being vacated by the retiring Pete Domenici
Pete Domenici
Pietro Vichi "Pete" Domenici is an American Republican politician, who served six terms as a United States Senator from New Mexico, from 1973 to 2009, the longest tenure in the state's history....
.
Heinrich won the Democratic 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....
on June 3, 2008, receiving 43.5% of the vote. During the general election, he faced Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*69.4% White*3.0% Black*4.8% Native American*2.3% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.4% Two or more races*16.0% Other races*47.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Darren White
Darren White (politician)
Darren White is a former Sheriff of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, having been elected that post in 2002, and re-elected in 2006. Prior to his election as Sheriff, he served as Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety in the Cabinet of Governor Gary Johnson. White resigned his...
, whom Heinrich associated with President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. He also emphasized energy independence and ending the war in Iraq. He went on to defeat White by a margin of 55%-44%, largely helped by Barack 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...
carrying the 1st with 60 percent of the vote. Upon being sworn in on January 6, 2009, Heinrich became the first Democrat to ever represent the district. Although the 1st had been trending Democratic for some time (it has supported a Democrat for president in the last five elections), it had been in Republican hands since its creation in 1969.
2010
Heinrich was challenged by the Republican candidate Jon Barela. On November 2nd, 2010, Martin Heinrich narrowly won his re-election campaign and will serve as the Representative for the 1st Congressional District of New Mexico until 2012.
2012
Heinrich announced that he will run for the United States Senate to succeed Jeff Bingaman
Jeff Bingaman
Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party...
, who is retiring at the end of his term.
Tenure
On January 14, 2009, he was elected to a six-month term as class president by the House Democratic freshmen. He has co-sponsored the Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act, which would prevent an automatic $4,700 salary raise for members of Congress.Heinrich was voted most attractive person on Capitol Hill by The Hill
The Hill (newspaper)
The Hill, a subsidiary of News Communications Inc., is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C. since 1994.Its first editor was Martin Tolchin, a veteran correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times....
newspaper in July 2009.
He successfully ran for re-election in 2010 against 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...
Jon Barela
Jon Barela
Jon Barela is an entrepreneur and the 2010 Republican nominee for . He currently serves as Economic Development Secretary for the state of New Mexico.- Early life and education :...
. Heinrich received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association during his 2010 run.
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 National Parks, Forests and Public LandsUnited States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public LandsThe United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is one of the five subcommittees within the House Natural Resources Committee-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:*...
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
Abortion
NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC endorsed Martin Heinrich in 2010. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, stated in a press release that "Rep. Heinrich has a solid record of standing up for women's freedom and privacy," Keenan said. "He is an outstanding advocate for New Mexico's commonsense pro-choice values. Rep. Heinrich's victory in 2008 is one reason the state has an entirely pro-choice congressional delegation – and we want to keep it that way." The pro-choice PAC announced that it would "mobilize its more than 2,600 member activists in New Mexico's 1st District in support of Rep. Heinrich's reelection."Heinrich received a 100% on NARAL Pro-Choice America's 2009 Congressional Record on Choice scorecard.
Heinrich has a 0% record on votes scored by the National Right to Life Committee.
Environment
Heinrich has been an active environmentalist throughout his career. He served as Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation, a New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people on natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
and the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, and founded his own public affairs
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
consulting
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
firm. He later served on the Albuquerque City Council, advocating the use of wind
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
and solar power. In February 2006, he was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to be the state's Natural Resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s Trustee. He also served on the Sierra Club's Rio Grande Chapter executive committee.
Heinrich received the Sierra Club's
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
first endorsement of the 2012 election cycle in August 2011. Sierra Club President Robin Mann stated, "As a member of Congress, Representative Heinrich has been an outstanding environmental champion during a period in which environmental issues faced steep and vicious opposition from well funded corporate opponents. The Sierra Club proudly throws its weight behind Martin Heinrich's candidacy for U.S. Senate."
Gay marriage
Heinrich's position on gay marriage has changed since he first ran for Congress.In 2008, Heinrich stated, "I am not supportive of gay marriage, but I do believe that everybody in the United States has the same civil rights in front of the government. So I think it's important that civil rights that are available to heterosexual couples should be available to every single gay couple who also wants to make the same sort of commitments."
Heinrich was an original cosponsor of Congressman Jerry Nadler's 2009 legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
.
After his 2012 Senate primary opponent, Hector Balderas
Hector Balderas
Hector H. Balderas Jr. is an American attorney and politician who is currently serving as the New Mexico State Auditor . Balderas became the youngest statewide Hispanic elected official in the nation in 2006 when he won his first race for State Auditor at the age of 33...
, announced his support for gay marriage, Heinrich's staff released a statement to the New Mexico Independent newspaper stating, "Martin has supported gay marriage for some time. I just don't think he was asked about it. Thanks for asking!"
External links
- Martin Heinrich for Senate official campaign site
- Congressman Martin Heinrich official U.S. House site
- Martin Heinrich for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...