Ron Miller (politician)
Encyclopedia
Ron Miller is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician and businessman 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 Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. He lives in Huntingtown, Maryland
Huntingtown, Maryland
Huntingtown is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,436 at the 2000 census. The community is growing, with many large estate homes in small developments off of Maryland Route 2/4. It has a public high school called Huntingtown High. The...

, and is the communications director for the Calvert County
Calvert County, Maryland
Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It occupies the Calvert Peninsula which is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and on the west by the Patuxent River. Calvert County is part of the Southern Maryland region. Calvert County's residents are among the highest...

 Republican Central Committee. He served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 from 1983–1992, attaining the rank of Captain. He also worked for the Bush administration from 2001 to 2004, serving the United States Government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...

 as a chief information officer (CIO) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...

 (FEMA), and later as a Program Executive Office for the Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...

 (SBA). He also has worked for private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...

 companies, including Science Applications International Corporation
Science Applications International Corporation
SAIC is a FORTUNE 500 scientific, engineering and technology applications company headquartered in the United States with numerous federal, state, and private sector clients...

 and PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....

.

In 2006, Miller ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 for Maryland
United States Congressional Delegations from Maryland
These are tables of congressional delegations from Maryland to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.-United States Senate:The alternating grey and white boxes indicate the duration of the actual six-year Senate terms....

 against Steny Hoyer
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....

. Miller dropped out of that race at the request of then-Governor Bob Ehrlich and announced his bid for state Senate instead. In the end, he lost to Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, Jr. On April 9, 2009, he announced he will be running for that seat again in 2010.

Early life and family

Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...

, Miller is the oldest of four children. His father, Lafayette Miller, Jr., was an airman in the U.S. Air Force who met and married his mother, Mary Jean Lubin, a Lake Charles native, while stationed at Chennault Air Force Base
Chennault Air Force Base
Chennault Air Force Base was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located near Lake Charles, Louisiana. It was closed in 1963.-Origins:...

. Miller moved frequently in conjunction with his father's military assignments, living in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, 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....

, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, and 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...

 in the United States, and in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 overseas, before his 18th birthday. After graduation from Abilene Cooper High School, Miller attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...

 and Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas
Kingsville, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,575 people, 8,943 households, and 6,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,848.8 people per square mile . There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 753.8 per square mile...

 (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) before attending and graduating from Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...

 in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...

 in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree in Political Science. It was at Texas Tech where he met his wife, Annik (ah-NEEK), a French student studying translation & simultaneous interpretation at the Dolmetscherschule Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland (now the School of Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
The Zurich University of Applied Sciences , located in the city of Winterthur, with facilities in Zurich and Wädenswil, is the second largest University in Switzerland after the University of Zurich.* University of Zurich: around 25000 Students...

), and who was in the U.S. on a semester abroad. They were married on July 14, 1984 and have three children, daughters Amanda and Briana and son Colin.

Military career

Miller received his commission in the U.S. Air Force upon graduation from Texas Tech University and served over nine years as an Air Intelligence Officer
Air Intelligence Officer
An air intelligence officer serves to collect information about air operations and assist in the direction of their execution for maximum effect...

, with duty assignments at Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...

, Colorado near Denver, Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...

, Nebraska near Omaha, the Tactical Fusion Center (TFC) near Boerfink, Germany and Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...

, Florida near Cocoa Beach. He attained the rank of Captain and received the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Commendation Medal. During his time of service, he attended the European branch of Troy State University, where he received a Master of Science degree in International Relations in 1989. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in July 1992.

Professional career

Miller was a senior operations analyst, project manager and division manager for Science Applications International Corporation
Science Applications International Corporation
SAIC is a FORTUNE 500 scientific, engineering and technology applications company headquartered in the United States with numerous federal, state, and private sector clients...

 (SAIC) from 1992 to 2000 in Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...

, Stuttgart, Germany and Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

. He was an information technology (IT) project manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....

 from 2000 to 2001. In 2001, he was appointed by the administration of 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....

 as the chief information officer (CIO) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...

 (FEMA). He served at FEMA from 2001 to 2002 and was subsequently assigned to the White House Homeland Security Transition Planning Office. After the Department of Homeland Security was officially launched, Miller moved to the U.S. Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...

 (SBA) as the Program Executive Officer for E-Government. He left the Bush Administration to return to the private sector in 2004.

During his time with the Bush Administration, he was recognized by Federal Computer Week
Federal Computer Week
Federal Computer Week is a magazine covering technology mostly within the federal government, although coverage can also extend to state, local, tribal and international governments....

in 2002 and 2003 as one of the "Federal 100" leaders in government information technology. Ron was cited both years for his technology leadership in the homeland security arena. Since 2004, he has held senior management positions with the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

 and in the private sector and is currently employed as a principal with ManTech International Corporation
Mantech International
ManTech International Corporation was co-founded in 1968 by George J. Pedersen. The company’s main purpose is to deliver upcoming information technology and technical services to federal government customers. ManTech has grown to become one of the U.S...

. He also has a private consulting practice, 5M Consulting Services, LLC.

Political career

Miller's first political job was as a researcher and speechwriter in 1978 for Abilene attorney A.L. "Dusty" Rhodes, a conservative Democrat running for the U.S. Congress. Later that same year, Miller volunteered for Midland oilman George W. Bush in his campaign for the U.S. Congress. In 1980, Miller was the campus chairman for the George Bush for President campaign when George H.W. Bush sought the Republican nomination for President. Miller was elected as a precinct chairman for the Republican Party of Lubbock County, Texas and was the first black executive vice-chairman for the College Republicans of Texas. In 1981, Miller was named the editor for the Black Republicans of Texas.

On February 28, 2006, Miller announced that he was a candidate for the Republican nomination to face incumbent Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) in Maryland's 5th congressional district
Maryland's 5th congressional district
Maryland's 5th congressional district comprises all of Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Counties, as well as portions of Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties. The district is currently represented by Democrat Steny Hoyer, the House Minority Whip....

. Shortly before the filing deadline for candidates in Maryland, members of then-Governor Bob Ehrlich's staff and the Maryland GOP staff approached Miller about changing races to challenge state Senator Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, Jr. (D-Calvert), the president of the Maryland Senate since 1987 who has served in the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...

 since 1971, first as a delegate from Prince George's County and then as a senator beginning in 1975. Their offer of full party backing and a phone call from Governor Ehrlich himself persuaded Miller to change races and he filed as a candidate for the District 27 Maryland Senate seat on July 3, 2006. Ron Miller stated, "If you've done this a long time, you're used to it. But I must admit, since I'm a newcomer, it's a bit strange."

Miller faced an uphill battle as a first-time challenger candidate with a formidable incumbent opponent and only four months to campaign, and he was defeated in the general election "tsunami" that affected Republicans nationwide. His vote total in Calvert County, however, exceeded that of many more experienced politicians on the Republican ticket and laid a foundation for another potential run for office in 2010. In 2007, Miller was named the Ed Hall Republican Man of the Year for 2006 by the Calvert County Republican Central Committee, where he serves as the communications director. Miller is currently in the early stages of preparation for another campaign for the Maryland Senate in 2010.

Miller is a prolific writer on conservative issues and is a regular contributor to RegularFolksUnited.com. His articles are frequently carried on Townhall.com
Townhall.com
Townhall.com is a web-based publication primarily dedicated to conservative United States politics. It was previously operated by the Heritage Foundation, but is now owned and operated by Salem Communications...

 and he has his own website, TeamRonMiller.com. He also writes for Pro-Life Unity, Red County and Southern Maryland Online, where he has a weekly column.

Political philosophy

Miller is an outspoken advocate for free enterprise
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...

, low taxes and reasonable regulation, limited and effective government focused on national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...

, public safety and administering justice, and traditional two-parent families. He also writes extensively about identity politics and the repercussions of placing race above values, particularly the harmful effects of liberal policies on the black community. He supports the right to bear arms. He supports the sanctity of human life
Inviolability
In religion and ethics, inviolability or sanctity of life is a principle of implied protection regarding aspects of sentient life which are said to be holy, sacred, or otherwise of such value that they are not to be violated...

, and says, "there is no such thing as an unwanted child." He is opposed to expansion of the government into more areas of peoples' lives and says, "Expanding health coverage
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...

 to more people does no good if cost aren't first addressed." Speaking about the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 state budget, Miller says, "The budget is a mess - it's time to zero it out and start from scratch." He also says, "Higher corporate tax
Corporate tax
Many countries impose corporate tax or company tax on the income or capital of some types of legal entities. A similar tax may be imposed at state or lower levels. The taxes may also be referred to as income tax or capital tax. Entities treated as partnerships are generally not taxed at the...

es and taxes on the wealthy, most of whom own businesses, keep new businesses away and force existing businesses to raise their prices, cut jobs, or move out of the state, all of which hurt the people, not the intended targets of the higher tax rates."
On homosexuality, Ron Miller holds a view that homosexual relationships are controversial and inconsistent with the moral and spiritual values of many Americans and therefore should not be promoted in the public schools, nor should the subject matter be easily accessible to young children in public libraries in opposition to the parents' role in providing moral instruction to their children. He makes his stance clear when giving a short comment on the book "And Tango Makes Three," a true story of two homosexual penguins given an egg to hatch and nurture.

External links

  • Official website
  • Ron Miller at Facebook
    Facebook
    Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...

  • Ron Miller at Twitter
    Twitter
    Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

  • Political positions of Ron Miller
  • Welcome Ron Miller, Conservative Guest Columnist
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