Tim Bee
Encyclopedia
Timothy S. Bee is a Republican
politician and business owner who served in the Arizona State Senate from 2003 to 2007. He was first elected to the Arizona Senate
in 2001, and left in 2009 due to term limits. In 2008, he was the Republican candidate for Arizona's 8th congressional district
seat in the United States House of Representatives
. He lost to incumbent Democrat
Gabrielle Giffords
. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer
later appointed him to head her Tucson office.
. Bee attended the University of Arizona
for a time, though never completed a degree. He was later trained as an Audio Engineer at Ohio University
.
In 1989, Bee started the Bee Brothers Printing Company in Tucson. He owned and operated this enterprise until he was elected to the State Senate in 2001. After being elected to the legislature, Bee worked with his brother at their company, Bee Line Transportation, until being elected Senate President in early 2007.
Bee served as Senate Majority Leader for two sessions from 2003 to 2006. In 2007 he was elected Senate President, the first from Southern Arizona
since 1974.
Politically, Bee describes himself as a “traditional conservative Republican”. Senator Bee has received endorsements from the Center for Arizona Policy, Arizona Right to Life, and the National Rifle Association
. The Arizona Education Association, the Sierra Club
, and the League of Conservation Voters
gave him less than favorable ratings.
In 2008, Bee sponsored a measure to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage
in Arizona. Arizona voters voted against a similar measure in 2006 and the proposed initiative was the source of considerable controversy, resulting in a dramatic last minute clash between legislators at the close of the 2008 session. Ultimately, as the President of the Senate, Bee cast the decisive vote in favor of putting the amendment on the Arizona ballot in 2008. The amendment passed by a 56-44% margin.
Despite Bee’s conservative leanings, as president of the state senate, he has accommodated other prerogatives. In 2008, Bee was criticized by some conservative commentators for being one of four Republican State Senators who voted for a state budget unanimously favored by state Democrats.
for Congress in Arizona's 8th congressional district
.
On March 7, 2008, the Rothenberg Political Report assessed Bee's campaign to be the number one challenger race in the nation. "In 2008, Giffords will face state Senate President Tim Bee (R), whose candidacy represents a slice of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy election cycle for national Republicans... the 8th District should feature one of the most competitive races for the House in the country." Roll Call
newspaper said that Bee's candidacy "erases some key advantages the freshman incumbent carried into her successful 2006 Congressional campaign."
On July 18, 2008, President George W. Bush
made his fourth visit to Tucson to attend a fundraiser for Bee. The fundraiser was reported to have generated over $500,000 for Bee's campaign.
Bee's campaign was co-chaired by Tucson businessman Jim Click and Sandra Froman
, the immediate past President of the National Rifle Association of America. Former Congressman Jim Kolbe
, who held the seat from 1985 until his retirement in 2007, also served as co-chair of the Bee campaign.
Bee was endorsed by both Arizona U.S. Senators; Jon Kyl
, the Senate Minority Whip, and John McCain
, the GOP nominee for President
in the 2008 election
.
On November 4, 2008, Bee lost the election to Giffords, 104,444 (41.45%) to 141,618(56.20%).
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...
politician and business owner who served in the Arizona State Senate from 2003 to 2007. He was first elected to the Arizona Senate
Arizona Senate
The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members representing an equal amount of constituencies across the state, with each district having average populations of 219,859 . Members serve two-year terms with...
in 2001, and left in 2009 due to term limits. In 2008, he was the Republican candidate for Arizona's 8th congressional district
Arizona's 8th congressional district
Arizona's 8th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona and encompasses the extreme southeastern part of the state...
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...
. He lost to incumbent 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...
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer
Jan Brewer
Janice Kay "Jan" Brewer is the 22nd and current Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and a member of the Republican Party. She is the fourth woman, and third consecutive woman, to hold the office...
later appointed him to head her Tucson office.
Early life
Tim Bee was born in Tucson, Arizona on June 20, 1969. He attended Palo Verde High School, where he graduated as ValedictorianValedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
. Bee attended the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
for a time, though never completed a degree. He was later trained as an Audio Engineer at Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
.
In 1989, Bee started the Bee Brothers Printing Company in Tucson. He owned and operated this enterprise until he was elected to the State Senate in 2001. After being elected to the legislature, Bee worked with his brother at their company, Bee Line Transportation, until being elected Senate President in early 2007.
Political career
Bee was elected to the Arizona Senate in 2000 to represent Legislative District 30. He succeeded his brother Keith Bee, who had represented the same district since 1993. Tim Bee was re-elected three times: in 2002, 2004, and 2006. Bee termed-out of the legislature in 2008. The Senate is term-limited; members may a maximum eight years (four two year terms).Bee served as Senate Majority Leader for two sessions from 2003 to 2006. In 2007 he was elected Senate President, the first from Southern Arizona
Southern Arizona
Southern Arizona is a region of the United States comprising the southernmost portion of the State of Arizona. It sometimes goes by the name Baja Arizona, which means "Lower Arizona" in Spanish.- Geography :...
since 1974.
Politically, Bee describes himself as a “traditional conservative Republican”. Senator Bee has received endorsements from the Center for Arizona Policy, Arizona Right to Life, and the National Rifle Association
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...
. The Arizona Education Association, the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, and the League of Conservation Voters
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
gave him less than favorable ratings.
In 2008, Bee sponsored a measure to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
in Arizona. Arizona voters voted against a similar measure in 2006 and the proposed initiative was the source of considerable controversy, resulting in a dramatic last minute clash between legislators at the close of the 2008 session. Ultimately, as the President of the Senate, Bee cast the decisive vote in favor of putting the amendment on the Arizona ballot in 2008. The amendment passed by a 56-44% margin.
Despite Bee’s conservative leanings, as president of the state senate, he has accommodated other prerogatives. In 2008, Bee was criticized by some conservative commentators for being one of four Republican State Senators who voted for a state budget unanimously favored by state Democrats.
2008 Congressional campaign
On January 19, 2008, Bee launched his campaign to challenge first-term incumbent Democrat Gabrielle GiffordsGabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
for Congress in Arizona's 8th congressional district
Arizona's 8th congressional district
Arizona's 8th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona and encompasses the extreme southeastern part of the state...
.
On March 7, 2008, the Rothenberg Political Report assessed Bee's campaign to be the number one challenger race in the nation. "In 2008, Giffords will face state Senate President Tim Bee (R), whose candidacy represents a slice of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy election cycle for national Republicans... the 8th District should feature one of the most competitive races for the House in the country." Roll Call
Roll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...
newspaper said that Bee's candidacy "erases some key advantages the freshman incumbent carried into her successful 2006 Congressional campaign."
On July 18, 2008, 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....
made his fourth visit to Tucson to attend a fundraiser for Bee. The fundraiser was reported to have generated over $500,000 for Bee's campaign.
Bee's campaign was co-chaired by Tucson businessman Jim Click and Sandra Froman
Sandra Froman
Sandra S. Froman is a past President of the National Rifle Association of America.*Froman was raised in the San Francisco, California Bay Area, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with distinction from Stanford University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School in 1974...
, the immediate past President of the National Rifle Association of America. Former Congressman Jim Kolbe
Jim Kolbe
James Thomas "Jim" Kolbe is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for Arizona's 8th congressional district, serving 11 terms from 1985 to 2007.-Early life:...
, who held the seat from 1985 until his retirement in 2007, also served as co-chair of the Bee campaign.
Bee was endorsed by both Arizona U.S. Senators; Jon Kyl
Jon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son...
, the Senate Minority Whip, and 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....
, the GOP nominee for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in the 2008 election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
On November 4, 2008, Bee lost the election to Giffords, 104,444 (41.45%) to 141,618(56.20%).