Vicky Hartzler
Encyclopedia
Vicky Jo Hartzler is the U.S. Representative
for . She is a member of the Republican Party
. She represented District 124 in the Missouri House
from 1995 to 2000.
, a rural community south of Kansas City
. She currently lives near Harrisonville
. She attended the University of Missouri
where she graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Education, and attended Central Missouri State University where she graduated with a M.S. in Education.
In 2004, after she had left the Missouri General Assembly, Hartzler served as state spokeswoman for the Coalition to Protect Marriage, which supported Missouri's defense of marriage amendment
. In 2005 Hartzler was appointed by Governor Matt Blunt
to be Chair of the Missouri Women's Council where she served for two years.
. She won a crowded seven-way primary with 40 percent of the vote.
In the November 2 election, Hartzler won with 50.4% of the vote, largely by running up her totals in the more rural areas of the district. She is the first Republican to represent this district since 1955, and only the second since the Great Depression
. She ran on a conservative platform, voicing support for tax cuts and spending cuts. She is pro-life
and opposes gay rights in general.
Hartzler is an evangelical Christian and staunch opponent of gay marriage. She is also a spokesman for the Coalition to Protect Marriage in Missouri, which successfully campaigned to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
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 . She 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...
. She represented District 124 in the Missouri House
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
from 1995 to 2000.
Early life
Hartzler was raised on a farm near ArchieArchie, Missouri
Archie is a city in Cass County, Missouri, United States. The population was 890 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Archie is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
, a rural community south of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. She currently lives near Harrisonville
Harrisonville, Missouri
Harrisonville is a city in Cass County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,019 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of CassCounty.Harrisonville was found in 1837, and was named for Congressman Albert G. Harrison...
. She attended the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
where she graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Education, and attended Central Missouri State University where she graduated with a M.S. in Education.
Missouri legislature
Before running for State Representative in 1994, Hartzler taught family and consumer sciences for 11 years in Missouri high schools Her accomplishments included leadership on legislation facilitating the adoption process. Hartzler left the Missouri State House in 2000 after adopting a baby daughter.In 2004, after she had left the Missouri General Assembly, Hartzler served as state spokeswoman for the Coalition to Protect Marriage, which supported Missouri's defense of marriage amendment
Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004)
Constitutional Amendment 2 of 2004 is an amendment to the Missouri Constitution that prohibited same-sex marriages from being conducted or recognized in Missouri. The Amendment passed via public referendum on August 3, 2004 with 71% of voters supporting and 29% opposing. Every county voted in...
. In 2005 Hartzler was appointed by Governor Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
to be Chair of the Missouri Women's Council where she served for two years.
2010 election
After almost a decade out of politics, Hartzler entered the Republican primary for , held by 17-term Democratic incumbent Ike SkeltonIke Skelton
Isaac Newton "Ike" Skelton IV is the former U.S. Representative for . During his tenure, he has served as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a member for the Democratic Party...
. She won a crowded seven-way primary with 40 percent of the vote.
In the November 2 election, Hartzler won with 50.4% of the vote, largely by running up her totals in the more rural areas of the district. She is the first Republican to represent this district since 1955, and only the second since the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. She ran on a conservative platform, voicing support for tax cuts and spending cuts. She is pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
and opposes gay rights in general.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AgricultureUnited States House Committee on AgricultureThe U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementUnited States House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementThe House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. The subcommittee oversees program and markets for major commercial crops, such as cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feed grains , soybeans, oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, and...
- Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Military Personnel
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- 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...
Controversy
Addressing a conference of college students at the Eagle Forum Collegians Summit in Washington D.C. on June 9, 2011, Hartzler said that if same-sex marriages were allowed, it would lead to paedophiles and polygamists also being allowed to marryHartzler is an evangelical Christian and staunch opponent of gay marriage. She is also a spokesman for the Coalition to Protect Marriage in Missouri, which successfully campaigned to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
Works
- Vicky Hartzler, Running God's Way, Pleasant Word (a division of WinePress Publishing; December 13, 2007); ISBN 978-1414111247
External links
- Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler official U.S. House site
- Vicky Hartzler for U.S. Congress official campaign site