Stephen Fincher
Encyclopedia
Stephen Lee Fincher is the U.S. Representative
for . He is a member of the Republican Party
. The seat was vacated by retiring Democratic incumbent John S. Tanner
. Fincher defeated Democratic Tennessee state senator Roy Herron
in the 2010 mid-term Congressional general election.
. When he was 9 years old, he joined the The Fincher Family singing ministry, a gospel
group led by his grandmother that travels to county fairs throughout the 8th district. They perform at more than 100 events each year.
announced his retirement. He won the August primary largely as a result of high voter turnout in rural areas of the district.
In the general election, Fincher faced Democratic State Senator Roy Herron
, Tea Party candidate Donn Janes, who earlier dropped out of the Republican primary, and Independent Mark J. Rawles. Fincher declined to participate in a series of public debates. Fincher was criticized by Herron and local media for his decision to not disclose his income tax returns, calling the criticism a "witch hunt." Fincher stated: "There is no reason for me to disclose my tax returns. These attacks are because Herron is losing and he can't handle it. He is avoiding the issues."
He received endorsements from former Governor Winfield Dunn
, Citizens United
, Eagle Forum
, Family Research Council
, Concerned Women for America
, and State Senator Dolores Gresham
. Fincher had over $420,000 cash on hand. Herron had over $1.1 million cash on hand.
The 8th had historically been represented by "Yellow Dog" Democrats
. Most state and local elected officials are Democrats, and congressional elections usually saw Democrats skate to reelection. However, it has become increasingly friendly to Republicans at the national level since the turn of the century. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican U.S. Senator John McCain
carried the district with 56% of the vote.
On November 2, 2010, Fincher defeated Herron, receiving 98,484 votes to Herron's 64,701. Upon his swearing-in on January 3, 2011; Fincher became the first Republican to represent what is now the 8th District since 1898.
Fincher will seek reelection in 2012.
announced that it was conducting an investigation into a $250,000 loan the Gates Banking and Trust Company, where Fincher's father is a board member, made to Fincher that he did not disclose on his FEC filings. Initially, Fincher's FEC filing indicated that the loan to the campaign committee came from the candidate’s personal funds with no reference to a bank loan. On December 6, 2010, the campaign amended the filing.
On July 21, 2011, the FEC ruled unanimously Fincher had violated federal election law by listing the loan as a personal donation rather than from Gates Banking and Trust Company. To date, no penalty has been invoked for the violation.
In September 2011, Fincher was named one of the "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" for 2011 by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
, specifically citing the Gates Banking loan.
. He is a lifetime member of Archer's Chapel United Methodist Church
Stephen has raised money for the Methodist Church, Dixie Youth Baseball, NOAH
, and Relay for Life
. He is a lifetime member of the NRA
.
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 . He is a member of the Republican Party
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...
. The seat was vacated by retiring Democratic incumbent John S. Tanner
John S. Tanner
John S. Tanner is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1989 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Tanner was born in Halls, Tennessee, and grew up in Union City, Tennessee...
. Fincher defeated Democratic Tennessee state senator Roy Herron
Roy Herron
Roy Herron is the Tennessee State Senator for the 24th district. He was defeated as the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for November 2, 2010....
in the 2010 mid-term Congressional general election.
Early life
Stephen Lee Fincher was born in 1973 in MemphisMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. When he was 9 years old, he joined the The Fincher Family singing ministry, a gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
group led by his grandmother that travels to county fairs throughout the 8th district. They perform at more than 100 events each year.
Farming career
A seventh generation farmer, Fincher is a managing partner in Fincher Farms, a family business that grows cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheat on more than 2,500 acres in western Tennessee. The company has received $8.9 million in farm subsidies over the past decade, mostly from the cotton program, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Fincher received a $13,650 grant to help buy grain hauling and storage equipment from the state Department of Agriculture in 2009 as part of the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program.2010 election
Fincher jumped into the race for the 8th District after 11-term Democratic incumbent John S. TannerJohn S. Tanner
John S. Tanner is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1989 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Tanner was born in Halls, Tennessee, and grew up in Union City, Tennessee...
announced his retirement. He won the August primary largely as a result of high voter turnout in rural areas of the district.
In the general election, Fincher faced Democratic State Senator Roy Herron
Roy Herron
Roy Herron is the Tennessee State Senator for the 24th district. He was defeated as the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for November 2, 2010....
, Tea Party candidate Donn Janes, who earlier dropped out of the Republican primary, and Independent Mark J. Rawles. Fincher declined to participate in a series of public debates. Fincher was criticized by Herron and local media for his decision to not disclose his income tax returns, calling the criticism a "witch hunt." Fincher stated: "There is no reason for me to disclose my tax returns. These attacks are because Herron is losing and he can't handle it. He is avoiding the issues."
He received endorsements from former Governor Winfield Dunn
Winfield Dunn
Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn was the 43rd Governor of Tennessee, from 1971 to 1975.-Biography:Dunn was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1950 with a B.B.A., and from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in 1955 with a D.D.S. Dunn...
, Citizens United
Citizens United
Citizens United is a conservative non-profit organization in the United States. Its president and chairman is David Bossie.-Overview:Citizens United describes its mission as being dedicated to restoring the United States government to "citizens' control" and to "assert American values of limited...
, Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum has been primarily focused on social issues; it describes...
, Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
, Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America is a conservative Christian public policy group active in the United States best known for its stance against abortion...
, and State Senator Dolores Gresham
Dolores Gresham
Dolores Gresham is a Republican politician from Tennessee. She was elected to the Tennessee Senate in the 2008 elections after having served three terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives...
. Fincher had over $420,000 cash on hand. Herron had over $1.1 million cash on hand.
The 8th had historically been represented by "Yellow Dog" Democrats
Yellow dog Democrat
Yellow Dog Democrats was a political term applied to voters in the Southern United States who voted solely for Democratic candidates, with the term commencing in the late 19th century. Due to Republican president Abraham Lincoln's leading the Union against the Confederacy, these voters would...
. Most state and local elected officials are Democrats, and congressional elections usually saw Democrats skate to reelection. However, it has become increasingly friendly to Republicans at the national level since the turn of the century. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican U.S. Senator 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 district with 56% of the vote.
On November 2, 2010, Fincher defeated Herron, receiving 98,484 votes to Herron's 64,701. Upon his swearing-in on January 3, 2011; Fincher became the first Republican to represent what is now the 8th District since 1898.
Fincher will seek reelection in 2012.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditThe U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee conducts oversight of the agencies, departments, and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction...
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
- Tea Party CaucusTea Party CaucusThe Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
Political positions
Fincher is a fiscal and social conservative, who at the same time benefits from government farm subsidies. He is strongly pro-life and pro-gun, and opposes same-sex marriage. On the issues section of his Website, he lists his top priority as restoring "limited government." He does not consider himself a traditional politician; his slogan in 2010 was "My roots are in Tennessee, not in politics."FEC investigation
On October 20, the Federal Election CommissionFederal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
announced that it was conducting an investigation into a $250,000 loan the Gates Banking and Trust Company, where Fincher's father is a board member, made to Fincher that he did not disclose on his FEC filings. Initially, Fincher's FEC filing indicated that the loan to the campaign committee came from the candidate’s personal funds with no reference to a bank loan. On December 6, 2010, the campaign amended the filing.
On July 21, 2011, the FEC ruled unanimously Fincher had violated federal election law by listing the loan as a personal donation rather than from Gates Banking and Trust Company. To date, no penalty has been invoked for the violation.
In September 2011, Fincher was named one of the "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" for 2011 by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
, specifically citing the Gates Banking loan.
Personal life
Fincher and his wife, Lynn, have three children. They live in Frog Jump, an unincorporated community just outside HallsHalls, Tennessee
Halls is a town in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,311 at the 2000 census.The town was founded in 1882. It is named after Hansford R. Hall, one of the founders...
. He is a lifetime member of Archer's Chapel United Methodist Church
Stephen has raised money for the Methodist Church, Dixie Youth Baseball, NOAH
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
, and Relay for Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
. He is a lifetime member of the NRA
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...
.
External links
- Congressman Stephen Fincher official U.S. House site
- Stephen Fincher for Congress official campaign site