Helen Chenoweth-Hage
Encyclopedia
Helen P. Chenoweth-Hage, born Helen Margaret Palmer (January 27, 1938 – October 2, 2006) was a Republican
politician
from the U.S. state
of Idaho
, the first Republican woman to represent that state in the United States Congress
.
, Oregon
. A musician, horse enthusiast and athlete, she attended Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington
where she met her first husband Nick Chenoweth. The two were married in 1958.
Helen and Nick Chenoweth had two children, Michael Chenoweth and Margaret (Meg) Chenoweth, both born in Orofino
, Idaho, where Helen developed and managed the Northside Medical Clinic. There she developed a physician recruitment practice where she recruited doctors for under-served rural
communities.
Chenoweth was divorced in 1975 and moved to Boise to become executive director of the Idaho Republican Party
. Later she went on to serve as then-Congressman Steve Symms
' District Director in 1977 through his election in 1978 after which she started her own business, Consulting Associates, and became a noteworthy lobbyist in the Idaho capital city.
, Chenoweth won the Republican nomination for Idaho's 1st Congressional District over former Lieutenant Governor David H. Leroy
and two other challengers. She pledged to serve no more than three terms in the United States House of Representatives
if elected. She defeated two-term Democratic
incumbent Larry LaRocco
by almost 11 points in the Republican wave that saw that party take control of the House for the first time in 40 years. During the campaign, Chenoweth attacked LaRocco for supporting the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
; he was the only Idahoan in either chamber to back the bill. While Chenoweth's victory was one of many instances of historically Republican districts reverting to form after being held by Democrats, it was still surprising considering that LaRocco had won re-election in 1992 by almost 21 points.
With her victory in 1994, Chenoweth became the second woman to represent Idaho in the United States Congress
and one of few members of Congress to be elected by her peers to a committee chair (House Subcommittee on Forest and Forest Health) after only one term.
As one of the "true believers" in the Republican
freshman class of 1995
, Chenoweth was considered one of the most conservative
members of the House, staunchly opposing regulation, and supporting school prayer
. One measure placed her as the most conservative woman to serve in Congress between 1937 and 2004. Much was made of her "insistence" on the title "Congressman Chenoweth," (as opposed to the more common "Congresswoman"). In fact she simply found the term "Congresswoman" unwieldy herself but was reported not to have objected when others used it in reference to her.
During her tenure, she was referred to by her most outspoken critics as a "poster-child for the militias
," and in February 1995 she voiced the suspicion that armed federal agents were landing black helicopters
on Idaho ranchers' property to enforce the Endangered Species Act
, in line with a longstanding conspiracy theory
. "I have never seen them," Chenoweth said in an interview in The New York Times
. "But enough people in my district have become concerned that I can't just ignore it. We do have some proof." The Los Angeles Times
editorialized that during the campaign she gained national attention by "holding 'endangered salmon bakes' during fundraisers, serving canned salmon to ridicule the listing of Idaho salmon
as an endangered species
." She was quoted as saying in response, "It's the white, Anglo-Saxon male that's endangered today."
Chenoweth remained a controversial and polarizing figure in Idaho politics throughout her career. While in Congress she articulated and defended a freedom philosophy that was simultaneously cherished and derided by supporters and opponents.
during the Lewinsky scandal
and was one of the first to call for his resignation over the affair, although she admitted that she had carried on a six-year illicit romance with married rancher Vernon Ravenscroft, when she worked for his natural-resources consulting firm during the 1980s. Chenoweth claimed that her case was different from the Clinton/Lewinsky case since she was a private citizen at the time, and claimed her case was different because "I've asked for God's forgiveness, and I've received it."
Chenoweth faced a reasonably well-funded challenge in 1996
from Democratic activist Dan Williams, but was reelected in a close contest. Chenoweth defeated Williams again in 1998
by a wider margin. She later said that she regretted limiting herself to three terms and called the whole concept of term limits bad policy. She nonetheless honored her pledge and did not run for reelection to a fourth term in 2000. She was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Butch Otter, a fellow Republican. Since her retirement, no women have represented Idaho in Congress.
ranch, where the two continued to write and speak on private property rights issues. Wayne Hage died at the age of 68 on June 5, 2006.
After leaving Congress, Chenoweth-Hage continued to make headlines. In 2003 at the Boise Airport
she was selected by the Transportation Security Administration
for a hand search before they would permit her to board a plane for her Nevada home. Chenoweth-Hage requested to see a copy of the regulation granting United States Department of Homeland Security
the authority to search her without cause. When the request was denied, she refused to submit to the search and elected to make the 300 miles (482.8 km) trip by rental car. "Our borders are wide open and yet they're shaking down a 66-year-old white grandmother they greeted by name," she said of the incident. "It's time the American people say no to this kind of invasion. It's a question of personal privacy. There shouldn't be that kind of search without reasonable cause."
On October 2, 2006, Chenoweth-Hage was killed after being thrown from the backseat of a vehicle that overturned on an isolated central Nevada
highway near Tonopah
. She was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car. Her daughter-in-law (who was driving) and grandson (who was sitting on her lap) suffered only minor injuries.
Chenoweth-Hage was memorialized at a service held in Meridian, Idaho
, on October 9, 2006.
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...
politician
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, the first Republican woman to represent that state in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Early life and career
Chenoweth-Hage grew up on her father's dairy farm in Grants PassGrants Pass, Oregon
-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. A musician, horse enthusiast and athlete, she attended Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
where she met her first husband Nick Chenoweth. The two were married in 1958.
Helen and Nick Chenoweth had two children, Michael Chenoweth and Margaret (Meg) Chenoweth, both born in Orofino
Orofino, Idaho
Orofino is a city in Clearwater County, Idaho, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwater River. The population was 3,247 at the 2000 census, and the city is the county seat of Clearwater County...
, Idaho, where Helen developed and managed the Northside Medical Clinic. There she developed a physician recruitment practice where she recruited doctors for under-served rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
communities.
Chenoweth was divorced in 1975 and moved to Boise to become executive director of the Idaho Republican Party
Idaho Republican Party
The Idaho Republican Party, the Idaho state affiliate of the United States Republican Party, is the dominant political party in the state of Idaho. Republicans control the all constitutional offices, with C.L. "Butch" Otter as Governor. They also control by large margins the state Senate and House...
. Later she went on to serve as then-Congressman Steve Symms
Steve Symms
Steven Douglas Symms was a four-term congressman and two-term U.S. senator from Idaho. He was among the most conservative members of the Republican Party...
' District Director in 1977 through his election in 1978 after which she started her own business, Consulting Associates, and became a noteworthy lobbyist in the Idaho capital city.
Election and Congressional career
In 1994United 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...
, Chenoweth won the Republican nomination for Idaho's 1st Congressional District over former Lieutenant Governor David H. Leroy
David H. Leroy
David H. Leroy is a Republican politician from Idaho active in the 1970s and 1980s. He served as the 36th Lieutenant Governor of Idaho between 1983 and 1987....
and two other challengers. She pledged to serve no more than three terms 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...
if elected. She defeated two-term Democratic
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...
incumbent Larry LaRocco
Larry LaRocco
Larry LaRocco is a Democratic politician from the US state of Idaho, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. LaRocco was defeated by Republican Jim Risch for the open U.S. Senate seat in Idaho in 2008....
by almost 11 points in the Republican wave that saw that party take control of the House for the first time in 40 years. During the campaign, Chenoweth attacked LaRocco for supporting the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 was federal law that was enacted by the 103rd United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It has also been referred to, unofficially, as the Deficit Reduction Act of 1993...
; he was the only Idahoan in either chamber to back the bill. While Chenoweth's victory was one of many instances of historically Republican districts reverting to form after being held by Democrats, it was still surprising considering that LaRocco had won re-election in 1992 by almost 21 points.
With her victory in 1994, Chenoweth became the second woman to represent Idaho in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and one of few members of Congress to be elected by her peers to a committee chair (House Subcommittee on Forest and Forest Health) after only one term.
As one of the "true believers" in the 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...
freshman class of 1995
104th United States Congress
The One Hundred Fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1995 to January 3, 1997, during the third and...
, Chenoweth was considered one of the most conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
members of the House, staunchly opposing regulation, and supporting school prayer
School prayer
School prayer in its common usage refers to state-approved prayer by students in state schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, organized prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited...
. One measure placed her as the most conservative woman to serve in Congress between 1937 and 2004. Much was made of her "insistence" on the title "Congressman Chenoweth," (as opposed to the more common "Congresswoman"). In fact she simply found the term "Congresswoman" unwieldy herself but was reported not to have objected when others used it in reference to her.
During her tenure, she was referred to by her most outspoken critics as a "poster-child for the militias
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
," and in February 1995 she voiced the suspicion that armed federal agents were landing black helicopters
Black helicopters
Black helicopters is a term which became popular in the United States militia movement and its associated political circles in the 1990s as a symbol and warning sign of an alleged conspiratorial military takeover of the United States, though it has also been associated with men in black and similar...
on Idaho ranchers' property to enforce the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
, in line with a longstanding conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
. "I have never seen them," Chenoweth said in an interview in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. "But enough people in my district have become concerned that I can't just ignore it. We do have some proof." The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
editorialized that during the campaign she gained national attention by "holding 'endangered salmon bakes' during fundraisers, serving canned salmon to ridicule the listing of Idaho salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
." She was quoted as saying in response, "It's the white, Anglo-Saxon male that's endangered today."
Chenoweth remained a controversial and polarizing figure in Idaho politics throughout her career. While in Congress she articulated and defended a freedom philosophy that was simultaneously cherished and derided by supporters and opponents.
Criticism of President Clinton and Affair
She was a critic of President Bill ClintonBill 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...
during the Lewinsky scandal
Lewinsky scandal
The Lewinsky scandal was a political sex scandal emerging in 1998 from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a 25-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of...
and was one of the first to call for his resignation over the affair, although she admitted that she had carried on a six-year illicit romance with married rancher Vernon Ravenscroft, when she worked for his natural-resources consulting firm during the 1980s. Chenoweth claimed that her case was different from the Clinton/Lewinsky case since she was a private citizen at the time, and claimed her case was different because "I've asked for God's forgiveness, and I've received it."
Chenoweth faced a reasonably well-funded challenge in 1996
United States House elections, 1996
The U.S. House election, 1996 was an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 5, 1996, which coincided with the re-election of Bill Clinton as President of the United States. Clinton's Democratic Party won a net of nine seats from the Republican Party, but the Republicans...
from Democratic activist Dan Williams, but was reelected in a close contest. Chenoweth defeated Williams again in 1998
United States House elections, 1998
The U.S. House elections in 1998 were part of the midterm elections held during President Bill Clinton's second term. They were a major disappointment to the Republican Party, which was expecting to gain seats due to the embarrassment Clinton suffered during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and the...
by a wider margin. She later said that she regretted limiting herself to three terms and called the whole concept of term limits bad policy. She nonetheless honored her pledge and did not run for reelection to a fourth term in 2000. She was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Butch Otter, a fellow Republican. Since her retirement, no women have represented Idaho in Congress.
Later life and death
During her final term in 1999, Chenoweth married rancher and author Wayne Hage in Boise and changed her name to Helen Chenoweth-Hage. After leaving Congress, she moved to Hage's NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
ranch, where the two continued to write and speak on private property rights issues. Wayne Hage died at the age of 68 on June 5, 2006.
After leaving Congress, Chenoweth-Hage continued to make headlines. In 2003 at the Boise Airport
Boise Airport
Boise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
she was selected by the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
for a hand search before they would permit her to board a plane for her Nevada home. Chenoweth-Hage requested to see a copy of the regulation granting United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
the authority to search her without cause. When the request was denied, she refused to submit to the search and elected to make the 300 miles (482.8 km) trip by rental car. "Our borders are wide open and yet they're shaking down a 66-year-old white grandmother they greeted by name," she said of the incident. "It's time the American people say no to this kind of invasion. It's a question of personal privacy. There shouldn't be that kind of search without reasonable cause."
On October 2, 2006, Chenoweth-Hage was killed after being thrown from the backseat of a vehicle that overturned on an isolated central Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
highway near Tonopah
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
. She was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car. Her daughter-in-law (who was driving) and grandson (who was sitting on her lap) suffered only minor injuries.
Chenoweth-Hage was memorialized at a service held in Meridian, Idaho
Meridian, Idaho
-History:The town was established in 1891 on the Onweiler farm north of the present site and was called Hunter. Two years later an I.O.O.F. lodge was organized and called itself Meridian because it was located on the Boise Meridian and the town was renamed...
, on October 9, 2006.
Electoral history
- 1998 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — 1st District
- Helen Chenoweth (R) (inc.), 55%
- Dan Williams (D), 45%
- 1996 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — 1st District
- Helen Chenoweth (R) (inc.), 49%
- Dan Williams (D), 48%
- 1994 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — 1st District
- Helen Chenoweth (R), 55%
- Larry LaRoccoLarry LaRoccoLarry LaRocco is a Democratic politician from the US state of Idaho, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. LaRocco was defeated by Republican Jim Risch for the open U.S. Senate seat in Idaho in 2008....
(D) (inc.), 45%