Steve Pearce
Encyclopedia
Stevan Edward "Steve" Pearce (born August 24, 1947) is the U.S. Representative
for . He is a member of the Republican Party
. He previously held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and was an Assistant Minority Whip.
in Dawson County in west Texas
but reared in Hobbs
, New Mexico, where he currently resides with his wife, Cynthia. He attended college at New Mexico State University
in Las Cruces
, having earned a Bachelor of Business Administration
in economics
. Afterward, he received a Master of Business Administration
from Eastern New Mexico University
in Portales
. While at New Mexico State University, Pearce was elected president of the student body.
He served in the Vietnam War
as a C-130 pilot in the United States Air Force
. Pearce flew over 518 hours of combat flight and 77 hours of combat support. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
and two Air Medal
s, as well as seven other military medals and four exceptional service awards. Upon returning to the United States, Pearce was assigned to the Strategic Air Command
at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas
. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of Captain.
Pearce and his wife own and operate Lea Fishing Tools, an oilfield services company in Hobbs, New Mexico.
in 1996 and re-elected in 1998, both times unopposed.
but lost in the Republican primary to former U.S. Congressman Bill Redmond
by a wide margin.
in 2002, following 11-term Representative Joe Skeen's retirement. In the primary, he defeated rancher Edward R. Tinsley
, also a native of Lamesa, Texas, and the owner of the K-Bob's Steakhouse
chain in Texas
and New Mexico, as well as businessman Phelps Anderson.
in the U. S. Senate.
Fellow Republican Representative Heather Wilson
had previously declared her candidacy in that race. In late October 2007, Pearce made 130,000 automated phone calls to justify his opposition to the State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP) bill that would have provided health benefit to children, which the Wilson campaign claimed "Pearce violated House ethics by urging those he called to contact him through his official, non-campaign phone number or check out his official, non-campaign Web site."
In March 2008, Pearce garnered 54.51% of the vote at the Republican pre-primary nominating convention. He narrowly won the June 3, 2008 Republican primary. He was endorsed by the Campaign for Working Families, the National Right to Life Organization, the Susan B. Anthony List, the Club for Growth
, and the Albuquerque Police Officer's Association.
Pearce ran against U.S. Congressman Tom Udall
who represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district
but lost to him in the general election, 61% to 39%.
incumbent Harry Teague
for . He was endorsed in the race by former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin
.
On August 1, 2009, Pearce announced his candidacy for his old seat. On June 1, 2010, he won the Republican primary without any serious challengers. He drew criticism from local media after an event in Los Lunas where he refused to say whether he believes Barack Obama
is a natural-born U.S. citizen.
In 2010 he defeated incumbent Harry Teague in the mid-term elections with 55.4% of the vote and took his seat in January 2011.
articles from think tanks like the Heritage Foundation
. The articles were published under Pearce's name in small papers throughout New Mexico. His press secretary, Jim Burns, admitted to having plagiarized the articles himself without Pearce's knowledge, and quickly resigned.
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...
. He previously held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and was an Assistant Minority Whip.
Early life, education and career
Pearce was born in LamesaLamesa, Texas
Lamesa is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,952 at the 2000 census. Located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado, Lamesa was founded in 1903. Most of the economy is based on cattle ranching and cotton farming. The Preston E...
in Dawson County in west 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...
but reared in Hobbs
Hobbs, New Mexico
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 28,657 at the 2000 census.Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.-Geography:...
, New Mexico, where he currently resides with his wife, Cynthia. He attended college at New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
in Las Cruces
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
, having earned a Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. Afterward, he received a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University , frequently called Eastern, is a state university in Portales, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, USA...
in Portales
Portales, New Mexico
Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 11,131 at the 2000 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis as well as Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the economy of the region.Eastern New Mexico...
. While at New Mexico State University, Pearce was elected president of the student body.
He served in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
as a C-130 pilot 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...
. Pearce flew over 518 hours of combat flight and 77 hours of combat support. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
The Distinguished Flying Cross may refer to:*Distinguished Flying Cross , including Commonwealth countries*Distinguished Flying Cross...
and two Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
s, as well as seven other military medals and four exceptional service awards. Upon returning to the United States, Pearce was assigned to the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of Captain.
Pearce and his wife own and operate Lea Fishing Tools, an oilfield services company in Hobbs, New Mexico.
1990s
Pearce was elected to the New Mexico House of RepresentativesNew Mexico House of Representatives
The New Mexico House of Representatives is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature.There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico.The Speaker of the House is Ben Luján .-Composition:...
in 1996 and re-elected in 1998, both times unopposed.
2000 U.S. Senate campaign
He ran for the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
but lost in the Republican primary to former U.S. Congressman Bill Redmond
William T. Redmond
William Thomas "Bill" Redmond is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico....
by a wide margin.
2002 U.S. Congressional campaign
Pearce was first elected to 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...
in 2002, following 11-term Representative Joe Skeen's retirement. In the primary, he defeated rancher Edward R. Tinsley
Edward R. Tinsley
Edward Roy Tinsley, III , is an attorney, rancher, and businessman with interests in oil, natural gas, and restaurants who has twice failed in Republican bids for the United States House of Representatives from the 2nd congressional district of his adopted state of New Mexico...
, also a native of Lamesa, Texas, and the owner of the K-Bob's Steakhouse
K-Bob's Steakhouse
K-Bob’s Steakhouse is a regional restaurant chain that operates in the cattle country of Texas and New Mexico. Founded in 1966 in Clovis, New Mexico, by Gabe E. Parson , the company sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1989, and reopened in 1991 under the ownership and management of Edward Roy Tinsley...
chain in 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...
and New Mexico, as well as businessman Phelps Anderson.
2008 U.S. Senate campaign
On October 16, 2007, Pearce announced he would run for the Republican nomination to replace Pete DomeniciPete Domenici
Pietro Vichi "Pete" Domenici is an American Republican politician, who served six terms as a United States Senator from New Mexico, from 1973 to 2009, the longest tenure in the state's history....
in the U. S. Senate.
Fellow Republican Representative Heather Wilson
Heather Wilson
Heather A. Wilson , is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing from 1998 to 2009...
had previously declared her candidacy in that race. In late October 2007, Pearce made 130,000 automated phone calls to justify his opposition to the State Children's Health Insurance Program
State Children's Health Insurance Program
The State Children's Health Insurance Program – later known more simply as the Children's Health Insurance Program – is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides matching funds to states for health insurance to families with children...
(SCHIP) bill that would have provided health benefit to children, which the Wilson campaign claimed "Pearce violated House ethics by urging those he called to contact him through his official, non-campaign phone number or check out his official, non-campaign Web site."
In March 2008, Pearce garnered 54.51% of the vote at the Republican pre-primary nominating convention. He narrowly won the June 3, 2008 Republican primary. He was endorsed by the Campaign for Working Families, the National Right to Life Organization, the Susan B. Anthony List, the Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
, and the Albuquerque Police Officer's Association.
Pearce ran against U.S. Congressman Tom Udall
Tom Udall
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Udall is the junior United States Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party. He had represented as a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999. Udall was elected as the junior United States senator from New Mexico on November 4, 2008,...
who represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district
New Mexico's 3rd congressional district
New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District serves the northern half of New Mexico, including the state's Capital, Santa Fe. The current Representative is Democrat Ben R...
but lost to him in the general election, 61% to 39%.
2010 U.S. Congressional campaign
Pearce successfully challenged DemocraticDemocratic 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 Harry Teague
Harry Teague
Harry Teague is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
for . He was endorsed in the race by former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
.
On August 1, 2009, Pearce announced his candidacy for his old seat. On June 1, 2010, he won the Republican primary without any serious challengers. He drew criticism from local media after an event in Los Lunas where he refused to say whether he believes 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...
is a natural-born U.S. citizen.
In 2010 he defeated incumbent Harry Teague in the mid-term elections with 55.4% of the vote and took his seat in January 2011.
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 Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- 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...
Caucus memberships
- Co-Chair of the Border Security Caucus
- Vice-Chairman of the Native American Caucus
- Vice-Chairman of the Sportsman Caucus
- 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...
- Congressional Hispanic ConferenceCongressional Hispanic ConferenceThe Congressional Hispanic Conference is a Republican Party-controlled caucus in the United States Congress. The CHC was formed in 2003, with the stated goal of promoting policy outcomes of importance to Americans of Hispanic or Latino and Portuguese descent. These priorities included support of...
{associate member}
Controversies
In 2005, Pearce was accused of having plagiarizedPlagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
articles from think tanks like the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
. The articles were published under Pearce's name in small papers throughout New Mexico. His press secretary, Jim Burns, admitted to having plagiarized the articles himself without Pearce's knowledge, and quickly resigned.
Personal life
Pearce has been married to his wife Cynthia for over 20 years, and together they operate a small oilfield services company called Lea Fishing Tools.External links
- Congressman Steve Pearce official U.S. House site
- Steve Pearce for U.S. Congress official campaign site