Wikipedia

Bob Dold

Not to be confused with Bob Dole.

Robert James Dold Jr.[1] (born June 23, 1969) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 10th congressional district from 2011 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party.[2] Prior to his election, Dold ran his family-owned business, Rose Pest Solutions.[3] In 2010, Dold defeated Democratic Party nominee Dan Seals to replace Republican incumbent Mark Kirk in the U.S. House of Representatives. Dold was narrowly defeated by Democrat Brad Schneider in 2012, but regained the seat in 2014, defeating Schneider in a rematch. He was again defeated by Schneider in 2016 in a third contest between the two.

Bob Dold
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 10th district
In office
January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017
Preceded byBrad Schneider
Succeeded byBrad Schneider
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byMark Kirk
Succeeded byBrad Schneider
Personal details
Born
Robert James Dold Jr.

(1969-06-23) June 23, 1969 (age 55)
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDanielle Dold
Children3
EducationDenison University (BA)
Indiana University, Bloomington (JD)
Northwestern University (MBA)

Early life, education, and career

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Dold was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Judith Gail (née Kelley) and Robert James Dold. His ancestry includes German, Swedish, Irish, Scottish, and English.[4] He graduated from New Trier High School where he was quarterback of the football team and captain of the wrestling and lacrosse teams.[5] He earned a BA degree from Denison University where he served as President of the Campus Governance Association and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. Dold obtained a JD degree from Indiana University where his classmates selected him to give the commencement address, and an MBA degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.[6]

Dold was an intern in the administration of Vice President Dan Quayle.[7] He also clerked for a New York State Judge and served as an investigative counsel for the Republican-led House Government Reform and Oversight Committee.[8]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2010

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Main article: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 10

Dold ran for the open seat, as five-term incumbent Mark Kirk was retiring to run for the U.S. Senate. In his first radio ad of the general election campaign, Dold described himself as a small business owner, fiscal conservative, and social moderate.[9] He won the primary election on February 2, 2010, and faced Democrat Dan Seals in the general election. Seals, a business consultant, had been the nominee for this seat in 2006 and 2008, losing both times to Kirk. Dold was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune,[10] whose editorial page editor, R. Bruce Dold, is not related to Bob Dold.[11] The US Chamber of Commerce[12] and the Electrical Contractors' Association[13] also endorsed him. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani[12] and Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist[14] campaigned for Dold. After reporting nearly equal fund-raising for the second quarter,[15] Dold's fundraising outpaced Seals' in the third quarter, and he began the final quarter with more cash on hand.[16] At the request of the Federal Election Commission, the Dold campaign amended its second quarter filing in September 2010 to reflect debts and expenditures that had been incurred in the second quarter but had not yet been billed when the filing period ended.[17] Dold won the general election with 51% of the vote to Seals' 49%.

2012

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Main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 10

The Cook Political Report named Dold one of the top 10 Republicans most vulnerable to redistricting in 2012;[18] the 10th was already a Democratic-leaning district, and became even more so due to redistricting. The endorsement of Senator Mark Kirk, who was popular in the district at the time, was expected to help Dold.[19] Dold had a strong cash-on-hand advantage over his opponent Brad Schneider.[20][21] Dold earned the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald.[22][23] Schneider defeated Dold 51%–49%, a difference of just 3,000 votes.[24]

2014

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Main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 10

On May 8, 2013, Dold announced in an e-mail to supporters that he would run for his old seat in 2014.[25] The National Republican Congressional Committee actively recruited him to run again.[26] The race was expected to be one of the most competitive in the country, and was ranked by Roll Call as the seventh most likely flip for 2014 House rematches.[27] Billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg spent nearly $2 million to help Dold.[28] Dold won the rematch by slightly more than 4,800 votes and took office at the start of the 114th Congress.

2016

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Main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 10

Dold ran for re-election in 2016, facing a rematch with Brad Schneider in the general election. He was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights organization, despite the organization having endorsed Schneider in 2014.[29] Dold was also endorsed by The Chicago Tribune[30] and The Chicago Sun-Times.[31]

He refused to endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and said he would instead write in an alternative candidate's name.[32]

In the general election, Dold lost to Schneider by 5 percentage points, as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won the district by nearly 30.[33]

Tenure

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Reputation

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Dold is a moderate Republican who had a centrist voting record in Congress.[34][35][36] The non-partisan organization GovTrack has ranked Dold in the political center of Congress.[37] National Journal did a comprehensive study of key votes in the House, ranking Dold as one of the most independent members of Congress.[38] The district had traditionally elected moderate Republicans, such as Dold and his predecessors John Edward Porter and Mark Kirk.

Dold is an original member of the No Labels movement which, Dold stated, he hoped would help to end the gridlock in Washington, DC.[39] Dold is a member of the Tuesday Group, an informal caucus of moderate Republicans in the U.S. House. In 2015, Dold was elected co-chair of the Tuesday Group.[40][41] An editorial in The Daily Herald noted Dold's spirit of bipartisanship and called for more Bob Dolds in Congress.[42] According to Roll Call, Dold has moved further to the center during his second term in Congress.[43] In fact, in 2015, The Lugar Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded by former Senator Richard Lugar released a Bipartisan Index in cooperation with Georgetown University, ranking Congressman Dold the fifth most bipartisan congressman (out of 438) in the 114th Congress.[44]

Political positions

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Dold supports abortion rights.[45] In 2012, Dold introduced H.R. 5650, the Protecting Women's Access to Health Care Act, which prevents lawmakers from blocking funds to Planned Parenthood.[46] He has voiced support for stem cell research.[47]

Dold voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which permanently extended most of the Bush middle class tax cuts.[48]

He has stated his support for gay marriage and immigration reform.[49] He became the first House Republican to support the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include a ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.[50]

Regarding the Affordable Care Act, he has stated his desire to improve the law rather than fight to repeal or defund it.[49] Dold has said the Affordable Care Act was right to require insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions and to allow students to stay on a parent's insurance to age 26.[51] Upon his return to the House in 2015, Dold became one of just three Republican Congressmen to vote against repeal of the Affordable Care Act – the first time any elected Republicans at the federal level voted against such a measure.[52]

Dold supports gun control measures.[53] In 2015, he signed onto a bipartisan bill that would expand background checks for gun purchasers.[43] He accepts the scientific consensus on climate change and believes steps should be taken to address the issue.[54][55]

In 2016, Dold introduced a bill to create a grant to expand the availability of naloxone, a heroin overdose antidote.[56]

Personnel

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Upon taking office in 2011, Dold hired former lobbyist Eric Burgeson, who grew up in Illinois' 10th district, as his congressional Chief of Staff.[57] Burgeson and Dold had previously worked together on Sen. Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign.[58] Dold instituted a policy that "staff may not work on matters of substance with former clients."[57] In his second term in office, his chief of staff was James Slepian.[59]

Committee assignments

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Dold was originally appointed to the Committee on Financial Services for the 114th Congress, but after the resignation of fellow Illinois Republican Aaron Schock, Dold was chosen to replace him on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.[60]

Previous

Post-congressional work

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In 2018, Dold started an organization to promote and support moderate Republicans.[61]

In 2022, Dold joined other former Republican members of Congress to support the passage of federal legislation prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.[62]

Personal life

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Dold is married and has three children.[63] He resides in Kenilworth, Illinois and runs Rose Pest Solutions, the oldest pest control company in the country.[64][65] Dold attends Kenilworth Union Church and is a scoutmaster for Kenilworth Boy Scout Troop No. 13.[66]

Electoral history

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Illinois's 10th district Republican primary, February 2, 2010[citation needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Dold 19,691 38.03
Republican Elizabeth Coulson 16,149 31.19
Republican Dick Green 7,595 14.67
Republican Arie Friedman 7,260 14.02
Republican Paul Hamann 1,078 2.08
Total votes 51,773 100.00
Illinois's 10th district general election, November 2, 2010[67]: 43 
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Dold 109,941 51.08
Democratic Dan Seals 105,290 48.92
Write-In Author C. Brumfield 1 0.00
Total votes 215,232 100.00
Republican primary results[68]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Dold (incumbent) 36,647 100.0
Total votes 36,647 100.0
Illinois' 10th congressional district, 2012[69]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brad Schneider 133,890 50.6
Republican Bob Dold (incumbent) 130,564 49.4
Total votes 264,454 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
Republican primary results 2014[citation needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Dold 32,124 100.0
Illinois's 10th congressional district, 2014[citation needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Dold 95,992 51.3
Democratic Brad Schneider (incumbent) 91,136 48.7
Total votes 187,128 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic
Republican primary results 2016[70]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Dold (incumbent) 61,968 100.0
Total votes 61,968 100.0
Illinois's 10th congressional district, 2016[citation needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brad Schneider 150,435 52.6
Republican Bob Dold (incumbent) 135,535 47.4
Independent Joseph William Kopsick (write-in) 26 0.0
Total votes 285,996 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

References

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  1. ^ "Representative Robert James Dold (Robert) (R-Illinois, 10th) – Biography from". LegiStorm. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  2. ^ "Seals concedes congressional race in 10th District". ABC News. November 3, 2010. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  3. ^ "Rose Pest Solutions". Rosepestcontrol.com. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  4. ^ "Bob Dold ancestry". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  5. ^ "Meet Bob". Dold for Congress. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  6. ^ Congressman Bob Dold – website of the Republican Party
  7. ^ Stiefel, Lynne (January 20, 2010). "Former veep weighs in". Pioneer Local. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  8. ^ Small businessman's roots run deep in district, Lynn Stiefel, Pioneer Press, January 7, 2010
  9. ^ Dold Launches First Radio Ad, Dold for Congress Press Release, Chicago GOP, July 21, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  10. ^ "For the US House". Chicago Tribune. October 7, 2010. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  11. ^ "Come on, Mr. Seals". Chicago Tribune. October 25, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  12. ^ a b [1], Pioneer Press, September 13, 2010 [dead link‍]
  13. ^ Political Briefs[permanent dead link‍], Lake County News-Sun, July 20, 2010
  14. ^ New ads by Foster, NRCC; Norquist endorses Dold; Nazi smear, Rich Miller, The Capitol Fax Blog, September 20, 2010
  15. ^ Dold, Seals tied in second quarter fund-raising in Illinois 10th House district Archived July 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times, July 15, 2010
  16. ^ Lynne Stiefel (October 18, 2010). "10th Congress District: Show me the money". Pioneer Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  17. ^ Candidate's campaign finance called into question FEC looking into Republican Bob Dold's campaign funds, Randi Belisomo, WGN News, September 30, 2010 [dead link‍]
  18. ^ David Wasserman and Julia Edwards (April 15, 2011). "Top 10 Republicans Most Vulnerable to Redistricting". Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  19. ^ McClelland, Edward (March 23, 2012). "Handicapping The Congressional Races". NBC Chicago. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  20. ^ Lissau, Russell (February 2, 2012). "Sheyman, Schneider lead Democratic candidates in 10th District cash race". Daily Herald.
  21. ^ "Sheyman Brings a 'Truly Progressive Voice'". Buffalo Grove Patch. March 7, 2012.
  22. ^ "Searching for solutions". Chicago Tribune. October 7, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  23. ^ "Endorsement: Dold over Schneider in 10th Congressional District". Daily Herald. October 9, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  24. ^ "2014 Election Results Senate: Map by State, Live Midterm Voting Updates". Politico. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  25. ^ "Dold out to reclaim north suburban congressional seat". Chicago Tribune. May 9, 2013.
  26. ^ Lester, Kerry (April 15, 2013). "Dold being recruited by top GOP to run again in 10th". Daily Herald. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  27. ^ "Ranking Potential Flips for 2014 House Rematches". Roll Call. May 6, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  28. ^ Merrion, Paul (October 20, 2014). "Bloomberg weighs in for Dold". chicagobusiness.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  29. ^ "Morning Spin: Kirk: Trump needs me re-elected over Duckworth". Chicago Tribune. May 18, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  30. ^ "First day of Tribune endorsements for U.S. House seats in Illinois". The Chicago Tribune. October 7, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  31. ^ "Endorsement: Bob Dold goes for the smart middle ground". Chicago Sun-Times. October 13, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  32. ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (June 16, 2016). "The 5 Types of Trump-Averse Republicans". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  33. ^ Skiba, Katherine (November 9, 2016). "Schneider bests Dold in 10th District race; Krishnamoorthi wins in 8th". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  34. ^ O'Keefe, Ed; Sullivan, Sean (January 24, 2014). "The Fix's top 10 House race rematches of 2014". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  35. ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (June 18, 2012). "2 Legislators on Tough Turf Try Delicate Run Down the Middle". The New York Times. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  36. ^ Steiner, Keenan; Harper, Jake (August 21, 2012). "House freshmen in tight races: How many first-termers will be one-termers?". Sunlight Foundation. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  37. ^ [2] Archived March 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ National Journal, February 25, 2012, Pages, 10–49
  39. ^ "Robert Dold: Candidate Profile". Daily Herald. February 23, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  40. ^ "'Moderate' is now a dirty word for some House Republicans". Crain's Chicago Business. January 9, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  41. ^ Joseph, Cameron (November 10, 2013). "Illinois Republican eyes return to Congress". The Hill. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  42. ^ "Compromise not a bad word on debt". Daily Herald. Daily Herald Editorial Board. July 29, 2011.
  43. ^ a b Cahn, Emily (March 9, 2015). "A House Republican Moves Closer to Middle". Roll Call. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  44. ^ "The Lugar Center McCourt School Bipartisan Index". Washington, D.C.: The Lugar Center. March 7, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  45. ^ Ford, Quinn (June 11, 2012). "In 10th district, first-term Republican Bob Dold tries to hold off challenger Brad Schneider". WBEZ. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  46. ^ Bassett, Laura (September 5, 2012). "Bob Dold Introduces Bill To Protect Planned Parenthood Funding". HuffPost. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  47. ^ Lissau, Russell (August 25, 2010). "10th Dist. candidates back stem cell research, oppose injunction". Daily Herald. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  48. ^ McClelland, Edward (January 2, 2013). "How Illinois Legislators Voted on Fiscal Cliff Bill". NBC Chicago. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  49. ^ a b Joseph, Camerson (November 10, 2013). "Illinois Republican eyes return to Congress". The Hill. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  50. ^ "Illinois Republican becomes first in party to back LGBT rights bill". The Hill. January 15, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  51. ^ Pearson, Rick (September 8, 2012). "Dold, Schneider clash on abortion, gay marriage, health care". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  52. ^ "Dold one of three Republicans to oppose Obamacare repeal". Daily Herald. February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  53. ^ Condon, Stephanie (October 17, 2012). "Bloomberg super PAC supports gun control, gay rights". CBS News. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  54. ^ James, Frank (April 22, 2014). "Green GOP Group Caught Between 'Rock and a Hard Place'". NPR. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  55. ^ Kiely, Eugene (April 26, 2013). "Democrats Distort Vote on Climate Change". FactCheck.org. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  56. ^ Wilson, Marie (February 22, 2016). "Dold pushes to expand availability of heroin overdose antidote". Daily Herald. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  57. ^ a b Daniel Newhauser (January 5, 2011). "Outsiders Choose Hill Professionals". Roll Call. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  58. ^ Kevin Bogardus (December 8, 2010). "GOP freshman class draws K Street talent". The Hill. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  59. ^ Sweet, Lynn (April 22, 2015). "Dold gets Schock's coveted Ways and Means Committee seat". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 23, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  60. ^ "Dold gets Schock's coveted Ways and Means Committee seat". Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  61. ^ Pathe, Simone (February 28, 2018). "Bob Dold Starts New Group to Thank 'Centrist' GOP Incumbents". Roll Call. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  62. ^ Migdon, Brooke (June 14, 2022). "Former GOP members of Congress urge lawmakers to pass federal LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination legislation". The Hill. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  63. ^ Candidate: Robert Dold Archived August 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Chicago Tribune
  64. ^ Kenilworth businessman to enter 10th Dist. Congressional race, Mick Zawislak, Daily Herald, September 12, 2009
  65. ^ LinkedIn Profile. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  66. ^ [3], Abdon M. Pallasch, Chicago Sun-Times, September 28, 2010
  67. ^ "General Election of November 2, 2010" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 6, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  68. ^ "2012 General Primary Official Vote Totals Book" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  69. ^ "2012 General Election Official Vote Totals" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  70. ^ "Election Results – General Primary – 3/15/2016". Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 10th congressional district
2011–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 10th congressional district
2015–2017
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Tuesday Group
2015–2017
Served alongside: Charlie Dent, Adam Kinzinger 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Dold&oldid=1251998124"