Carol Shea-Porter

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Carol Shea-Porter

United States Representative from New Hampshire's 1st district
In office Term Starts January 2007
Preceded by	Jeb Bradley
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	December 2, 1954 New York City, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Gene Porter
Religion	Roman Catholic

Carol Shea-Porter (born December 2, 1954) is the City Chair of the Rochester, New Hampshire Democratic Party. Results show that on November 7, 2006, she defeated incumbent Republican Jeb Bradley of New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in the 2006 midterm elections to become the first woman ever elected to Congress from New Hampshire. The Boston Globe reports that a 16-year-old Carol Shea-Porter was advised by her high school guidance counselor to "forget about college and try secretarial school." Shea-Porter disavowed that advice and graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Shea-Porter benefited from the "New Hampshire Miracle," a repudiation of Republicanism that swept out both Republican Congressman and the Republican controlled State House and State Senate.

1 Biography
2 Political views
3 2006 election campaign
4 Election History
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Biography

Shea-Porter grew up on the New Hampshire seacoast, graduating from Oyster River High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in social services and a master's degree in public administration from the University of New Hampshire. A social worker by profession, she directed senior centers in New Orleans and Maryland. In 2004, she worked on Wesley Clark's New Hampshire primary campaign and for Strafford County Democrats running for the Legislature.^[1] She was a volunteer relief worker in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

[edit] Political views

[edit] Iraq

Shea-Porter is a solid supporter of a timetable for troop withdrawals.^[2]

[edit] Economic

Shea-Porter supports the elimination of tax cuts that benefit the top 1% of wage earners. She supports increasing the minimum wage to help lift working families out of poverty.^[3]

[edit] Healthcare

Shea-Porter supports a change in the new Medicare Part D drug benefit to allow the government to negotiate prices for prescription drugs. ^[4]

[edit] 2006 election campaign

Shea-Porter faced three other Democrats in the won primary on September 12, 2006.^[1] She won with 12,497 votes (54%); Jim Craig, the New Hampshire House minority leader, finished second with 34%.^[5]

Results show that she has defeated incumbent Jeb Bradley, and will become the first female Congressman from New Hampshire. With 100% of precincts reporting, Shea-Porter has received 100,899 votes (52%), to Republican incumbent Bradley's 94,869 votes(48%). The results were surprising given Bradley's lead in the polls up until the election. Carol Shea-Porter was outspent 5-1 by an incumbent, an outstanding disparity that, along with the fact that she received next to no support from the national Democratic Party, makes Shea-Porter's shock victory even more of a surprise. ^[6]

[edit] Election History

Year	Office	Election		Subject	Party	Votes	%		Opponent	Party	Votes	%
2006	Congress, District 1	General		Carol Shea-Porter	Democratic	100,837	51.31		Jeb Bradley	Republican	95,538	48.61

Political offices
Preceded by Jeb Bradley	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's 1st congressional district 2007-Present	Succeeded by Incumbent