Rob Simmons
Encyclopedia
Robert Ruhl "Rob" Simmons (born February 11, 1943) is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. Congressman from Connecticut. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives
from 2001 to 2007, representing Connecticut's Second Congressional District as a Republican
.
Simmons ran as a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator from Connecticut in 2010. While he originally led in the polls early on, Linda McMahon
gained traction on him in the primary and won at the Republican convention. Simmons was deeply disappointed by his loss and later suspended his campaign. In late July – two weeks before the primary – however, he re-entered the race by airing TV ads, participating in debates, and accepting interviews with editorial boards. Simmons, however, went on to lose the primary to McMahon.
, Simmons attended Haverford College
, graduating in 1965. Simmons enlisted in the United States Army
as a Private, serving in active duty from 1965 to 1969. Simmons graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School
in 1967, and became a commissioned officer. He fought honorably in the Vietnam War, and earned two Bronze Star Medal
s for his service. He was in Vietnam for 19 months.
After his active duty service, Simmons served in the United States Army Reserve
as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1969 to 2003, retiring at the rank of full colonel. Simmons led the 434th Military Intelligence Detachment (Strategic) affiliated with Yale University
, and in this capacity led the writing of the "Open Source Intelligence Guide for the Military Intelligence Officer." Under his command, the unit was subsequently selected as the best small unit in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1996 by the Reserve Officers Association.
, working as an Operations Officer for a decade, including five years on assignment overseas in East Asia. According to an article by journalist Douglas Valentine in the book "Everything you know is wrong", Simmons ran the Phu Yen Province Interrogation Center from November 1970 to June 1972 and "mounted numerous paramilitary and psychological warfare operations against" the Viet Cong. (Simmons was awarded the CIA's Agency Seal Medal
in 1985.) In 1979 he earned a Master of Public Administration
from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
. In 1979 he became a staff member for Senator John Chafee
of Rhode Island
, and then in 1981 the Staff Director for the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
then under the Chairmanship of Senator Barry Goldwater
(R-AZ).
Leaving the Senate staff, he became both a professor of political science at Yale College and the University of Connecticut, and a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
from 1990 to 2000 before running for Congress.
submarine
shipyard in Groton
and the nearby Naval Submarine Base New London
. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) targeted the United States Navy
's New London
submarine base for closure. Simmons led the successful fight to save the base and the BRAC removed it from its closure list on August 24, 2005.
Simmons also served on the House Homeland Security Committee. While Chairman of the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment, he was a strong advocate of improved intelligence-sharing between federal, state, and local authorities. Simmons also championed Open Source Intelligence
(OSINT) on the Hill, where he was successful in inserting language into the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act which legally defined open source intelligence and required the Department of Defense to establish an OSINT program. He likewise spearheaded an effort to establish an open source intelligence unit at the Department of Homeland Security.
, 2000:
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
, 2002:
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
, 2004:
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
, 2006:
defeating ten-term Democratic incumbent Sam Gejdenson
by only 2,000 votes.
Despite being in the most Democratic GOP-held seat in the nation and being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
as a possible pickup in 2002, Simmons fought off a challenge from Democrat Joe Courtney
, a former state representative from Vernon
, winning 54% to 46%.
In 2004, Simmons defeated his Democratic challenger, Norwich
City Councilman Jim Sullivan, by a margin of 54% to 46%.
In 2005, the NRCC
listed Simmons as one of their most vulnerable members and his seat was widely seen as a possible Democratic pickup in 2006. Courtney was once again the Democratic nominee in 2006 and the race was considered a toss-up.
On election night Simmons trailed his challenger, Joe Courtney, by 167 votes out of over 242,000 votes cast. This margin was small enough to trigger an automatic recount under Connecticut law. During this recount, elections officials discovered several errors in the original vote. The recount concluded on November 14 giving Courtney an 83 vote victory over Simmons.
As Simmons fared far better than other defeated Republican incumbents it was speculated he would try for a political comeback in 2008, which he did not rule out in conceding the 2006 election to Courtney. However, on March 4, 2007, on an episode of Face the State, he stated that he would not challenge Joe Courtney in 2008.
to become the State's first Business Advocate. The Office of the Business Advocate was established as part of the Governor's 2006 "Jobs for the 21st Century" Act (PA 06-83), for the purpose of providing centralized assistance to businesses in the state, and to pro-actively provide assistance to businesses of broader economic significance to the State.
for the United States Senate in 2010. A May 2009 poll showed Simmons leading Dodd by six points, with the lead growing to 13 points in a December 2009 poll. Sen. Chris Dodd since announced that he would not be seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate due to high pressure from the Democratic Party leaders, falling poll numbers, and controversy over business dealings with Countrywide Financial.
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 2001 to 2007, representing Connecticut's Second Congressional District as a 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...
.
Simmons ran as a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator from Connecticut in 2010. While he originally led in the polls early on, Linda McMahon
Linda McMahon
Linda Marie McMahon is an American professional wrestling magnate and politician. She is notable for her career developing WWE with her husband Vince McMahon. She was in the company from 1980 to 2009. During this time, WWE grew from a small regional business in New York to a large multinational...
gained traction on him in the primary and won at the Republican convention. Simmons was deeply disappointed by his loss and later suspended his campaign. In late July – two weeks before the primary – however, he re-entered the race by airing TV ads, participating in debates, and accepting interviews with editorial boards. Simmons, however, went on to lose the primary to McMahon.
Military career
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Simmons attended Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
, graduating in 1965. Simmons enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a Private, serving in active duty from 1965 to 1969. Simmons graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army)
The United States Army's Officer Candidate School , located at Fort Benning, Georgia, provides training to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army...
in 1967, and became a commissioned officer. He fought honorably in the Vietnam War, and earned two Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
s for his service. He was in Vietnam for 19 months.
After his active duty service, Simmons served in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1969 to 2003, retiring at the rank of full colonel. Simmons led the 434th Military Intelligence Detachment (Strategic) affiliated with Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, and in this capacity led the writing of the "Open Source Intelligence Guide for the Military Intelligence Officer." Under his command, the unit was subsequently selected as the best small unit in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1996 by the Reserve Officers Association.
Early political career
In 1969 he joined the Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, working as an Operations Officer for a decade, including five years on assignment overseas in East Asia. According to an article by journalist Douglas Valentine in the book "Everything you know is wrong", Simmons ran the Phu Yen Province Interrogation Center from November 1970 to June 1972 and "mounted numerous paramilitary and psychological warfare operations against" the Viet Cong. (Simmons was awarded the CIA's Agency Seal Medal
Agency Seal Medal
The Agency Seal Medal is awarded by the Central Intelligence Agency to non-Agency personnel, including U.S. Government employees and private citizens, who have made significant contributions to the Agency’s intelligence efforts...
in 1985.) In 1979 he earned a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
. In 1979 he became a staff member for Senator John Chafee
John Chafee
John Lester Hubbard Chafee was an American politician. He served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as the Secretary of the Navy, and as a United States Senator.-Early life and family:...
of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and then in 1981 the Staff Director for the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the federal government of the United States who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The...
then under the Chairmanship of Senator Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
(R-AZ).
Leaving the Senate staff, he became both a professor of political science at Yale College and the University of Connecticut, and a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
from 1990 to 2000 before running for Congress.
Overview
Simmons was a member of the House Armed Services Committee and was involved in issues concerning the district's major defense presence at the Electric BoatElectric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
shipyard in Groton
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
and the nearby Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) targeted the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
's New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
submarine base for closure. Simmons led the successful fight to save the base and the BRAC removed it from its closure list on August 24, 2005.
Simmons also served on the House Homeland Security Committee. While Chairman of the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment, he was a strong advocate of improved intelligence-sharing between federal, state, and local authorities. Simmons also championed Open Source Intelligence
Open source intelligence
Open-source intelligence is a form of intelligence collection management that involves finding, selecting, and acquiring information from publicly available sources and analyzing it to produce actionable intelligence...
(OSINT) on the Hill, where he was successful in inserting language into the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act which legally defined open source intelligence and required the Department of Defense to establish an OSINT program. He likewise spearheaded an effort to establish an open source intelligence unit at the Department of Homeland Security.
Electoral history
Connecticut's 2nd congressional districtConnecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district includes the towns of New London, Norwich, Storrs, Groton, and Southwood Acres....
, 2000:
- Rob Simmons (R) - 114,380 (50.63%)
- Sam GejdensonSam GejdensonSamuel "Sam" Gejdenson is a former United States Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut.Born in a displaced persons camp in Eschwege, Germany, Gejdenson was the child of a Belarussian father and Lithuanian mother. Gejdenson grew up in Bozrah, Connecticut on a dairy farm...
(D) - 111,520 (49.37%)
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district includes the towns of New London, Norwich, Storrs, Groton, and Southwood Acres....
, 2002:
- Rob Simmons (R) - 117,434 (54.09%)
- Joe CourtneyJoe Courtney (politician)Joseph Courtney is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Courtney grew up in suburban Hartford and became a 1975 graduate of Tufts University...
(D) - 99,674 (45.91%)
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district includes the towns of New London, Norwich, Storrs, Groton, and Southwood Acres....
, 2004:
- Rob Simmons (R) - 165,558 (54.18%)
- Jim Sullivan (D) - 139,987 (45.82%)
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district includes the towns of New London, Norwich, Storrs, Groton, and Southwood Acres....
, 2006:
- Joe Courtney (D) - 121,248 (50.02%)
- Rob Simmons (R) - 121,165 (49.98%)
Elections
In 2000, Simmons ran for the United States House of RepresentativesUnited 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...
defeating ten-term Democratic incumbent Sam Gejdenson
Sam Gejdenson
Samuel "Sam" Gejdenson is a former United States Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut.Born in a displaced persons camp in Eschwege, Germany, Gejdenson was the child of a Belarussian father and Lithuanian mother. Gejdenson grew up in Bozrah, Connecticut on a dairy farm...
by only 2,000 votes.
Despite being in the most Democratic GOP-held seat in the nation and being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
as a possible pickup in 2002, Simmons fought off a challenge from Democrat Joe Courtney
Joe Courtney (politician)
Joseph Courtney is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Courtney grew up in suburban Hartford and became a 1975 graduate of Tufts University...
, a former state representative from Vernon
Vernon, Connecticut
Vernon is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 29,179 at the 2010 census.Vernon was incorporated in October, 1808, from Bolton. Vernon contains the former city of Rockville, incorporated in January, 1889. The town of Vernon and city of Rockville consolidated as a...
, winning 54% to 46%.
In 2004, Simmons defeated his Democratic challenger, Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
City Councilman Jim Sullivan, by a margin of 54% to 46%.
In 2005, the NRCC
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
listed Simmons as one of their most vulnerable members and his seat was widely seen as a possible Democratic pickup in 2006. Courtney was once again the Democratic nominee in 2006 and the race was considered a toss-up.
On election night Simmons trailed his challenger, Joe Courtney, by 167 votes out of over 242,000 votes cast. This margin was small enough to trigger an automatic recount under Connecticut law. During this recount, elections officials discovered several errors in the original vote. The recount concluded on November 14 giving Courtney an 83 vote victory over Simmons.
As Simmons fared far better than other defeated Republican incumbents it was speculated he would try for a political comeback in 2008, which he did not rule out in conceding the 2006 election to Courtney. However, on March 4, 2007, on an episode of Face the State, he stated that he would not challenge Joe Courtney in 2008.
Business advocate
On February 26, 2007, Rob Simmons was nominated by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi RellM. Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
to become the State's first Business Advocate. The Office of the Business Advocate was established as part of the Governor's 2006 "Jobs for the 21st Century" Act (PA 06-83), for the purpose of providing centralized assistance to businesses in the state, and to pro-actively provide assistance to businesses of broader economic significance to the State.
2010 U.S. Senate campaign
On March 15, 2009, Simmons announced his intention to challenge Senator Christopher DoddChristopher Dodd
Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....
for the United States Senate in 2010. A May 2009 poll showed Simmons leading Dodd by six points, with the lead growing to 13 points in a December 2009 poll. Sen. Chris Dodd since announced that he would not be seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate due to high pressure from the Democratic Party leaders, falling poll numbers, and controversy over business dealings with Countrywide Financial.
Personal life
Simmons is married to the former Edith Heidi Paffard. They have a son Robert and a daughter Jane.External links
- Rob Simmons for US Senate U.S. Senate campaign website
- record maintained by the Washington Post
- Connecticut Conservative Interview with Simmons