Jim Oberstar

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Jim Oberstar

United States Representative from Minnesota's 8th district
In office 1975 - present
Preceded by	John Blatnik
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	September 10, 1934 Chisholm, Minnesota
Political party	Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Spouse	Jean Kurth
Religion	Roman Catholic

James Louis Oberstar, usually known as Jim Oberstar (born September 10, 1934), is a United States politician. Oberstar has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1975, representing Minnesota's 8th congressional district, one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota. The district includes Duluth and the northeastern part of the state.

With the Democrats' victory in the 2006 midterm elections, Oberstar is all but assured of becoming chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. [1] He has been its ranking Democrat since 2001.

1 Background
2 Political career
3 Electoral history
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Background

He was born in Chisholm, Minnesota, and still owns his original family home in Chisholm. He received his B.A. at the College of St. Thomas (now the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. He also received a Master's degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, with further study at Laval University in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada and Georgetown University. He spent four years as a civilian language teacher in the United States Marine Corps, teaching English to Haitian military personnel and French to American Marine officers and noncommissioned officers.^[1]

[edit] Political career

Oberstar served as chief staff assistant to 8th District Congressman John Blatnik for 12 years. When Blatnik didn't run for a 15th term in 1974, he endorsed Oberstar as his successor. Oberstar won handily in November and has been reelected 15 times without serious difficulty. The Democrats--in the persons of Blatnik and Oberstar--have held the seat since 1947. His lowest winning percentage was 59 percent in 1992, but since then has not earned less than 60 percent of the vote. He is the longest-serving member of either house of Congress in Minnesota's history.

Oberstar is an internationally recognized expert on aviation and aviation safety. He has served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since his first term. Blatnik had chaired the committee during his last two terms in Congress (when it was known as the Public Works Committee), with Oberstar as staff administrator. Oberstar was a member of the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism (PCAST) which was set up in September 1989 to review and report on aviation security policy in the light of the sabotage of Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988. An avid cyclist, Oberstar has been a champion of creating trails for cycling and hiking to promote healthy living and more active lifestyles. In 2005 he authored and had passed the Safe Routes to Schools act, a $200 million program that helps school districts address the growing problem of childhood obesity by building biking and walking paths to schools, hiring crossing guards and promoting safety programs. ^{[citation needed]}

Oberstar generally has a liberal voting record, but opposes abortion and opposes gun control. The latter stand is fairly common among DFLers outside the Twin Cities, as Minnesota is a "pioneer state" with a long hunting and fishing tradition. Many DFL officials are hunters and anglers.

He is considered to be the third most liberal member of the Minnesota delegation in the 109^th Congress, scoring 13% conservative by a conservative group^[2] and 86% progressive by a liberal group.^[3] Minnesota Congressional Districts shows the scores for the entire delegation.

Oberstar resides with his wife, Jean, in both Potomac, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and in his original family home in Chisholm.

During the 2006 elections, Oberstar's Republican opponent was former United States Senator Rod Grams, whose home is in the southwestern corner of the 8th. Grams was by far the strongest opponent Oberstar had ever faced, and the first well-funded Republican to run in the 8th in decades. However, Oberstar trounced Grams by over 30 points.

As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Oberstar and Collin Peterson, chairman of the Agriculture Committee, will be the most powerful Congressmen from Minnesota.

[edit] Electoral history

2006 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 64%
- Rod Grams (R), 34%
- Harry Welty (UP), 2%

2004 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 65%
- Mark Groettum (R), 32%

2002 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 68.5%
- Bob Lemen (R), 31.2%

2000 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 68%
- Bob Lemen (R), 26%
- Mike Darling (Independent), 5.7%

1998 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 66%
- Jerry Shuster (R), 26%
- Stan Estes (Reform), 5.7%

1996 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 67%
- Andy Larson (R), 25%
- Stan Estes (Reform), 6%

1994 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 66%
- Phil Herwig (IR), 34%

1992 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 59%
- Phil Herwig (IR), 30%
- Harry Robb Welty (PCP), 8%

1992 DFL Primary for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 78%
- Leonard J. Richards (DFL), 22%

1990 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 73%
- Jerry Shuster (IR), 27%

1988 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 74.5%
- Jerry Shuster (IR), 25.5%

1986 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 73%
- Dave Rued (IR), 27%

1984 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 67%
- Dave Rued (IR), 32%

1984 DFL Primary for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 65%
- Tom Dougherty (DFL), 33%

1982 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 77%
- Marjory L. Luce (IR), 23%

1982 DFL Primary for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 87%
- Bernard Sydow (DFL), 13%

1980 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 70%
- Edward Fiore (IR), 28%
- Ilona Gersh (SW), 2%

1980 DFL Primary for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 49%
- Thomas E. Dougherty (DFL), 39%

1978 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), 87%
- John W. Hull (AM), 13%

1976 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL) (inc.), unopposed (100%)

1974 Race for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL), 62%
- Jerome Arnold (R), 26%
- William R. Ojala (Economic Justice), 10%
- Robert C. Bester (Independent), 2%

1974 DFL Primary for U.S. Representative - 8th District
- Jim Oberstar (DFL), 49%
- Tony Perpich (DFL), 29%
- Florian Chmielewski, 19.5%

[edit] References

^ About Jim Oberstar Accessed August 12th, 2006
^ Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005 (pdf). SBE Council’s Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005. Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (June, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-02.
^ Leading with the Left. Progressive Punch. Retrieved on 2006-11-02.