Sue W. Kelly
Encyclopedia
Sue Weisenbarger Kelly was a member of the United States House of Representatives
from 1995 to 2007, representing New York's 19th District
. She is a Republican
. She took over fellow Republican Hamilton Fish IV
's seat after he dropped out of the 1994 race
due to prostate cancer. Kelly defeated his son, Hamilton Fish V
in that race and served until the end of 2006, when her seat went to John Hall, who defeated her in 2006 congressional election. Kelly served from February 1999 to April 2001 as Chair of the House Page Board, which came under fire during the Mark Foley
scandal.
as Susan Weisenbarger and raised Presbyterian. She graduated from Denison University
and holds a Master's degree
from Sarah Lawrence College
. Prior to becoming a Congresswoman, Kelly held jobs as a small business owner, patient advocate, rape counselor, and educator. She is married to Edward Kelly, and they live in Katonah, New York
. They have 4 children and 8 grandchildren.
When Congressman Hamilton Fish, Jr.
, a Republican
, decided not to seek re-election in 1994, Kelly sought and won the nomination for the congressional seat. Kelly defeated Fish's son, Hamilton Fish V
, who ran as a Democrat
, and Conservative Party candidate, former congressman Joseph DioGuardi, who had been defeated by her in the Republican primary but continued campaigning. In 2004, Kelly easily won re-election with 67% of the vote in New York's 19th Congressional district although the New York Times described Kelly's opponents in previous races as "token opposition".
Kelly highlighted her socially moderate and fiscally conservative voting record. A 2007 survey of congressional power and effectiveness by the nonpartisan Knowlegis company showed that Rep. Kelly was among the 100 most powerful lawmakers in the 435-member House
. The survey also labeled Kelly as the second most powerful congressperson
in the New York delegation
, second only to Thomas M. Reynolds
, who was chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee
.
Initially, Hall's candidacy was considered a "long-shot", but he gained momentum after Kelly faced criticism in October 2006 for her connection to the Mark Foley scandal
. Kelly refused to speak to a reporter from a local news network about the matter, and also did not appear at a televised debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters
. Kelly was represented by an empty chair at the debate.
Kelly was endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group. Her score of 92% was the highest among any Republican Member of Congress in 2006. Kelly had earned a 17% score from the LCV in 2005, but attributed that score to the many missed votes that came in the several days she was absent due to a death in the family.
Kelly stated she was an "independent voice" in Congress, however the Times Herald Record noted that in 25 of the closest House votes during her last session, Kelly sided with the Republican leadership 24 of those times.
In 2006, comedian Stephen Colbert
invited Kelly to an interview for his "Better Know A District
" segment on The Colbert Report. Upon Kelly's refusal, Colbert interviewed Kelly's challenger, John Hall. Colbert took credit for Hall's election win on this November 8, 2006 edition of the Colbert Report.
, Republicans for Choice
, The Wish List
, The Republican Main Street Partnership
and Republicans for Environmental Protection. She received a score of average score of 30% from NARAL from 1994 to 2005, and an average of 71% from 2000-2005. Her Sierra Club
rating of 63% was 8th highest among Republicans during her congressional career, and 159th overall in the House. Some seniors advocacy groups have questioned her votes on Social Security and Medicare. The Sierra Club chose to endorse her competitor in 2006. She has a lifetime rating of 64% from the American Conservative Union
demonstrating a moderate to conservative voting record.
Kelly, a former small business owner, received a 22% rating from the US Women's Chamber of Commerce. She received a grade of a C+ from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
, an issue which she felt strongly on because of her nephew's service in Iraq and Afghanistan with the United States Special Forces. Kelly voted in favor of so called "pork amendments 84% of the time according to the conservative Club for Growth
, and has declined to answer questions from the National Taxpayers Union
, a non-partisan group focused on taxpayer's waste.
In February 2006, the House voted 216 to 214 to cut domestic spending by $39 billion, primarily by cutting $11 billion from Medicaid and another $12.7 billion from federal student loans, which led to minor protests in her district. Sue Kelly and Frank LoBiondo
(NJ-02) were the deciding votes.
She voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment
to permanently ban gay marriage in all states once in 2004 and again in 2006. These votes cost her the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign, which had supported her campaigns prior to 2004. Her rating on the Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard is 25%.
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 1995 to 2007, representing New York's 19th District
New York's 19th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, New York District 19 is located in the southern part of the state of New York. District 19 lies north of New York City and is composed of parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, in addition to the entirety of Putnam County.District 19...
. She is a 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...
. She took over fellow Republican Hamilton Fish IV
Hamilton Fish IV
See Hamilton Fish for others with the same nameHamilton Fish, Jr. was a Republican politician best known as a member of the U.S. Congressional Delegation from New York....
's seat after he dropped out of the 1994 race
United States House elections, 1994
The 1994 U.S. House of Representatives election was held on November 8, 1994, in the middle of President Bill Clinton's first term. As a result of a 54-seat swing in membership from Democrats to Republicans, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the United States House of...
due to prostate cancer. Kelly defeated his son, Hamilton Fish V
Hamilton Fish V
Hamilton Fish is a publisher, social entrepreneur, environmental advocate, and film producer in New York City. He was born in Washington, D.C. to Hamilton and Julia MacKenzie Fish. He attended schools in New York City and Massachusetts, where he graduated from Harvard University in 1973...
in that race and served until the end of 2006, when her seat went to John Hall, who defeated her in 2006 congressional election. Kelly served from February 1999 to April 2001 as Chair of the House Page Board, which came under fire during the Mark Foley
Mark Foley
Mark Adam Foley is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1995 until 2006, representing the 16th District of Florida as a member of the Republican Party....
scandal.
Political career and background
She was born in Lima, OhioLima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
as Susan Weisenbarger and raised Presbyterian. She graduated from Denison University
Denison University
Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
and holds a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
. Prior to becoming a Congresswoman, Kelly held jobs as a small business owner, patient advocate, rape counselor, and educator. She is married to Edward Kelly, and they live in Katonah, New York
Katonah, New York
Katonah, New York is one of three unincorporated hamlets within the town of Bedford, Westchester County, New York, United States.-History:Katonah is named for Chief Katonah, an American Indian from whom the land of Bedford was purchased by a group of English colonists...
. They have 4 children and 8 grandchildren.
When Congressman Hamilton Fish, Jr.
Hamilton Fish IV
See Hamilton Fish for others with the same nameHamilton Fish, Jr. was a Republican politician best known as a member of the U.S. Congressional Delegation from New York....
, a 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...
, decided not to seek re-election in 1994, Kelly sought and won the nomination for the congressional seat. Kelly defeated Fish's son, Hamilton Fish V
Hamilton Fish V
Hamilton Fish is a publisher, social entrepreneur, environmental advocate, and film producer in New York City. He was born in Washington, D.C. to Hamilton and Julia MacKenzie Fish. He attended schools in New York City and Massachusetts, where he graduated from Harvard University in 1973...
, who ran as a 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...
, and Conservative Party candidate, former congressman Joseph DioGuardi, who had been defeated by her in the Republican primary but continued campaigning. In 2004, Kelly easily won re-election with 67% of the vote in New York's 19th Congressional district although the New York Times described Kelly's opponents in previous races as "token opposition".
Kelly highlighted her socially moderate and fiscally conservative voting record. A 2007 survey of congressional power and effectiveness by the nonpartisan Knowlegis company showed that Rep. Kelly was among the 100 most powerful lawmakers in the 435-member House
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...
. The survey also labeled Kelly as the second most powerful congressperson
Congressperson
A Member of Congress is a term used for a politician who has become qualified, appointed or elected, and inducted into some official body , typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature...
in the New York delegation
United States Congressional Delegations from New York
These are tables of congressional delegations from New York to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.Over the years, New York has demographically changed so that it is hard to consider each district to be a continuation of the same numbered district before...
, second only to Thomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives...
, who was chairman 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....
.
2006 election
On November 7, 2006, Kelly was narrowly defeated by Democratic opponent John Hall by less than 4700 votes. On November 16, nine days after the election, she conceded the election. The state certified the official voting results on December 15, 2006. It is notable that although Hall barely outperformed Kelly's previous Democratic challengers in 2004, 2002, and 2000, Kelly herself received over 120,000 fewer votes than she had in 2004.Initially, Hall's candidacy was considered a "long-shot", but he gained momentum after Kelly faced criticism in October 2006 for her connection to the Mark Foley scandal
Mark Foley scandal
The Mark Foley scandal, which broke in late September 2006, centers on soliciting e-mails and sexually suggestive instant messages sent by Mark Foley, a Republican Congressman from Florida, to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congressional pages...
. Kelly refused to speak to a reporter from a local news network about the matter, and also did not appear at a televised debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
. Kelly was represented by an empty chair at the debate.
Kelly was endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group. Her score of 92% was the highest among any Republican Member of Congress in 2006. Kelly had earned a 17% score from the LCV in 2005, but attributed that score to the many missed votes that came in the several days she was absent due to a death in the family.
Kelly stated she was an "independent voice" in Congress, however the Times Herald Record noted that in 25 of the closest House votes during her last session, Kelly sided with the Republican leadership 24 of those times.
In 2006, comedian Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
invited Kelly to an interview for his "Better Know A District
Better Know A District
Better Know a District is a recurring segment on The Colbert Report. It offers a humorous explanation of a different United States Congressional district in each segment and generally includes an interview with that district's member of Congress.- Structure :Each segment begins with basic...
" segment on The Colbert Report. Upon Kelly's refusal, Colbert interviewed Kelly's challenger, John Hall. Colbert took credit for Hall's election win on this November 8, 2006 edition of the Colbert Report.
Ratings from special interest groups
Kelly is a member of The Republican Majority For ChoiceRepublican Majority for Choice
The Republican Majority for Choice is a Republican organization in the United States dedicated to preserving legal access to abortion. The group also supports federal funding for all kinds of stem cell research, including Embryonic stem cell research.....
, Republicans for Choice
Republicans for Choice
Republicans for Choice, an organization based in the Washington, D.C. area is a political action committee composed of members of the United States Republican Party who support legalized abortion.-History of Republicans for Choice:Republicans for Choice was founded in 1989 by Ann Stone...
, The Wish List
The Wish List (political organization)
The Wish List is a political action committee devoted to electing pro-choice Republican women to the House of Representatives and Senate. The Wish List was founded in 1992. The acronym "WISH" stands for Women In the Senate and House. It can be considered a counterpart to another organization:...
, 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...
and Republicans for Environmental Protection. She received a score of average score of 30% from NARAL from 1994 to 2005, and an average of 71% from 2000-2005. Her Sierra Club
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...
rating of 63% was 8th highest among Republicans during her congressional career, and 159th overall in the House. Some seniors advocacy groups have questioned her votes on Social Security and Medicare. The Sierra Club chose to endorse her competitor in 2006. She has a lifetime rating of 64% from the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
demonstrating a moderate to conservative voting record.
Kelly, a former small business owner, received a 22% rating from the US Women's Chamber of Commerce. She received a grade of a C+ from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America , is an advocacy group dedicated to United States veterans of the War in Iraq and War in Afghanistan. The group claims to be the nation's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars and has more than 200,000 Member Veterans...
, an issue which she felt strongly on because of her nephew's service in Iraq and Afghanistan with the United States Special Forces. Kelly voted in favor of so called "pork amendments 84% of the time according to the conservative Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
, and has declined to answer questions from the National Taxpayers Union
National Taxpayers Union
National Taxpayers Union is a taxpayers advocacy organization and taxpayers union in the United States, founded in 1969 by James Dale Davidson. NTU advertises that it is the largest and oldest grassroots taxpayer organization in the nation, with 362,000 members nationwide. It is closely...
, a non-partisan group focused on taxpayer's waste.
In February 2006, the House voted 216 to 214 to cut domestic spending by $39 billion, primarily by cutting $11 billion from Medicaid and another $12.7 billion from federal student loans, which led to minor protests in her district. Sue Kelly and Frank LoBiondo
Frank LoBiondo
Frank A. LoBiondo is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is at the southern end of New Jersey, and by far the biggest Congressional District in the state...
(NJ-02) were the deciding votes.
She voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
to permanently ban gay marriage in all states once in 2004 and again in 2006. These votes cost her the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign, which had supported her campaigns prior to 2004. Her rating on the Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard is 25%.