Chet Edwards
Encyclopedia
Thomas Chester "Chet" Edwards (born November 24, 1951) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives
from Texas
. He represented a district based in Waco, Texas
from 1991 to 2011, and served in the Texas Senate
from 1983 until 1990. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. Edwards was on Barack Obama
's Vice Presidential shortlist in 2008 .
. He graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University
in 1974, earning a bachelor's degree
in economics
. One of his professors was future U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator Phil Gramm
. Upon graduation, he received the Earl Rudder Award, which is given to two outstanding seniors.
After graduation, Edwards worked as an aide to Congressman Olin E. Teague
for three years. When Teague announced his retirement in 1978, Edwards ran in the Democratic primary
to succeed him. He lost by only 115 votes to his former professor, Phil Gramm, who switched to Republican
affiliation in 1983.
In 1981, Edwards earned his MBA from Harvard Business School
. He then went to work for the Trammell Crow
Company as a commercial real estate agent. Later, Edwards purchased several rural radio
stations in South Texas
.
in 1983, and served until 1990, representing District 9
. In the Texas Senate, Edwards was a member of the Senate Education Committee which oversaw class size reduction in public schools. He was named by Texas Monthly
as one of the "Ten Outstanding Legislators" during his tenure.
Edwards broke ranks with many Democrats by voting against the healthcare bill (H.R.3962), "After listening to thousands of my constituents and carefully reviewing the legislation, I have made a decision to vote no on the House healthcare reform bill." However, he has stated his opposition to caps on medical malpractice lawsuits.
and estate tax. He voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
.
. He has voted in favor of Constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, as well as to define marriage one-man-one-woman, and holds a 25% rating from the Human Rights Campaign
. Edwards voted against ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions and received an 83% rating from the NAACP in 2006. Edwards has received an "A" by the National Rifle Association
.
In 2008, Edwards successfully introduced legislation to earmark $150 million toward a cure for neuroblastoma
, a pediatric cancer
. In July 2008, the measure was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush
. Edwards was inspired in the endeavor by the illness and subsequent death of Erin Channing Buenger (1997-2009) of Bryan
, daughter of one of his constituents, Walter L. Buenger
, head of the history department at Texas A&M University
.
, defeating Republican Hugh Shine. He was re-elected in 1992 with 67 percent of the vote, defeating Republican James Broyles. He defeated Broyles again in 1994 with 59 percent of the vote.
During the 1990s, the 11th District trended more and more Republican. Edwards was able to hold onto his seat, though with increasingly narrow margins. In 1996, he was re-elected with 57 percent of the vote against Republican Jay Mathis. He won in 1998 without any Republican opponent. In 2000 he won with 55 percent of the vote over Ramsey Farley; in 2002, he beat Farley again, this time with 52 percent of the vote.
As part of the 2003 Texas redistricting
, Edwards' district was renumbered as the 17th District
and radically altered. The ethnically diverse cities of Temple
and Killeen
were removed. The Army post of Fort Hood was also removed. In their place, his district absorbed College Station, home to Texas A&M and a long-standing bastion of conservatism. It also absorbed several heavily Republican areas west of Fort Worth. While Edwards' old district had been trending Republican for some time, the new district was, on paper, one of the most Republican districts in the country. Edwards defeated conservative State Representative Arlene Wohlgemuth
in November 2004 by 9,260 votes, or approximately a 3.8% margin. Proving just how Republican this district was, Bush carried the 17th with a staggering 70 percent of the vote—the most of any Democratic-held district, and Bush's 17th-best district in the entire country. Edwards was one of two Democrats to represent a significant portion of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, along with Eddie Bernice Johnson
. In much of this district, Edwards was the only elected Democrat above the county level. It was generally understood that the district would be taken over by a Republican once Edwards retired.
In 2006, Edwards ran for reelection against Republican Van Taylor
, a former Marine Corps reservist and Iraq War veteran, and was re-elected with 58% of the vote to Taylor's 40%.
On February 18, 2008, Edwards officially endorsed Barack Obama
in the Texas March 4 Democratic primary. In late June 2008, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
publicly suggested that Edwards would be a great choice as Obama's vice-presidential running mate
. Edwards stated that he would accept such an offer from Obama. On August 22, the Associated Press
reported that Edwards was on Obama's short-list as a potential running-mate.
video business owner, with 53 percent of the vote. John McCain
carried the 17th with 67 percent of the vote.
, a retired Bryan
oil and gas executive.
Edwards had been endorsed by the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Nate Silver
in the FiveThirtyEight.com
New York Times blog predicted that there was a 4.7% chance that Edwards would defeat Flores. Real Clear Politics rated this race "Likely Republican".
On November 2, 2010, Flores' margin of victory over Edwards was 62-37 percent. This was the largest margin of defeat for a Democratic incumbent in the 2010 cycle. Edwards' term ended on January 3, 2011.
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 Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He represented a district based in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
from 1991 to 2011, and served in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
from 1983 until 1990. 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...
. Edwards was on 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...
's Vice Presidential shortlist in 2008 .
Early years, education and career
A Waco resident, Edwards was born in Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. He graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in 1974, earning a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. One of his professors was future U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator Phil Gramm
Phil Gramm
William Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas...
. Upon graduation, he received the Earl Rudder Award, which is given to two outstanding seniors.
After graduation, Edwards worked as an aide to Congressman Olin E. Teague
Olin E. Teague
Olin Earl "Tiger" Teague was a notable World War II veteran and Congressional representative for Texas's 6th congressional district for 32 years, from 1946 to 1978...
for three years. When Teague announced his retirement in 1978, Edwards ran in 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....
to succeed him. He lost by only 115 votes to his former professor, Phil Gramm, who switched to 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...
affiliation in 1983.
In 1981, Edwards earned his MBA from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. He then went to work for the Trammell Crow
Trammell Crow
F. Trammell Crow was an American real estate developer. Crow is credited for creating several famous real estate projects, including Dallas Market Center, Peachtree Center , and San Francisco's Embarcadero Center.-Biography:Crow was born in Dallas, Texas...
Company as a commercial real estate agent. Later, Edwards purchased several rural radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
stations in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
.
Texas Senate
Edwards was elected to the Texas SenateTexas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
in 1983, and served until 1990, representing District 9
Texas Senate, District 9
District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 9 is Chris Harris.-2004:-2002:-2000:...
. In the Texas Senate, Edwards was a member of the Senate Education Committee which oversaw class size reduction in public schools. He was named by Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
as one of the "Ten Outstanding Legislators" during his tenure.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AppropriationsUnited States House Committee on AppropriationsThe Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water DevelopmentUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water DevelopmentThe House Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:* Official page...
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General GovernmentUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General GovernmentU.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Service and General Government is a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations. It was created in 2007 align the operations of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees...
- Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
- 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...
Political positions
Edwards is a moderate Democrat according to a nonpartisan organization GovTrack. He was also a leader in the House of Representatives.Edwards broke ranks with many Democrats by voting against the healthcare bill (H.R.3962), "After listening to thousands of my constituents and carefully reviewing the legislation, I have made a decision to vote no on the House healthcare reform bill." However, he has stated his opposition to caps on medical malpractice lawsuits.
Fiscal policy
Edwards opposed the 2001 federal tax cuts and voted against eliminating the marriage penaltyMarriage penalty
The marriage penalty in the United States refers to the higher taxes required from some married couples, where spouses are making approximately the same taxable income, filing one tax return than for the same two people filing two separate tax returns if they were unmarried...
and estate tax. He voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
.
Social policy
He traditionally votes against same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. He has voted in favor of Constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, as well as to define marriage one-man-one-woman, and holds a 25% rating from the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
. Edwards voted against ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions and received an 83% rating from the NAACP in 2006. Edwards has received an "A" by the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
.
In 2008, Edwards successfully introduced legislation to earmark $150 million toward a cure for neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid cancer in childhood and the most common cancer in infancy, with an annual incidence of about 650 cases per year in the US , and 100 cases per year in the UK . Close to 50 percent of neuroblastoma cases occur in children younger than two years old...
, a pediatric cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. In July 2008, the measure was signed into law by U.S. President 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....
. Edwards was inspired in the endeavor by the illness and subsequent death of Erin Channing Buenger (1997-2009) of Bryan
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
, daughter of one of his constituents, Walter L. Buenger
Walter L. Buenger
Walter Louis Buenger is an historian of Texas and the American South and, since 2003, the head of the department of history at Texas A&M University in College Station.-Background:...
, head of the history department at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
.
Political campaigns
Edwards was elected to the U.S. House in 1990 with 54 percent of the vote in what was then the 11th DistrictTexas's 11th congressional district
-References:*...
, defeating Republican Hugh Shine. He was re-elected in 1992 with 67 percent of the vote, defeating Republican James Broyles. He defeated Broyles again in 1994 with 59 percent of the vote.
During the 1990s, the 11th District trended more and more Republican. Edwards was able to hold onto his seat, though with increasingly narrow margins. In 1996, he was re-elected with 57 percent of the vote against Republican Jay Mathis. He won in 1998 without any Republican opponent. In 2000 he won with 55 percent of the vote over Ramsey Farley; in 2002, he beat Farley again, this time with 52 percent of the vote.
As part of the 2003 Texas redistricting
2003 Texas redistricting
The 2003 Texas redistricting refers to a controversial mid-decade congressional redistricting plan appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry...
, Edwards' district was renumbered as the 17th District
Texas's 17th congressional district
-References:*...
and radically altered. The ethnically diverse cities of Temple
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
and Killeen
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
were removed. The Army post of Fort Hood was also removed. In their place, his district absorbed College Station, home to Texas A&M and a long-standing bastion of conservatism. It also absorbed several heavily Republican areas west of Fort Worth. While Edwards' old district had been trending Republican for some time, the new district was, on paper, one of the most Republican districts in the country. Edwards defeated conservative State Representative Arlene Wohlgemuth
Arlene Wohlgemuth
Arlene Wohlgemuth, U.S. politician, was the Republican nominee for the 17th Congressional District of Texas in 2004. She lost 51% to 48% to Chet Edwards....
in November 2004 by 9,260 votes, or approximately a 3.8% margin. Proving just how Republican this district was, Bush carried the 17th with a staggering 70 percent of the vote—the most of any Democratic-held district, and Bush's 17th-best district in the entire country. Edwards was one of two Democrats to represent a significant portion of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, along with Eddie Bernice Johnson
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Eddie Bernice Johnson is a politician from the state of Texas, currently representing the state's in the United States House of Representatives. She is the first registered nurse elected to the US Congress....
. In much of this district, Edwards was the only elected Democrat above the county level. It was generally understood that the district would be taken over by a Republican once Edwards retired.
In 2006, Edwards ran for reelection against Republican Van Taylor
Van Taylor
Nicholas Van Campen "Van" Taylor is a Texas businessman and Iraq War veteran and represents District 66 in the Texas State House.-Early years:...
, a former Marine Corps reservist and Iraq War veteran, and was re-elected with 58% of the vote to Taylor's 40%.
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...
in the Texas March 4 Democratic primary. In late June 2008, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
publicly suggested that Edwards would be a great choice as Obama's vice-presidential running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
. Edwards stated that he would accept such an offer from Obama. On August 22, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Edwards was on Obama's short-list as a potential running-mate.
2008
In November 2008, Edwards was reelected by defeating Republican Rob Curnock, a WacoWaco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
video business owner, with 53 percent of the vote. 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....
carried the 17th with 67 percent of the vote.
2010
Edwards was challenged by Republican nominee Bill FloresBill Flores
William H. "Bill" Flores is the U.S. Representative for . The district, located in the middle of the state, includes Waco, College Station and Bryan. He is a member of the Republican Party and the former CEO of Phoenix Exploration Company, an oil and natural gas exploration company.-Early life and...
, a retired Bryan
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
oil and gas executive.
Edwards had been endorsed by the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
Nate Silver
Nate Silver
Nathaniel Read "Nate" Silver is an American statistician, psephologist, and writer. Silver first gained public recognition for developing PECOTA, a system for forecasting the performance and career development of Major League Baseball players, which he sold to and then managed for Baseball...
in the FiveThirtyEight.com
FiveThirtyEight.com
FiveThirtyEight is a polling aggregation website with a blog created by Nate Silver. Sometimes colloquially referred to as 538 dot com or just 538, the website takes its name from the number of electors in the United States electoral college...
New York Times blog predicted that there was a 4.7% chance that Edwards would defeat Flores. Real Clear Politics rated this race "Likely Republican".
On November 2, 2010, Flores' margin of victory over Edwards was 62-37 percent. This was the largest margin of defeat for a Democratic incumbent in the 2010 cycle. Edwards' term ended on January 3, 2011.
Personal life
Edwards is married to Lea Ann Wood from Paducah, Kentucky. They have two sons, J.T. and Garrison.External links
- Chet Edwards for U.S. Congress official campaign site