Ric Keller
Encyclopedia
Richard Anthony "Ric" Keller (born September 5, 1964) is an American
politician, and was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives
, representing .
Keller was defeated in his bid for a fifth term by Democrat
Alan Grayson
.
. He received a bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University
, where he graduated first in his class in 1986, and a law degree from Vanderbilt University
in 1992. He was a lawyer in Florida before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2000.
Keller served as the chairman of the House higher education subcommittee. As the only Floridian in Congress to serve on the House Education and the Workforce Committee (now "Education and Labor"), Congressman Keller was the state's point man on education and workforce issues in Washington. Congressman Keller also sat on the House Judiciary Committee, where he was a leading advocate of the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program to put more law enforcement officers on the streets.
In March 2003, Keller and his wife of 10 years, Cathleen, divorced. He and his ex-wife split the custody of their two children, with his ex-wife being the primary residential parent. He has since remarried; he and his wife Dee Dee live in Orlando. He has four children: Nick, Christy, Kaylee, and Kate.
Keller is now a partner at an Orlando law firm.
In Keller's first run for Congress, he finished in second place in the Republican primary with 31% of the vote, against fellow Republican Bill Sublette
, who had 43%, but defeated Sublette in the runoff election, getting 52% of that vote. During the primary campaign, Keller publicly signed a terms limits pledge while Sublette refused to do so, and Keller made his signing a major part of his campaign.
In the 2000 general election, Keller won with 51% of the vote against Democrat Linda Chapin
.
, Florida's 8th District was redistricted
from a near equal representation (Democrat-Republican) to one that included seven percent more Republicans than Democrats.
Keller readily won the 2002 Congressional election against Democrat Eddie Diaz, winning with 65% of the vote.
, 53% to 46%.
In October, during a debate with Stuart, Keller was asked whether or not, if elected, he would seek a fifth term in 2008. "When I make that decision, I’ll let you know", Keller responded.
Keller was defeated by Democrat Alan Grayson
(campaign website), an attorney for Fried Frank, on Nov. 4th, 2008. Grayson won largely by swamping Keller in Orange County
, home to two-thirds of the district's population—undoubtedly helped by Barack Obama
carrying Orange County by 18 points.
. At the same time, Keller had taken the maximum level of PAC
donations up to $300,000 for his personal campaign funding from restaurants including McDonalds, Wendys and Burger King. The bill would have shielded manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of food and beverages from lawsuits blaming them for "weight gain, obesity, or a health condition related to weight gain or obesity." Keller, who said he was about 20 pounds over his ideal weight, said that he thought consumers should stop blaming "fast food" sellers and "junk food" manufacturers for their weight issues.
In 2005, Keller reintroduced the bill as H.R. 554, the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2005. The bill passed the House but was never voted on by the Senate.
In February 2007, Keller announced during a speech that he was in favor of the Democratic proposal at the time for withdrawing from Iraq
. He stated "Let me give you an analogy. Imagine your next door neighbor refuses to mow his lawn and the weeds are all the way up to his waist. You decide you’re going to mow his lawn for him every single week. The neighbor never says thank you. He hates you and sometimes he takes out a gun and shoots at you. Under these circumstances, do you keep mowing his lawn forever? Do you send even more of your family members over to mow his lawn? Or do you say to that neighbor, ‘You better step it up and mow your own lawn or there’s going to be serious consequences for you’?"
.
. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, and was a Republican member of 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 .
Keller was defeated in his bid for a fifth term by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Alan Grayson
Alan Grayson
Alan Mark Grayson is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party and loves cookies. After losing the election he moved to Austin to start stand-up comedy and a cookie business. The district Grayson represented lies in central Florida...
.
Personal information
Keller was born in Johnson City, TennesseeJohnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
. He received a bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...
, where he graduated first in his class in 1986, and a law degree from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in 1992. He was a lawyer in Florida before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2000.
Keller served as the chairman of the House higher education subcommittee. As the only Floridian in Congress to serve on the House Education and the Workforce Committee (now "Education and Labor"), Congressman Keller was the state's point man on education and workforce issues in Washington. Congressman Keller also sat on the House Judiciary Committee, where he was a leading advocate of the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program to put more law enforcement officers on the streets.
In March 2003, Keller and his wife of 10 years, Cathleen, divorced. He and his ex-wife split the custody of their two children, with his ex-wife being the primary residential parent. He has since remarried; he and his wife Dee Dee live in Orlando. He has four children: Nick, Christy, Kaylee, and Kate.
Keller is now a partner at an Orlando law firm.
Committee assignments
- Education and the Workforce Committee (now "Education and Labor")
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
- Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness (Chairman and Ranking Member)
- Judiciary Committee
- Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property
- Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
- Antitrust Task Force and Competition Policy
2000
Bill Sublette
Bill Sublette is a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001.Bill Sublette was born April 12, 1963 in Walnut Creek, California....
, who had 43%, but defeated Sublette in the runoff election, getting 52% of that vote. During the primary campaign, Keller publicly signed a terms limits pledge while Sublette refused to do so, and Keller made his signing a major part of his campaign.
In the 2000 general election, Keller won with 51% of the vote against Democrat Linda Chapin
Linda Chapin
Linda Welch Chapin, a Florida politician, was the first chairman of the Orange County Commission and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives....
.
2002
After the 2001 Congressional re-apportionmentUnited States congressional apportionment
United States congressional apportionment is the process by which seats in the United States House of Representatives are redistributed amongst the 50 states following each constitutionally mandated decennial census. Each state is apportioned a number of seats which approximately corresponds to its...
, Florida's 8th District was redistricted
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
from a near equal representation (Democrat-Republican) to one that included seven percent more Republicans than Democrats.
Keller readily won the 2002 Congressional election against Democrat Eddie Diaz, winning with 65% of the vote.
2004
In 2004 Keller won his third term with 60% of the vote against Democrat challenger Stephen Murray.2006
In 2006, Keller won the Republican primary with 72% of the vote, defeating businesswoman Elizabeth Doran. In the general election, Keller defeated Democrat Charlie StuartCharlie Stuart
The Florida 8th congressional district election, 2006 was an election for the United States House of Representatives. Republican Congressman Ric Keller defeated Democratic businessman Charlie Stuart to win a fourth term.-Candidates:...
, 53% to 46%.
In October, during a debate with Stuart, Keller was asked whether or not, if elected, he would seek a fifth term in 2008. "When I make that decision, I’ll let you know", Keller responded.
2008
Keller ran for re-election in 2008 after deciding not to keep his term limits pledge. Keller said, "I don’t like making mistakes, but I admit that was a big one. As a rookie candidate, I underestimated the value of experience and seniority." He won against Todd Long, an Orlando attorney and radio talkshow host, in the Republican primary.Keller was defeated by Democrat Alan Grayson
Alan Grayson
Alan Mark Grayson is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party and loves cookies. After losing the election he moved to Austin to start stand-up comedy and a cookie business. The district Grayson represented lies in central Florida...
(campaign website), an attorney for Fried Frank, on Nov. 4th, 2008. Grayson won largely by swamping Keller in Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, home to two-thirds of the district's population—undoubtedly helped by 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...
carrying Orange County by 18 points.
Cheeseburger Bill
In 2003, Keller was sponsor of H.R. 339, the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption ActPersonal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act
The American Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, also known as the Cheeseburger Bill, sought to protect producers and retailers of foods—such as McDonald's Corporation—from an increasing number of suits and class action suits by obese consumers. To date these suits have...
. At the same time, Keller had taken the maximum level of PAC
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...
donations up to $300,000 for his personal campaign funding from restaurants including McDonalds, Wendys and Burger King. The bill would have shielded manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of food and beverages from lawsuits blaming them for "weight gain, obesity, or a health condition related to weight gain or obesity." Keller, who said he was about 20 pounds over his ideal weight, said that he thought consumers should stop blaming "fast food" sellers and "junk food" manufacturers for their weight issues.
In 2005, Keller reintroduced the bill as H.R. 554, the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2005. The bill passed the House but was never voted on by the Senate.
Iraq War
In June 2006, Keller voted to affirm that the war in Iraq was part of the Global War on Terror, and against any exit date for the war.In February 2007, Keller announced during a speech that he was in favor of the Democratic proposal at the time for withdrawing from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He stated "Let me give you an analogy. Imagine your next door neighbor refuses to mow his lawn and the weeds are all the way up to his waist. You decide you’re going to mow his lawn for him every single week. The neighbor never says thank you. He hates you and sometimes he takes out a gun and shoots at you. Under these circumstances, do you keep mowing his lawn forever? Do you send even more of your family members over to mow his lawn? Or do you say to that neighbor, ‘You better step it up and mow your own lawn or there’s going to be serious consequences for you’?"
Position on 2008 "Bailout"
On September 29, 2008, Keller voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...
.
Other issues
Keller is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online pokerPoker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.
External links
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
CongresspediaCongresspediaCongresspedia was a wiki that ran from April 2006 to March 2009, designed to hold information on the workings of the U.S. Congress. It was fully contained within SourceWatch, a larger wiki meant to document the people, organizations and issues shaping the public agenda. The Congresspedia portion of...