Bruce Braley

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Bruce Braley

Representative-elect from Iowa's 1st district
Term of office: term begins 2007
Political party:	Democratic
Succeeding:	Jim Nussle
Religion:	Presbyterian
Born:	October 30, 1957 Grinnell, Iowa
Spouse:	Carolyn Braley

Bruce Braley is an attorney from Waterloo, Iowa. He is the Democratic Congressman-elect for the United States Congress, in Iowa's first Congressional District in the 2006 election. Braley won this open seat after eight term Republican congressman Jim Nussle stepped down to make an unsuccessful run for Governor this past election.

Braley was born October 30, 1957 in Grinnell, Iowa. His family owned a farm in nearby Brooklyn, Iowa. Braley attended college at Iowa State University, and he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa. He was admitted to the bar and has served as a trial lawyer since 1983.

Braley has not previously held elected office. As an attorney, Braley served as president of the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association. He and his wife were named couple of the year by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeastern Iowa. Braley and his wife, Carolyn, have three children, Lisa, David and Paul.

On July 8, 2006, Braley was chosen to deliver the Democrats' weekly radio address. He criticized the Republican attempt to privatize Social Security. [1] On October 31, 2006, he cancelled a campaign event with Senator John Kerry after Kerry remarked "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." There was much controversy after that. [2]

In the 2006 midterm election, Braley defeated Republican opponent Mike Whalen, a Quad City businessman. ^[1] [3]. Braley's victory meant the Democrats gained control of the district for the first time since 1976.