Tom McClintock
Encyclopedia
Thomas Miller McClintock II (born July 10, 1956) is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party
. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator
. McClintock ran unsuccessfully ran for Governor of California
in the 2003 California recall election and for Lieutenant Governor of California
in the 2006 California lieutenant gubernatorial election.
, McClintock graduated in 1978 from UCLA
. He was elected Chairman of the Ventura County
Republican Party at the age of 23 and served until 1981. He was chief of staff to State Senator Ed Davis
from 1980 to 1982. From 1992 to 1994, he served as director of the Center for the California Taxpayer. He was director of the Claremont Institute's Golden State Center for Policy Studies from 1995 to 1996.
in 1982 at the age of 26. He was reelected in 1984, 1986, 1988, and 1990.
for a seat in the United States House of Representatives
representing California's 24th District.
but lost by 187,734 votes (2.3%) to the better-financed Kathleen Connell
. McClintock won the support of 3,792,997 (46.0%) Californians while Connell had the votes of 3,980,731 (48.3%) people. Three other candidates split the other 463,152 (5.7%) votes. Connell outspent McClintock by a 3-to-1 margin.
by a 15.2% margin in 2000. He won the support of 165,422 (57.6%) voters in the 19th State Senate District, while Daniel Gonzalez lost with 121,893 (42.4%) votes.
executive Steve Westly
out of 7,258,758 votes cast. He logged 3,273,028 (45.1%) votes to Westly's 3,289,839 (45.4%); three other candidates won 695,891 (9.5%) votes. Westly outspent McClintock by a 5-to-1 margin. McClintock's campaigns for State Controller have focused on increasing accountability for the state budget. His ads featured the character Angus McClintock, a fictional cousin and fellow Scottish American
extolling Tom McClintock's virtues of thriftiness and accountability with low-budget fifteen-second ads.
won the election with support from 4,203,596 (48.6%) people while Democratic Lieutenant Governor
Cruz Bustamante
won 2,723,768 votes (31.5%). Together, Republicans Schwarzenegger and McClintock were supported by 5,363,778 Californians (62.1%). 132 other candidates won the remaining 6.4% of the vote.
realtor Tony Farmer gleaned 6.3% of the vote) but was defeated by State Insurance Commissioner
Democrat John Garamendi
by 49.1% to 45.1% (343,726 votes).
, which is hundreds of miles away from the district McClintock represented in the state Senate. The district's nine-term incumbent, fellow Republican John Doolittle
, did not seek re-election. Upon McClintock's entry into the race, fellow Republicans Rico Oller
and Eric Egland withdrew from the Republican primary and endorsed McClintock.
In the Republican primary, McClintock defeated former Congressman Doug Ose
, Suzanne Jones, and Theodore Terbolizard
. Ose formerly represented the neighboring 3rd District
. The Democratic nominee was retired Air Force Lt. Col.
Charlie Brown
, who ran an unexpectedly strong race against Doolittle in 2006.
In March 2008, Ose's campaign commercials criticized McClintock for receiving payments totaling over $300,000 in per diem living expenses during his time in the California State Senate
, despite the fact that he lived in Elk Grove
, near Sacramento, for most of the year. McClintock held that the payments were justified because his legal residence was in Thousand Oaks
, in his State Senate district. He stated, "Every legislator's [Sacramento area] residence is close to the Capitol. My residential costs up here are much greater than the average legislator because my family is here." However, Ose's campaign commercials argued McClintock does not own or rent in home in the 19th district, but uses his mother's address. These attacks prompted a response from McClintock's wife, Lori, who said McClintock stays with his mother in order to better care for her after she fell ill and after the death of her husband.
McClintock was endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus
, a libertarian
political action committee
within the Republican Party, for his 2008 race for California's Fourth District Congressional seat. He was also endorsed by Ron Paul
, who sent a fundraising email on McClintock's behalf.
In the November 4, 2008 election, McClintock had a razor-thin lead over Brown and the race wasn't called by the end of the night. On November 23, 2008, McClintock led Brown by 1,566 votes (0.427% of the vote), 184,190 to 182,624. Subsequent returns expanded the margin slightly with the last returns coming in from El Dorado County shortly after Thanksgiving
. Finally, on December 1, 2008, McClintock declared victory and on December 3, 2008, Brown conceded the race, with the final totals 185,790 for McClintock to 183,990 for Brown; a margin of 1,800 votes in the 807 precincts. McClintock ultimately prevailed by virtue of a 3,500-vote margin in Placer County, the largest county located entirely in the district.
McClintock was unable to vote for himself in either the primary or the general election because the California Constitution
required him to maintain his legal residence in his State Senate district until the end of his Senate term. Furthermore, in order to vote using a ballot in regards to a specific congressional district, one must live within that district. Because Thousand Oaks is outside of California's Fourth Congressional District, McClintock was therefore ineligible to vote for himself.
, he was instrumental in proposing a two-thirds reduction in the vehicle license fee, or car tax. In 2003, when then-Governor Gray Davis
attempted to rescind the rollback, McClintock led the effort to stop the repeal. McClintock has also opposed additional borrowing, making him odd bedfellows with liberal State Treasurer Phil Angelides
, who opposed Proposition 57
as well. While McClintock argued for more spending cuts, Angelides favored increasing taxes instead of borrowing. McClintock has carried this dedication to the federal government as a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
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 Republican Party
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...
. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
. McClintock ran unsuccessfully ran for Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
in the 2003 California recall election and for Lieutenant Governor of California
Lieutenant Governor of California
The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
in the 2006 California lieutenant gubernatorial election.
Early life and career
McClintock was born on July 10, 1956 in White Plains, New YorkWhite Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
, McClintock graduated in 1978 from UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He was elected Chairman of the Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
Republican Party at the age of 23 and served until 1981. He was chief of staff to State Senator Ed Davis
Edward M. Davis
Edward Michael Davis was the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from , and later a California State Senator from and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 1986...
from 1980 to 1982. From 1992 to 1994, he served as director of the Center for the California Taxpayer. He was director of the Claremont Institute's Golden State Center for Policy Studies from 1995 to 1996.
1980s
McClintock was elected to the California State AssemblyCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 1982 at the age of 26. He was reelected in 1984, 1986, 1988, and 1990.
1992 Congressional election
McClintock lost his bid to incumbent Anthony C. BeilensonAnthony C. Beilenson
Anthony Charles Beilenson is a former Democratic Congressman from Southern California who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1997....
for a seat in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
representing California's 24th District.
1994 State Controller election
McClintock ran for California State ControllerCalifornia State Controller
The State Controller is the Chief Financial Officer of the State of California in the United States. The post has broader responsibilities and authority than the California State Treasurer...
but lost by 187,734 votes (2.3%) to the better-financed Kathleen Connell
Kathleen Connell
Kathleen Connell was the California State Controller from 1995 until 2003. When she was Controller, she:* Ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001 but came in 6th in the April 10, 2001 primary getting 24,062 votes ....
. McClintock won the support of 3,792,997 (46.0%) Californians while Connell had the votes of 3,980,731 (48.3%) people. Three other candidates split the other 463,152 (5.7%) votes. Connell outspent McClintock by a 3-to-1 margin.
State Assembly elections
Voters in the 38th State Assembly District returned McClintock to the Assembly in 1996 by a 15.8% electoral margin. McClintock was supported by 71,597 (55.6%) voters, while Democrat Jon Lauritzen obtained 51,274 (39.8%) votes. Natural Law Party candidate Virginia Neuman garnered the remaining 6,021 (4.6%) votes. In 1998, McClintock ran unopposed for reelection to the Assembly.2000 State Senate election
McClintock won a four-year term in the California SenateCalifornia State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
by a 15.2% margin in 2000. He won the support of 165,422 (57.6%) voters in the 19th State Senate District, while Daniel Gonzalez lost with 121,893 (42.4%) votes.
2002 State Controller election
McClintock ran for State Controller again in 2002 and finished 22,730 votes behind eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
executive Steve Westly
Steve Westly
Steven Paul Westly is an American venture capitalist and politician. He was the State Controller and Chief Financial Officer of California from 2003 to 2007 and was one of the top candidates in the Democratic primary for Governor of California in the 2006 election...
out of 7,258,758 votes cast. He logged 3,273,028 (45.1%) votes to Westly's 3,289,839 (45.4%); three other candidates won 695,891 (9.5%) votes. Westly outspent McClintock by a 5-to-1 margin. McClintock's campaigns for State Controller have focused on increasing accountability for the state budget. His ads featured the character Angus McClintock, a fictional cousin and fellow Scottish American
Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
extolling Tom McClintock's virtues of thriftiness and accountability with low-budget fifteen-second ads.
2003 Gubernatorial Recall election
In the 2003 Gubernatorial recall election, McClintock finished third with the support of 1,160,182 (13.5%) Californians. Fellow Republican Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
won the election with support from 4,203,596 (48.6%) people while Democratic Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of California
The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
Cruz Bustamante
Cruz Bustamante
Cruz Miguel Bustamante is an American politician. He was the 45th Lieutenant Governor of California, a former Speaker of the State Assembly and a member of the Democratic Party...
won 2,723,768 votes (31.5%). Together, Republicans Schwarzenegger and McClintock were supported by 5,363,778 Californians (62.1%). 132 other candidates won the remaining 6.4% of the vote.
2004 State Senate election
McClintock was re-elected to the California Senate in 2004, winning 61% of the vote.2006 Gubernatorial election
He was the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor in the 2006 elections. He ran for the Republican nomination virtually unopposed (FresnoFresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
realtor Tony Farmer gleaned 6.3% of the vote) but was defeated by State Insurance Commissioner
California Insurance Commissioner
California Insurance Commissioner is an elected executive office position in California. The officeholder is in charge of the California Department of Insurance.The current Insurance Commissioner is Democrat Dave Jones.- Duties :...
Democrat John Garamendi
John Garamendi
John Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...
by 49.1% to 45.1% (343,726 votes).
2008 Congressional election
On March 4, 2008, McClintock announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 4th congressional districtCalifornia's 4th congressional district
California's 4th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. It covers the northeastern corner of California along Route 395, encompassing El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc counties, as well as parts of Butte County...
, which is hundreds of miles away from the district McClintock represented in the state Senate. The district's nine-term incumbent, fellow Republican John Doolittle
John Doolittle
John Taylor Doolittle , American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009, representing . In the 109th Congress, he held a leadership role as the Deputy Whip for the Republican party in the House...
, did not seek re-election. Upon McClintock's entry into the race, fellow Republicans Rico Oller
Rico Oller
Thomas "Rico" Oller is a Republican U.S. politician from California. He served in the California State Assembly, representing the 4th District from 1996 to 2000, and the California State Senate, representing the 1st district from 2000 to 2004...
and Eric Egland withdrew from the Republican primary and endorsed McClintock.
In the Republican primary, McClintock defeated former Congressman Doug Ose
Doug Ose
Douglas Arlo "Doug" Ose is a former California congressman who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005, representing California's 3rd Congressional District...
, Suzanne Jones, and Theodore Terbolizard
Theodore Terbolizard
Theodore "Ted" Terbolizard is an American Republican Party politician. He was a candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for the United States House of Representatives in California's 4th congressional district in a seat vacated by Incumbent John Doolittle, who announced that he would not...
. Ose formerly represented the neighboring 3rd District
California's 3rd congressional district
California's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. It covers most of Sacramento County and part of Solano County, as well as all of Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties...
. The Democratic nominee was retired Air Force Lt. Col.
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
Charlie Brown
Charles Brown (California)
Charles Duane 'Charlie' Brown is a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel and was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 2006 election and the 2008 election for California's 4th congressional district.-Life and career:...
, who ran an unexpectedly strong race against Doolittle in 2006.
In March 2008, Ose's campaign commercials criticized McClintock for receiving payments totaling over $300,000 in per diem living expenses during his time in the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
, despite the fact that he lived in Elk Grove
Elk Grove, California
Elk Grove is a city in Sacramento County, California, located just south of the state capital of Sacramento. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 153,015...
, near Sacramento, for most of the year. McClintock held that the payments were justified because his legal residence was in Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak....
, in his State Senate district. He stated, "Every legislator's [Sacramento area] residence is close to the Capitol. My residential costs up here are much greater than the average legislator because my family is here." However, Ose's campaign commercials argued McClintock does not own or rent in home in the 19th district, but uses his mother's address. These attacks prompted a response from McClintock's wife, Lori, who said McClintock stays with his mother in order to better care for her after she fell ill and after the death of her husband.
McClintock was endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus
Republican Liberty Caucus
The Republican Liberty Caucus is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual liberty, limited government and free market economics within the Republican Party in the United States. It is part of the libertarian wing of the Republican Party...
, a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
political action committee
Political 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...
within the Republican Party, for his 2008 race for California's Fourth District Congressional seat. He was also endorsed by Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, who sent a fundraising email on McClintock's behalf.
In the November 4, 2008 election, McClintock had a razor-thin lead over Brown and the race wasn't called by the end of the night. On November 23, 2008, McClintock led Brown by 1,566 votes (0.427% of the vote), 184,190 to 182,624. Subsequent returns expanded the margin slightly with the last returns coming in from El Dorado County shortly after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. Finally, on December 1, 2008, McClintock declared victory and on December 3, 2008, Brown conceded the race, with the final totals 185,790 for McClintock to 183,990 for Brown; a margin of 1,800 votes in the 807 precincts. McClintock ultimately prevailed by virtue of a 3,500-vote margin in Placer County, the largest county located entirely in the district.
McClintock was unable to vote for himself in either the primary or the general election because the California Constitution
California Constitution
The document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of California. The original constitution, adopted in November 1849 in advance of California attaining U.S. statehood in 1850, was superseded by the current constitution, which...
required him to maintain his legal residence in his State Senate district until the end of his Senate term. Furthermore, in order to vote using a ballot in regards to a specific congressional district, one must live within that district. Because Thousand Oaks is outside of California's Fourth Congressional District, McClintock was therefore ineligible to vote for himself.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on the BudgetUnited States House Committee on the BudgetThe U.S. House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress...
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native AffairsUnited States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native AffairsThe United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs 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 Water and PowerUnited States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and PowerThe United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power is one of the five subcommittees within the House Natural Resources Committee-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:*...
(Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs
- 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...
Political positions
McClintock has a long history of opposing taxes. During the 2000 dot-com bubbleDot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
, he was instrumental in proposing a two-thirds reduction in the vehicle license fee, or car tax. In 2003, when then-Governor Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
attempted to rescind the rollback, McClintock led the effort to stop the repeal. McClintock has also opposed additional borrowing, making him odd bedfellows with liberal State Treasurer Phil Angelides
Phil Angelides
Philip Nicholas "Phil" Angelides is an American politician who was California State Treasurer and the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Governor of California in the 2006 elections...
, who opposed Proposition 57
California Proposition 57 (2004)
Proposition 57 was a California ballot proposition on the March 2, 2004 ballot. It was passed with 4,056,313 votes in favor and 2,348,910 against. The proposition authorized the state to sell $15 billion in long-term bonds to pay off accumulated deficits...
as well. While McClintock argued for more spending cuts, Angelides favored increasing taxes instead of borrowing. McClintock has carried this dedication to the federal government as a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Electoral history
For a complete list of all candidates who participated in the 2003 recall election, see California gubernatorial recall election, 2003.External links
- Congressional website
- Official Campaign Web Site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Profile at VoteCircle
- Tom McClintock Political History
- Video Response to President Calderon