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Revision as of 04:42, 3 November 2010 by Qworty (talk | contribs) (→2010: result)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Bob Filner | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 51st district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Duke Cunningham |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 50th district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 2, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | None (District Created after the United States Census of 1990) |
| Succeeded by | Duke Cunningham |
| Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Buyer |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | San Diego, California |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Occupation | college professor |
Robert Earl Filner (born September 4, 1942) is the U.S. Representative for California's 51st congressional district, and previously the 50th, serving since 1993, and Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation, including much of San Diego's southern section, the cities of Chula Vista and National City and all of Imperial County. It includes California's entire length of the border with Mexico.
Early life, education and career
Filner was born in Pittsburgh, in Squirrel Hill. As a student at Cornell University, he participated in the Freedom Rides of 1961, spending two months in a Mississippi jail for his efforts. Also, as a student, he worked as a member of the Cornell Daily Sun, the student newspaper. He graduated from Cornell in 1963 with a degree in chemistry, and earned his doctorate in history of science from the same school six years later. Shortly after earning his PhD, he moved to San Diego, becoming a history professor at San Diego State University for more than 20 years. He resigned his position in 1992 to run for Congress.
Filner was long interested in politics, serving as a staffer for Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota in 1975 and for Congressman Don Fraser, also of Minnesota, in 1976. He also served as a staffer for Congressman Jim Bates from the San Diego area in 1984. Mr. Filner has a daughter, Erin Filner, who is a social studies teacher at The Fox Lane Middle School in Bedford, NY.
Early political career
His elective career began in 1979, when his opposition to the closing of a neighborhood school led him to run for the San Diego Board of Education, where he defeated a longtime incumbent. Even though he was the only Democrat on the board, his "back to basics" approach to education won him wide praise, and his colleagues elected him president of the board in 1982. For part of his tenure on the board, he served alongside Susan Davis, who now represents most of the other side of San Diego in the House. He was elected to the San Diego City Council in 1987. He was handily reelected in 1991, and his colleagues elected him Deputy Mayor of San Diego. His main interest was in economic expansion.
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
Filner is a founding member of the Progressive Caucus.
He was one of the 31 who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 presidential election.
Filner easily won re-election in November 2006, defeating Republican Blake Miles and Libertarian Dan Litwin. Filner won about 67 percent of the vote cast in the district. Miles received about 31 percent and Litwin about 2 percent.
In 2008, Filner sponsored a resolution, passed by the House of Representatives, in support of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day.
In February 2009, a bill was filed in the Philippine House of Representatives by Rep. Antonio Diaz seeking to confer honorary Filipino citizenship on Filner, Senators Daniel Inouye, Daniel Akaka and Ted Stevens, for their role in securing the passage of benefits for Filipino World War II veterans.
Political campaigns
California gained seven seats after the 1990 census, and one of them was the 50th District in south San Diego (renumbered the 51st District after the 2000 census). In 1992, Filner ran in a five-way Democratic primary for the seat and won a narrow victory. One of his primary opponents was his former boss, Jim Bates, who had lost his seat in a sexual harassment scandal in 1990 and whose home had been drawn into the district. Another opponent was veteran state Senator Wadie Deddah, who was term-limited. Filner defeated Deddah by a narrow margin, with Bates finishing third place in the primary. The district was almost 40% Hispanic (redistricting in 2000 made it 53% Hispanic) and heavily Democratic, and his victory in November (with 57 percent of the vote) was a foregone conclusion. He has been reelected six times with no substantive Republican opposition. He ran unopposed in 1998.
Filner has a bitter rivalry with Juan Vargas, another Democratic politician who has run against Filner in the Democratic primary three times. Filner won the latest Democratic primary, on June 6, 2006, with 51% of the vote, in a race against Vargas and two minor challengers, Danny Ramirez and Jesse Bresnihan. Filner and Vargas have accused each other of corruption.
2010
Filner defeated Republican nominee Nick Popaditch, a Marine who was blinded in Iraq and earned a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.
Assault and battery case
On August 19, 2007, Filner was involved in a physical altercation with a United Airlines employee after he tried to gain access to an area of Dulles Airport that is only for authorized personnel.
References
- Leila Salaverria (2009-02-24). "4 US solons as honorary Filipinos". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- Horstman, Barry M. (September 28, 1991). "Apologetic Bates Plans Comeback". The Los Angeles Times.
External links
- U.S. Representative Bob Filner official U.S. House site
- Bob Filner for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Profile at Vote Smart
Articles
- Bigamy, bribery, other allegations plague California congressional race Miriam Raftery, Raw Story, June 5, 2006
- Rep. Filner beats Democratic rival in latest rematch Philip J. LaVelle and Dani Dodge, San Diego Union-Tribune, June 7, 2006
- CA 51: Slim Margin Gives Way to Safety for Filner This Fall CQ Politics, June 7, 2006
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byDistrict Created | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 50th congressional district 1993–2003 |
Succeeded byRandy "Duke" Cunningham |
| Preceded byRandy "Duke" Cunningham | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 51st congressional district 2003–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded bySteve Buyer Indiana |
Chairman of House Veterans' Affairs Committee 2007–Present |
Succeeded byIncumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byRobert Goodlatte | United States Representatives by seniority 91st |
Succeeded byAnna Eshoo |