Tim Walberg
Encyclopedia
Timothy Lee "Tim" Walberg (born April 12, 1951) is the current U.S. Representative
for , and was also the former Congressman for the district from 2007 to 2009.
, Illinois, Walberg left a post-high school position with the U.S. Forest Service to pursue higher education. At one point working in a steel mill to help pay tuition, he studied forestry at Western Illinois University
and attended Moody Bible Institute
, but did not complete a degree until 1975, when he earned a B.A.
in religious education from Fort Wayne Bible College. By then Walberg was half-way through a four-year stint as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in New Haven, Indiana
, which concluded when he enrolled in the Wheaton College
graduate school. After receiving an M.A.
in communications in 1978, Walberg and his young family relocated to Tipton, Michigan
, where he led services at Union Gospel Church and became involved in local anti-abortion movements. He resigned his pastorship in 1982 in preparation for a successful bid for the Michigan House of Representatives.
, both Democrats. Walberg also spent time as a pastor and as a division manager for the Moody Bible Institute
in Chicago, Illinois while continuing to live in Michigan.
After six years out of politics, Walberg ran in the 2004 Republican primary for the 7th District after six-term incumbent Nick Smith
retired. He narrowly lost to former State Senator
Joe Schwarz
, a considerably more moderate Republican. Schwarz went on to win in November.
2006
Walberg immediately began gearing up for a rematch against Schwarz in 2006. During the 2006 primary, Walberg received financial support from various pro-life groups and the Club for Growth
. His campaign criticized Schwarz for his positions on abortion
, taxes, government / pork-barrel spending, and national security. Additionally, Walberg campaigned for cutting taxes, against providing amnesty to illegal immigrants, against gay marriage, and against pork-barrel spending. Walberg defeated Schwarz in the primary by 3,915 votes.
In October 2006, the Walberg campaign faced scandal when the campaign's volunteer coordinator pled guilty to child abuse charges. The allegations first appeared in the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
According to the Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Walberg said he knew of the alleged abuse 'on or about Sept. 12'."
The staffer pled guilty to the charges on September 18 and left the campaign after the charges became public in October. Walberg frequently stated the matter was "private" and he hoped the best for the family involved.
Walberg's defeat of Schwarz gave the Democrats hope of winning the seat. Although Republicans had held it for decades, the 7th is a somewhat marginal district on paper; it narrowly voted for Bill Clinton
in 1992 and 1996 and voted for George W. Bush
almost as narrowly in 2000 and 2004. On the other hand, Schwarz had won the previous election (against the same Democratic opponent) by 22%.
On November 7, 2006, Walberg defeated Democrat Sharon Renier, the 2004 Democratic nominee. Walberg received 49.93% to Renier's 45.98%, less than he was expected to win by. The Renier campaign spent $46,000 to Walberg's $1.2 million
2008
Entering the 2008 race, Walberg was identified by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Chris Van Hollen
as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in congress. On August 23, 2007, State Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer
announced he would challenge Walberg in the 2008 election. The prior occupant of the seat, Joe Schwarz
, who was defeated by Walberg in the 2006 Republican primary declined to run himself, but on September 30 endorsed Schauer.
Schauer narrowly defeated Walberg in the November 2008 election. Republican presidential candidate John McCain
lost the district to Democrat Barack Obama
by nearly 17,000 votes but outpolled Walberg by over 6,000 votes, while Walberg lost to Schauer by 7,432 votes. Between the two candidates, around $3.5 million dollars were spent on the campaign, along with the massive amount spent by independent groups, made it the most expensive House race in the 2008 election.
2010
Walberg challenged Democratic incubent Mark Schauer
. Libertarian nominee Greg Merle, US Taxpayers nominee Eugene Aughney, and Green Party nominee Richard Wunsch were also running.
On July 14, 2009, Walberg announced that he was running for his old congressional seat. He defeated Marvin Carlson and Brian Rooney in the Republican primary.
Prior to the election, nonpartisan polling showed the race as a dead heat.
In the final results Walberg won the seat with 50.1% of the vote.
In March 2007, Walberg was a guest on the Jack Ebling show on WILS
-AM. During the broadcast Walberg stated that most of Iraq was as stable as Detroit, Michigan
or Harvey, Illinois
. Both the offices of the Mayor of Detroit and the Mayor of Harvey released statements requesting an apology from Walberg. "Unfortunately, for years people have beat up on the city of Detroit. Detroit is the word for negative. We are working very hard to transform that image of our city", said James Canning, spokesman for the Detroit office of the Mayor. Mayor Kellogg of Harvey stated: "Even though our country appears to have accomplish(ed) great gains in racial harmony, we still have members of congress who suffer from the highest levels of ignorance and stupidity."
Great Lakes drilling controversy
Walberg received criticism from the Michigan Democratic Party
Chairman Mark Brewer following statements suggesting support for oil drilling in the Great Lakes
. Following the criticism, at a constituent meeting, Walberg noted that drilling in the Great Lakes is currently prohibited by Michigan and federal law, and would not comment on whether he would support changing those laws.
Recall efforts
On August 6, 2007, the Lenawee County
Elections Commission approved the wording for Jackson
resident James Carr's recall petition. While Michigan laws and constitution allow for recall election
s, an attorney for Walberg says there is no provision in the U.S. Constitution for recalling a United States Congressperson and challenged the action in court. On August 28, 2007, Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Harvey Koselka issued an injunction that prohibited filing signed petitions with the state until a ruling is made on the constitutionality of recalling a member of Congress. Carr has since ended his campaign.
Walberg is known as both a social and economic conservative. He is a member of the Republican Study Committee
and the Tea Party Caucus
.
2006 election for the U.S. House of Representatives — 7th District Republican Primary
2006 election for the U.S. House of Representatives — 7th District
2008 election for the U.S. House of Representatives - 7th District
2010 election for the U.S. House of Representatives- 7th District
, Michigan), where they brought up their three now-adult children. Walberg's son Matthew works as a crime reporter for the Chicago Tribune
.
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 , and was also the former Congressman for the district from 2007 to 2009.
Early life, education, and religious career
Born and educated in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois, Walberg left a post-high school position with the U.S. Forest Service to pursue higher education. At one point working in a steel mill to help pay tuition, he studied forestry at Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
and attended Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
, but did not complete a degree until 1975, when he earned a B.A.
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...
in religious education from Fort Wayne Bible College. By then Walberg was half-way through a four-year stint as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in New Haven, Indiana
New Haven, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,406 people, 4,900 households, and 3,415 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,522.0 people per square mile . There were 5,141 housing units at an average density of 630.7 per square mile...
, which concluded when he enrolled in the Wheaton College
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
graduate school. After receiving an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in communications in 1978, Walberg and his young family relocated to Tipton, Michigan
Franklin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan
Franklin Township is a civil township of Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,939 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
, where he led services at Union Gospel Church and became involved in local anti-abortion movements. He resigned his pastorship in 1982 in preparation for a successful bid for the Michigan House of Representatives.
Michigan legislature
Walberg served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1983 to 1998. He was succeeded by Doug Spade and the seat is currently held by Dudley SpadeDudley Spade
Dudley Spade is a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He has served as State Representative from the 57th district since 2004. He is a Democrat. His district includes almost all of Lenawee County...
, both Democrats. Walberg also spent time as a pastor and as a division manager for the Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
in Chicago, Illinois while continuing to live in Michigan.
Elections
2004After six years out of politics, Walberg ran in the 2004 Republican primary for the 7th District after six-term incumbent Nick Smith
Nick Smith (U.S. politician)
Nick H. Smith is a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 until 2005, representing from the 7th District of Michigan.-Life and career:...
retired. He narrowly lost to former State Senator
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
Joe Schwarz
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz, M.D. , an independent politician from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican...
, a considerably more moderate Republican. Schwarz went on to win in November.
2006
Walberg immediately began gearing up for a rematch against Schwarz in 2006. During the 2006 primary, Walberg received financial support from various pro-life groups and the 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,...
. His campaign criticized Schwarz for his positions on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, taxes, government / pork-barrel spending, and national security. Additionally, Walberg campaigned for cutting taxes, against providing amnesty to illegal immigrants, against gay marriage, and against pork-barrel spending. Walberg defeated Schwarz in the primary by 3,915 votes.
In October 2006, the Walberg campaign faced scandal when the campaign's volunteer coordinator pled guilty to child abuse charges. The allegations first appeared in the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
According to the Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Walberg said he knew of the alleged abuse 'on or about Sept. 12'."
The staffer pled guilty to the charges on September 18 and left the campaign after the charges became public in October. Walberg frequently stated the matter was "private" and he hoped the best for the family involved.
Walberg's defeat of Schwarz gave the Democrats hope of winning the seat. Although Republicans had held it for decades, the 7th is a somewhat marginal district on paper; it narrowly voted for Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in 1992 and 1996 and voted for 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....
almost as narrowly in 2000 and 2004. On the other hand, Schwarz had won the previous election (against the same Democratic opponent) by 22%.
On November 7, 2006, Walberg defeated Democrat Sharon Renier, the 2004 Democratic nominee. Walberg received 49.93% to Renier's 45.98%, less than he was expected to win by. The Renier campaign spent $46,000 to Walberg's $1.2 million
2008
Entering the 2008 race, Walberg was identified by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Chris Van Hollen
Chris Van Hollen
Christopher "Chris" Van Hollen, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in congress. On August 23, 2007, State Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer
Mark Schauer
Mark Schauer is the former U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party.He was previously a member of the Michigan Senate, where he served as the Minority Leader, and the Michigan House of Representatives....
announced he would challenge Walberg in the 2008 election. The prior occupant of the seat, Joe Schwarz
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz, M.D. , an independent politician from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican...
, who was defeated by Walberg in the 2006 Republican primary declined to run himself, but on September 30 endorsed Schauer.
Schauer narrowly defeated Walberg in the November 2008 election. Republican presidential candidate John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
lost the district to Democrat 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...
by nearly 17,000 votes but outpolled Walberg by over 6,000 votes, while Walberg lost to Schauer by 7,432 votes. Between the two candidates, around $3.5 million dollars were spent on the campaign, along with the massive amount spent by independent groups, made it the most expensive House race in the 2008 election.
2010
Walberg challenged Democratic incubent Mark Schauer
Mark Schauer
Mark Schauer is the former U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party.He was previously a member of the Michigan Senate, where he served as the Minority Leader, and the Michigan House of Representatives....
. Libertarian nominee Greg Merle, US Taxpayers nominee Eugene Aughney, and Green Party nominee Richard Wunsch were also running.
On July 14, 2009, Walberg announced that he was running for his old congressional seat. He defeated Marvin Carlson and Brian Rooney in the Republican primary.
Prior to the election, nonpartisan polling showed the race as a dead heat.
In the final results Walberg won the seat with 50.1% of the vote.
Tenure
Iraq War security commentsIn March 2007, Walberg was a guest on the Jack Ebling show on WILS
WILS
WILS is a radio station located in Lansing, Michigan broadcasting a news-talk format.Until October 2006, WILS aired ABC Radio's satellite-delivered adult standards/MOR music package known as "Timeless Classics" . The station had had this format since the early 1990s and was quite successful in the...
-AM. During the broadcast Walberg stated that most of Iraq was as stable as Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
or Harvey, Illinois
Harvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
. Both the offices of the Mayor of Detroit and the Mayor of Harvey released statements requesting an apology from Walberg. "Unfortunately, for years people have beat up on the city of Detroit. Detroit is the word for negative. We are working very hard to transform that image of our city", said James Canning, spokesman for the Detroit office of the Mayor. Mayor Kellogg of Harvey stated: "Even though our country appears to have accomplish(ed) great gains in racial harmony, we still have members of congress who suffer from the highest levels of ignorance and stupidity."
Great Lakes drilling controversy
Walberg received criticism from the Michigan Democratic Party
Michigan Democratic Party
The Michigan Democratic Party is the state-level party of the United States Democratic Party in Michigan. It is based in Lansing. Mark Brewer is the current Party Chair.-Current officeholders:...
Chairman Mark Brewer following statements suggesting support for oil drilling in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. Following the criticism, at a constituent meeting, Walberg noted that drilling in the Great Lakes is currently prohibited by Michigan and federal law, and would not comment on whether he would support changing those laws.
Recall efforts
On August 6, 2007, the Lenawee County
Lenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
Elections Commission approved the wording for Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
resident James Carr's recall petition. While Michigan laws and constitution allow for recall election
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
s, an attorney for Walberg says there is no provision in the U.S. Constitution for recalling a United States Congressperson and challenged the action in court. On August 28, 2007, Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Harvey Koselka issued an injunction that prohibited filing signed petitions with the state until a ruling is made on the constitutionality of recalling a member of Congress. Carr has since ended his campaign.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Education and the WorkforceUnited States House Committee on Education and the WorkforceThe Committee on Education and the Workforce is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. From 1947 until 1994 and again from 2007 to 2011, during Democratic control of the House, it was known as the Committee on Education and Labor.-History of the Committee:Attempts were...
- Subcommittee on Workforce ProtectionsUnited States House Education Subcommittee on Workforce ProtectionsThe House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce.-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee's jurisdiction includes:...
(Chairman) - Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and PensionsUnited States House Education Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and PensionsThe House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce...
- Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
- Committee on Homeland SecurityUnited States House Committee on Homeland SecurityThe U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Its responsibilities include U.S...
- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies (Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Transportation Security
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy
- Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform
Walberg is known as both a social and economic conservative. He is a member of the Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
and the Tea Party Caucus
Tea Party Caucus
The 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...
.
Electoral history
2004 election for the U.S. House of Representatives — 7th District Republican Primary- Joe SchwarzJoe SchwarzJohn J. H. "Joe" Schwarz, M.D. , an independent politician from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican...
(R), 28% - Brad Smith (R), 22%
- Tim Walberg (R), 18%
- Clark BisbeeClark BisbeeClark E. Bisbee is an American politician and businessman from Jackson, Michigan. He is the owner of Bisbee Travel, a local travel agency.He served as the Republican representative to Michigan's state house from Michigan's 64th district until 2004, when he was forced out by term limits.He was...
(R), 14% - Gene DeRossett (R), 11%
- Paul DeWeese (R), 7%
2006 election for the U.S. House of Representatives — 7th District Republican Primary
- Tim Walberg (R), 33,144, 53%
- Joe SchwarzJoe SchwarzJohn J. H. "Joe" Schwarz, M.D. , an independent politician from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican...
(R) (inc.), 29,349, 47%
2006 election for the U.S. House of Representatives — 7th District
- Tim Walberg (R), 49.93%
- Sharon Renier (D), 45.98%
- Robert Hutchinson (L), 1.55%
- David Horn (UST), 1.47%
- Joe SchwarzJoe SchwarzJohn J. H. "Joe" Schwarz, M.D. , an independent politician from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican...
(write-in), 1.07%
2008 election for the U.S. House of Representatives - 7th District
- Mark Schauer (D), 48.79%
- Tim Walberg (R), 46.49%
- Lynn Meadows (G), 2.96%
- Ken Proctor (L), 1.76%
2010 election for the U.S. House of Representatives- 7th District
- Tim Walberg (R), 50.1%
- Mark Schauer (D), 45.4%
- Other, 4.5%
Personal life
Tim and his wife Sue live in Tipton (near TecumsehTecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated where M-50 crosses the River Raisin, a few miles east of M-52. Tecumseh is about SW of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor and north of Toledo, OH....
, Michigan), where they brought up their three now-adult children. Walberg's son Matthew works as a crime reporter for the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
.
External links
- Congressman Tim Walberg official U.S. House site
- Tim Walberg 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...