Jackie Speier

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Jackie Speier
File:Jackie Speier, official photo portrait, 111th Congress.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 14th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded by Anna Eshoo
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 12th district
In office
April 8, 2008 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by Tom Lantos
Succeeded by Nancy Pelosi
Member of the California Senate
from the 8th district
In office
1998–2006
Preceded by Quentin L. Kopp
Succeeded by Leland Yee
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 19th district
In office
1986–1996
Preceded by Lou Papan
Succeeded by Lou Papan
Personal details
Born Karen Lorraine Speier
(1950-05-14) May 14, 1950 (age 74)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Steve Sierra (1987–1994)
Barry Dennis (2001–present)
Children Jackson
Stephanie (with Sierra)
Alma mater University of California, Davis
UC Hastings College of the Law
Religion Roman Catholicism
Website House website

Karen Lorraine Jacqueline "Jackie" Speier[1] (/ˈspɪər/; born May 14, 1950) is the U.S. Representative for California's 14th congressional district, serving in Congress since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 12th District from 2008 to 2013, includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco. She represents much of the territory that had been represented by her political mentor, Leo Ryan.

She is also a former member of the California State Senate who represented parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties. On April 8, 2008, she won the special election for the vacated United States House of Representatives seat of late Congressman Tom Lantos.[2]

Early life and education

Speier was born in 1950 in San Francisco, and grew up in an apolitical, working-class family, the daughter of Nancy (née Kanchelian) and Manfred "Fred" Speier.[3] Her mother was of Armenian descent, while her father was an immigrant from Germany. Speier took Jacqueline as her confirmation name after Jackie Kennedy.[4] She is a graduate of Mercy High School in Burlingame. (Her daughter graduated from there in 2012.) She earned a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, and a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 1976.[5]

Marriage and family

She married Dr. Steven Sierra, an emergency room doctor, in 1987.[6][7] They had a son Jackson Kent, born in 1988 while she was serving as a member of the California State Assembly.[8] Her husband died in a car accident in 1994 at the age of 53.[6] At the time, Jackie was two months pregnant with their second child, a daughter she named Stephanie.[8]

In 2001 Speier married Barry Dennis, an investment consultant.[6][9]

Congressional aide

Congressman Leo Ryan

Speier entered politics by serving as a congressional staffer for Congressman Leo Ryan. Speier was part of his November 1978 fact-finding mission organized to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple followers, almost all of whom were American citizens who had moved to Jonestown, Guyana, with Jones in 1977 and 1978.[4] Speier was one of two members of the mission who made wills before traveling to Jonestown.[10] Several Peoples Temple members ambushed the investigative team and others boarding the plane to leave Jonestown on November 18. Five people died, including Congressman Ryan. While trying to shield herself from rifle and shotgun fire behind small airplane wheels with the other members of the team, Speier was shot five times and waited 22 hours before help arrived.[11] That same day, over 900 of the remaining members of the Peoples Temple died in Jonestown and Georgetown in a mass murder-suicide.

Political career

San Mateo County

Speier's own political career began with an unsuccessful run to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Congressman Ryan (the seat she holds now).[4] She lost the Democratic primary to another former Ryan staffer, G. W. "Joe" Holsinger. He lost to the Republican candidate Bill Royer, San Mateo County Supervisor.

Speier won her first election in 1980, when she ran for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and defeated a 20-year incumbent. At the time, she was the youngest person ever elected to the board. She was reelected in 1984, and was later selected as chairwoman.[11]

California State Assembly

In 1986, midway through her second term on the Board of Supervisors, she ran for the California State Assembly from a district in northern San Mateo County. She won by a few hundred votes. She was reelected five more times, the last as the nominee of both the Democratic and Republican parties.[12]

California State Senate

Speier as a California state senator

California state term limits forced Speier to give up her Assembly seat in 1996, but in 1998 she was elected to the California State Senate. In 2002, she was elected to a second term with 78.2% of the vote.[13] As a state senator, Speier was instrumental in securing $127 million funding for major service improvements to Caltrain, for which the commuter rail agency named a new locomotive (no. 925) for her. Speier also focused on representing consumer rights.[14] Senator Speier was termed out of the California State Senate in 2006. Speier served as assistant president pro tempore of the California State Senate during her last term.

Caltrain Locomotive named after Jackie Speier

Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California

In 2006, Speier ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant governor of California against insurance commissioner John Garamendi and state senator Liz Figueroa. At the June 6, 2006, elections, Speier was defeated by Garamendi in a close race. Garamendi received 42.9%, Speier received 39.3%, and Figueroa received the remaining 17.8% of the vote.

2008 presidential campaign

Speier endorsed Hillary Clinton's bid for president.[15]

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

On January 13, 2008, Speier announced she was running in the Democratic primary for the 12th District, Ryan's old district. The seat was being vacated by 14-term incumbent and fellow Democrat Tom Lantos, who announced on January 2, 2008, that he was not seeking re-election. Speier had spent much of 2007 building support to challenge Lantos in the Democratic primary.[16]

On January 17, 2008, Lantos endorsed Speier as his successor. She also picked up endorsements from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Mike Thompson and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Lantos died February 11, 2008. Speier won a special primary election on April 8, 2008, to fill the remainder of his term, which ended in January 2009. She won an outright majority, avoiding a runoff that would have been held on June 3, coinciding with the regular primary election.[17] Speier easily won the Democratic primary on June 3, all but assuring her of a full term in this heavily Democratic district.[18] She was elected to a full term in November with 75 percent of the vote, and has been reelected three more times with no substantive opposition.

On July 11, 2008, Speier introduced her first bill, the Gasoline Savings and Speed Limit Reduction Act, which would set a national speed limit of 60 mph in urban areas and 65 mph on less-populated stretches of highway.

In January 2016, during a speech on the House floor, Speier announced that she would introduce legislation requiring schools to disclose disciplinary proceedings of faculty.[19]

Political views

Earlier photo of Speier


Defense

Speier is a critic of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. She has been quoted in CNN: "To continue pouring money into building planes that have ejector seat issues, cyber vulnerabilities, flawed aerodynamics, maintenance problems, an inability to fly at full speed while using weapons, and overheating issues is borderline malfeasance," [20]

Abortion

Speier supports legal abortion. When she took the National Political Awareness Test in 2002, she answered, “Abortions should always be legally available”.[21] The organization NARAL Pro-Choice America rated Jackie Speier as 100% on interest group ratings because she supported the choice of abortion in her voting for legislation.[22] Also, in 2008 the Planned Parenthood Organization gave Speier a 100% on her actions regarding abortion.[21] In a speech on the House floor on February 17, 2011, Speier said that she herself had undergone an emergency D&E procedure when complications developed in a wanted pregnancy.[23][24]

Gun laws

Speier believes in a stricter view of gun control. According to her answers on the NPAT (National Political Awareness Test) she would like to require safety locks on all guns and background checks on prospective buyers as well as ban certain guns (other than for hunting) and strengthen state restrictions on buying and owning guns.[21] Gun Owners of America gave her an "F" grade and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Jack Berman Advocacy Center gave her a 100% rating.[21][22] The National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of California also gave Speier a low grade on gun rights.[21]

Environment and energy

Speier is concerned for the protection of the environment and wants to preserve the health of this planet. She lists as evidence the decline of salmon on the West Coast as proof of global warming.[25] Speier believes global warming poses a growing danger and negatively affects the environment. When she spoke to the House on the subject of global warming and the environment, she expressed a desire “to craft a bipartisan and commonsense energy plan that makes polluters pay, provides for middle-class energy tax credits, and creates a new industry and lots of good, clean, green jobs”.[26] Jackie Speier is working to improve energy legislation with the Clean Air Rebate Act of 2009, the Home Star Act and the American Clean Energy and Security Act.[27][28]

Urban terrorism

Speier introduced legislation to enhance information sharing between the Transportation Security Administration and participating mass transit agencies in high-risk jurisdictions. The goal of this expanded relationship would be to thwart terrorist attacks against high-profile transit targets.[29] [30]

LGBT equality

Speier supports same-sex marriage. She is a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus.[31]

Speier was one of 32 members of Congress to co-sign an October 8, 2015 letter to the TSA requesting a reform in screening policies and procedures for transgender travelers.[32]

Congressional committee assignments

Caucuses

Electoral history

California Congressional District 11, special election (round 1), March 6, 1979[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic G. W. Holsinger 20,908 24.3
Republican William Royer 19,592 22.7
Democratic George Corey 15,470 18.0
Democratic Jackie Speier 13,744 16.0
Republican Les Kelting 6,578 7.6
Republican Bruce Makar 6,012 7.0
Democratic Curtiss Landers 1,475 1.7
Republican Roger B. Canfield 934 1.1
Democratic Charles T. Plough 731 0.8
American Independent Nicholas Waeil Kudrovzeff 372 0.4
Peace and Freedom Wilson Branch 310 0.4
Total votes 86,126 100
Voter turnout  %
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1986[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 56,809 73.9
Republican Michael Rocco 20,010 26.1
Total votes 76,819 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1988[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 67,584 77.2
Republican Robert Silvestri 18,240 20.8
Peace and Freedom Gene Pepi 1,732 2.0
Total votes 87,556 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1990[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 53,359 100
Total votes 53,359 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1992[37]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 108,428 75.1
Republican Ellyne Berger 36,020 24.9
Total votes 144,448 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1994[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 100,602 93.1
Peace and Freedom David Reichard 7,459 6.9
Total votes 108,061 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
California State Senate District 8 election, 1998[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 167,216 79.2
Republican Jim Tomlin 43,936 20.8
Total votes 211,152 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic gain from Independent
California State Senate District 8 election, 2002[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 158,999 78.2
Republican Dennis Zell 38,881 19.1
Libertarian Robert Fliegler 5,540 2.7
Total votes 203,420 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
California Democratic Party Lieutenant Gubernatorial primary election, June 6, 2006[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Garamendi 1,045,130 42.6
Democratic Jackie Speier 975,547 39.7
Democratic Liz Figueroa 436,868 17.7
Total votes 2,457,545 100
Voter turnout  %
California's 12th Congressional District special election, April 8, 2008[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 66,279 77.7
Republican Greg Conlon 7,990 9.4
Democratic Michelle McMurry 4,546 5.3
Republican Mike Moloney 4,517 5.3
Green Barry Hermanson 1,947 2.3
Independent Kevin Dempsey Peterson (write-in) 2 0.0
Valid ballots 85,281 {{{change}}}
Invalid or blank votes  %
Total votes 85,281 100.00
Voter turnout 25.69%
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2008[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 200,442 75.2
Republican Greg Conlon 49,258 18.5
Peace and Freedom Nathalie Hrizi 5,793 2.2
Green Barry Hermanson 5,776 2.1
Libertarian Kevin Dempsey Peterson 5,584 2.0
Total votes 266,853 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 152,044 75.6
Republican Mike Moloney 44,475 22.2
Libertarian Mark Paul Williams 4,611 2.2
Independent Joseph Michael Harding (write-in) 32 0.0
Total votes 201,162 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2012[45]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 203,828 78.9
Republican Debbie Bacigalupi 54,455 21.1
Total votes 258,283 100
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold

Books

References

  1. ↑ Biographical Directory of Congress, Jackie Speier.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Jackie Speier at National Names DataBase.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jackie Speier, Moving On, Moving Up, November 16, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. ↑ Jackie For Congress: Bio, biography page at 2008 campaign website.
  10. ↑ Excerpt from: REPORT OF A STAFF INVESTIGATIVE GROUP TO THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MAY 15, 1979
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ California Secretary of State, Vote2002, State Senate District 8 at the Wayback Machine (archived August 14, 2007), accessed February 15, 2008
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Hillary Clinton For President at National Names DataBase.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ John Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle, February 13, 2008, "April 8 primary set to pick Lantos' successor", accessed February 15, 2008
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/21/politics/f-35-software-system-gao-report/index.html
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Link thehill.com
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Our Campaigns "California District 11 – Special Election Race – March 6, 1979," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  34. ↑ Our Campaigns "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 4, 1986," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  35. ↑ Our Campaigns "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 8, 1988," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  36. ↑ Our Campaigns "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 6, 1990," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  37. ↑ Our Campaigns "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 3, 1992," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  38. ↑ Our Campaigns "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 8, 1994," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  39. ↑ Our Campaigns "California State Senate 8 Race – November 3, 1998," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  40. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State "State Senator," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  41. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State "Lieutenant Governor, by county," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  42. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State "Special Election Results United States House of Representatives, District 12 Special Primary Election, April 8, 2008," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  43. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State "United States Representative," (retrieved on August 4, 2009).
  44. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State "United States Representative," (retrieved on February 21, 2011).
  45. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State "United States Representative," (retrieved on January 21, 2014).

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Articles
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 12th congressional district
2008–2013		 Succeeded by
Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 14th congressional district
2013–present		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
189th		 Succeeded by
Steve Scalise
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