Sanford Bishop | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives from Georgia's 2nd district | |
Assumed office January 3, 1993 | |
Preceded by | Charles Hatcher |
Member of the Georgia Senate from the 15th district | |
In office January 3,1991 –January 3,1993 | |
Preceded by | Gary Parker |
Succeeded by | Ed Harbison |
Member of the GeorgiaHouseofRepresentatives from the 94th district | |
In office January 3,1977 –January 3,1991 | |
Preceded by | C. Ed Berry |
Succeeded by | Bill Lee |
Personal details | |
Born | Sanford Dixon Bishop Jr. February 4,1947 Mobile,Alabama,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Vivian Creighton |
Children | 1 |
Residence(s) | Albany,Georgia,U.S. |
Education | Morehouse College (BA) Emory University (JD) |
Website | House website |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1968–1971 |
Sanford Dixon Bishop Jr. (born February 4, 1947) [1] is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 2nd congressional district since 1993. He became the dean of Georgia's congressional delegation after the death of John Lewis. A member of the Blue Dog Coalition, he belongs to the conservative faction of the Democratic Party. His district is in southwestern Georgia and includes Albany, Thomasville, and most of Columbus and Macon.
Bishop was born in Mobile, Alabama, to Minnie B. Slade and Sanford Dixon Bishop, [2] the first president of Bishop State Community College. Bishop obtained a B.A. degree from Morehouse College in 1968, majoring in political science and minoring in English, and a J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law in 1971. [1] [3] At Morehouse, he was a classmate of Herman Cain. He served in the United States Army between 1969 and 1971. [4] Bishop subsequently operated a law firm in Columbus, Georgia.
Bishop has received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), given to Eagle Scouts for distinguished career achievement. [5] [6] He is a member of BSA's Order of the Arrow (OA) and as a youth was on the OA ceremonies team. [5] He is a resident of Albany, Georgia, where he is a member of the Mount Zion Baptist Church. Bishop is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, initiated at Morehouse's Pi chapter. [7] He is a Shriner and 33° Mason. [8]
Bishop is married to Vivian Creighton, who served from 1993 to 2021 as Municipal Clerk of Columbus.
Bishop was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1977, where he remained until being elected to the Georgia Senate in 1990.
After only one term in the state senate, he ran for the 2nd district in 1992, which was held by six-term U.S. Congressman Charles Hatcher, a white moderate Democrat. The 2nd had been reconfigured as a black-majority district during congressional apportionment following the 1990 Census. Bishop finished second behind Hatcher in a crowded six-way primary. Hatcher failed to reach the 50% threshold, and was forced into a runoff election. During the campaign Bishop attacked Hatcher for bouncing 819 checks in the House banking scandal. Bishop defeated him 53%–47%. [9] In the general election, he defeated Republican Jim Dudley 64%–36%. [10]
In the Democratic primary, he defeated James Bush 67%–33%. [11] In the general election, he won reelection to a second term with 66%. [12]
In 1995, a 5–4 majority of the Supreme Court ruled that the redistricting of Georgia had violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 2nd district was thus redrawn. The newly redrawn district was 60% white. Nonetheless, Bishop won reelection to a third term with 54% of the vote. [13]
Bishop won reelection to a fourth term against Republican Joseph F. McCormick with 57% of the vote. [14] During the campaign, Bishop received twice the campaign financing that his opponent raised. [15] [16]
Bishop defeated Dylan Glenn, a young black Republican who received strong backing from many national Republican leaders. The vote was 53%–47%. [17]
Bishop won reelection to a sixth term unopposed. [18]
Bishop won reelection to a seventh term with 67% of the vote. [19]
He won reelection to an eighth term with 68% of the vote. [20]
Bishop won reelection to a ninth term with 69% of the vote. [21]
Bishop won reelection to a tenth term against Republican State Representative Mike Keown, 51%–49%, [22] the closest margin of his career. In a year where the Democrats lost the majority in the House, The New York Times wrote that Bishop's reelection odds seemed slim because he was an "incumbent in an anti-Washington year", because he was a black man in a majority white district (49% White, 47% Black), and because of a scholarship scandal at his nonprofit. [23]
After redistricting, the 2nd district became a black-majority district. Notably, it added most of Macon, previously the heart of the 8th district. Bishop was heavily favored in the general election as a result. [24] He defeated Republican John House with 63% of the vote. [25]
Bishop is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, [26] as well as the Blue Dog Democrats, [27] a group of moderate to conservative House Democrats. Due to his willingness to work across the aisle, Bishop was ranked the 16th most bipartisan member of the 114th Congress. The ranking was part of the Bipartisan Index put forth by The Lugar Center in collaboration with Georgetown University. [28] As of 2022, Bishop has voted with President Joe Biden 100% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. [29]
Serving a primarily agricultural district, Bishop has fought to preserve the federal price supports for peanuts, southwest Georgia's most important crop. The New York Times quoted the chairman of the agency that administers federal farm programs in Georgia as saying, "It's questionable whether it would have survived without the votes [Bishop] brought to it". [30] In 1997, Bishop caused considerable controversy within his own party by cosponsoring a bill by U.S. Representative Ernest Istook to introduce a constitutional amendment to protect religious expression on public property, known as the H. J. Res, 78, the Religious Freedom Amendment. The wording of the amendment allowing the practice of religion on public property, most notably public schools:
To secure the people's fight to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: The people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage and traditions shall not be infringed. The Government shall not require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribe school prayers, discriminate against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion ... The people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. [31]
On October 10, 2002, Bishop was one of only four of 36 Congressional Black Caucus members to vote for the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War. The other three Congressional Black Caucus members who voted for the resolution are no longer members of Congress: Bill Jefferson, Albert Wynn, and Harold Ford Jr. [32] [33] [34]
On September 10, 2007, Bishop endorsed Barack Obama for President and co-chaired the Georgia for Obama campaign; his wife, Vivian Creighton Bishop, a municipal court clerk in Columbus, co-chaired the Georgia Women for Hillary committee. [35]
Bishop serves on the Appropriations Committee, and chairs the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.
Bishop voted to provide Israel with funding in the 2023 Gaza-Israel conflict. [36] [37]
In September 2010, the Associated Press reported that Bishop had, between 2003 and 2005, directed scholarships and awards funded by the Congressional Black Caucus to ineligible persons, including his stepdaughter, Aayesha Owens Reese; his niece, Emmaundia J. Whitaker; and other people with close ties to his family, threatening to turn the program into a political problem for the party. Ashton McRae released a statement by Bishop's office: "It is our understanding that the CBC Foundation in 2008 revisited the guidelines and processes for its scholarship programs, and as such, included language to clarify that CBC family members are not eligible to receive the scholarships. These scholarships ... were awarded prior to 2008." [38] Ultimately Bishop's spokesman said he would repay the scholarship fund for any awards he made in violation of the rules. [39] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington mentioned Bishop in its annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress report in 2011. [40]
In 1997, the Pigford v. Glickman lawsuit came out of legislative discrimination against black farmers. The case was led by Timothy Pigford and 400 black farmers. The Washington Times reported that by the end of the case in 1999, over 94,000 claims were filed in conjunction with the original case, "even though the U.S. Census Bureau never counted more than 33,000 black farmers in America during the years in question." [41] In February 2011, three farmers brought allegations of fraud to Bishop, including Eddie Slaughter, vice president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association. Bishop told The Albany Herald that he was aware of fraud in the program, but that the settlement's anti-fraud provisions would prevent disbursement of funds to those who didn't qualify. [42] [43] Interviews with Slaughter have circulated online and criticism has been raised about his comments about fraud allegations leading to the end of the program. [44]
In 2020, the Office of Congressional Ethics released a report alleging Bishop misused over $90,000 of campaign funds to cover personal expenses [45] like fuel, golf expenses, meals, travel, tuition and entertainment. A full House Ethics Committee investigation was subsequently launched. [46]
For the 118th Congress: [47]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop | 95,789 | 63.70 | |
Republican | Jim Dudley | 54,593 | 36.30 | |
Total votes | 150,382 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop (incumbent) | 65,383 | 66.17 | |
Republican | John Clayton | 33,429 | 33.83 | |
Total votes | 98,812 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop (incumbent) | 56,660 | 59.40 | |
Democratic | W.T. Gamble III | 31,615 | 33.14 | |
Democratic | Walter H. Lewis | 7,116 | 7.46 | |
Total votes | 95,391 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop (incumbent) | 88,256 | 53.97 | |
Republican | Darrel Ealum | 75,282 | 46.03 | |
Total votes | 163,538 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop (incumbent) | 77,953 | 56.8 | |
Republican | Joseph F. McCormick | 59,305 | 43.2 | |
Total votes | 137,258 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop (incumbent) | 96,430 | 53.5 | |
Republican | Dylan Glenn | 83,870 | 46.5 | |
Total votes | 180,300 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop (incumbent) | 129,984 | 66.79 | |
Republican | Dave Eversman | 64,645 | 33.21 | |
Total votes | 194,629 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 88,662 | 67.87 | |
Republican | Bradley Hughes | 41,967 | 32.13 | |
Total votes | 130,629 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 158,447 | 68.95 | |
Republican | Lee Ferrell | 71,357 | 31.05 | |
Total votes | 229,804 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 86,520 | 51.44 | |
Republican | Mike Keown | 81,673 | 48.56 | |
Total votes | 168,193 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 162,751 | 63.78 | |
Republican | John House | 92,410 | 36.78 | |
Total votes | 255,161 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 96,363 | 59.15 | |
Republican | Greg Duke | 66,357 | 40.85 | |
Total votes | 162,720 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 148,543 | 61.23 | |
Republican | Greg Duke | 94,056 | 38.77 | |
Total votes | 242,599 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 135,709 | 59.56 | |
Republican | Herman West Jr. | 92,132 | 40.44 | |
Total votes | 227,841 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 161,397 | 59.12 | |
Republican | Don Cole | 111,620 | 40.88 | |
Total votes | 273,017 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sanford Bishop* | 132,675 | 54.97 | |
Republican | Chris West | 108,665 | 45.03 | |
Total votes | 241,340 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic hold |
Peter John Visclosky is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Indiana's 1st congressional district from 1985 until his retirement in 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was the dean of the Indiana congressional delegation before his retirement in 2021. The District lies in Northwest Indiana, and includes most of the Indiana side of the Chicago metropolitan area. Redistricting passed by the Indiana General Assembly in 2011 changed the district's boundaries, effective January 2013, to include all of Lake and Porter counties as well as the western and northwestern townships of LaPorte County, while shifting Benton, Newton, and Jasper counties out of the district.
David Albert Scott is an American politician and businessman who has served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 13th congressional district since 2003. Scott's district includes the southern fourth of Atlanta, as well as several of its suburbs to the south and west. Before his election to Congress in 2002, Scott served as a Democratic member of both chambers of the Georgia Legislature and operated a small business. In 2007, the political watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Scott one of the 25 most corrupt members of Congress. In 2023, he succeeded Glenn Thompson as ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee.
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of Black members of the United States Congress. Representative Steven Horsford from Nevada is the caucus chairperson, having succeeded Joyce Beatty from Ohio in 2023. Historically, the CBC mainly consisted of members of the Democratic Party, although its founders envisioned a non-partisan organization and there were many instances of bipartisan collaboration with Republicans.
Robert Miller Pittenger is a businessman and American politician who was the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 9th congressional district from 2013 to 2019. The district included several outer portions of Charlotte as well as many of that city's southern and eastern suburbs. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The 1840–41 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between July 6, 1840, and November 2, 1841. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives, before or after the first session of the 27th United States Congress convened on May 31, 1841. Elections were held for all 242 seats, representing 26 states.
Alan Stuart Lowenthal is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for California's 47th congressional district from 2013 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the California state assemblyman for the 54th district from 1998 to 2004 and California state senator from the 27th district from 2004 to 2012. In both posts, Lowenthal represented the city of Long Beach and its surrounding suburbs. On December 16, 2021, Lowenthal announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress.
Paul Collins Broun Jr. is an American physician and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 10th congressional district from 2007 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a member of the Tea Party Caucus.
Brenda Lawrence is an American retired politician who served as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 14th congressional district from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Lawrence served as mayor of Southfield, Michigan, from 2001 to 2015, and was the party's nominee for Oakland County executive in 2008 and for lieutenant governor in 2010. Her congressional district covered most of eastern Detroit, including downtown, and stretched west to take in portions of Oakland County, including Farmington Hills, Pontiac, and Lawrence's home in Southfield.
Mark Eugene Amodei is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Nevada's 2nd congressional district since 2011. The only Republican in Nevada's congressional delegation since 2019, Amodei served in the Nevada Assembly from 1997 to 1999 and in the Nevada Senate, representing the Capital District, from 1999 to 2011.
Donald Anthony Manzullo is an American businessman and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 16th congressional district, from 1993 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. From 2001 to 2007 he served as Chairman of the Committee on Small Business, and from January 2011 to January 2013 he served as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. He was defeated in the 2012 Republican Primary on March 20, 2012.
James Austin Scott is an American politician who has been the U.S. representative for Georgia's 8th congressional district since 2011. The district stretches down the middle of the state, from just outside Macon to the Florida border. Scott served as a Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. House.
John Thomas Graves Jr. is an American businessman and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 14th congressional district from 2013 to 2020. Graves previously served one term as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 9th congressional district from 2010 to 2013, following his victory in a special election held to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Nathan Deal. Before his election to Congress, Graves served as a Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 2003 to 2010.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, and elected the 14 U.S. Representatives from the state, one from each of the state's 14 congressional districts, an increase of one seat following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. The party primary elections were held on July 31, 2012, and the run-off on August 21, 2012.
Marc Allison Veasey is an American politician serving as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Texas's 33rd congressional district. From 2005 to 2013, he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives, where he served as chair pro tempore of the House Democratic Caucus.
Earl LeRoy "Buddy" Carter is an American pharmacist and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 1st congressional district since 2015. The district is based in Savannah and includes most of the state's coastal southern portion. A member of the Republican Party, Carter served as a Georgia state representative (2005–2009) and Georgia state senator (2009–2014).
James Daniel Bishop is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 8th congressional district since 2019, when the district was numbered “9”. As a Republican, his district includes south-central Mecklenburg, Union, Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Robeson, Hoke, and southern Moore Counties. He served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2015 to 2017 and the Mecklenburg County Commission from 2005 to 2009. He served in the North Carolina State Senate from 2017 to 2019.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the fourteen U.S. representatives from the state of Georgia, one from each of the state's fourteen congressional districts. The elections coincided with a gubernatorial election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary elections took place on May 22, 2018.
The Congressional Constitution Caucus is a congressional caucus made up of 41 members of the United States Congress. The caucus was founded in 2005; it had 37 members the first year it was founded.
Nikema Natassha Williams is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district and as Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. The district includes almost three-quarters of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th district from 2017-2021. Williams served as one of 16 electors for Georgia in the Electoral College following the 2020 United States presidential election.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the 14 U.S. representatives from the state of Georgia, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with the Georgia gubernatorial election, as well as other elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate, and various state and local elections.
Democrat Sanford Bishop unabashedly announced his support of the current Republican president.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)