Steny Hoyer

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Steny Hoyer

United States Representative from Maryland's 5th district
In office 1981-present
Preceded by	Gladys Spellman
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	June 14, 1939 New York City, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Judith Hoyer (widowed)
Religion	Baptist

Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the Maryland's 5th congressional district since 1981. He is the current House Minority Whip and House Majority Leader-elect. On November 16, 2006, Hoyer was elected as House Majority Leader over John Murtha of Pennsylvania.^[1] ^[2] He is the first Marylander to become Majority Leader.^[3]

1 Early life and family
2 Maryland Senate career
3 Congressional career
- 3.1 Committee assignments
4 Election history
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Early life and family

Hoyer was born in New York City but grew up in Mitchellville, Maryland. His heritage is Danish; "Steny" is a variant of his father's name, "Steen."^[4] He graduated from Suitland High School in Suitland, Maryland. In 1963, he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he also became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.^[5] He later earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in 1966.^[5] In the 1960s, Hoyer interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland), along with future Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. ^[6]

Hoyer and his wife, Judy Pickett Hoyer (died 1997), have three daughters: Susan, Stefany, and Anne. Hoyer has 2 granddaughters, 1 grandson and a great granddaughter born on November 2, 2006. His wife was an advocate of early childhood education, and child development learning centers in Maryland have been named in her honor ("Judy Centers").^[7] She also suffered from epilepsy, and the Epilepsy Foundation of America sponsors an annual public lecture in her name.^[8] Hoyer, too, has been an advocate for research in this area, and the Epilepsy Foundation presented him in 2002 with their Congressional Leadership Award.^[9]

[edit] Maryland Senate career

In 1966, at the age of 27, Hoyer won a seat in the Maryland State Senate, representing Prince George's County, Maryland.^[5] In 1975, at the age of 35, Hoyer was elected President of the Maryland State Senate, the youngest in state history.^[10] In 1978, Hoyer sought the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland but lost out to Samuel Bogley. In the same year Hoyer was appointed to the Maryland Board of Higher Education, a position he served in until 1981.^[5]

[edit] Congressional career

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) at a U.S. Census Bureau function

In 1981, Maryland congresswoman Gladys Spellman fell into a coma and her seat was declared vacant. Hoyer defeated Spellman's husband in the primary election, and then defeated a better funded Republican candidate in the general election, earning himself the nickname the "boy wonder". ^[11] He is now the longest-serving House member from Southern Maryland in history, as well as the highest-ranking member of Congress in Maryland history.^[10]

Hoyer has served as Chair of the Democratic Caucus, the fourth-ranking position among House Democrats, from 1989 to 1994; the former Co-Chair (and a current member) of the Democratic Steering Committee; and as the chief candidate recruiter for House Democrats from 1995 to 2000. He also served as Deputy Majority Whip from 1987 to 1989.^[5] On November 14, 2002, Hoyer was unanimously elected by his colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to serve as the House Democratic Minority Whip, the second-highest-ranking position among House Democrats.^[10]

In Congress, Steny Hoyer has built a reputation as a defender of Federal employees and a leader on education and human and civil rights issues. He is perhaps best known for serving as the lead House sponsor of the Help America Vote Act, which President Bush signed into law on October 29, 2002, and for sponsoring the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. ^[10]

Hoyer also serves on the Board of Trustees for St. Mary's College of Maryland.^[5]

President Bush meets with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer on November 9, 2006.

Nancy Pelosi, the present minority leader, will be the next Speaker of the House beginning in January of 2007. Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, was elected by his colleagues to be House Majority Leader for the 110th Congress. He was successful in his bid for the leadership position against fellow Democrat John Murtha of Pennsylvania by a margin of 149-86 within the caucus ^[1] ^[12].

[edit] Committee assignments

As of May 2006, Hoyer serves on the following House committees:^[10]

Senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee.
- Member of the Transportation, Treasury and Housing Subcommittee.
- Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

[edit] Election history

Election history of Steny Hoyer:^[13]

Year	Office	Election	Subject	Party	Votes	%	Opponent	Party	Votes	%	Opponent	Party	Votes	%
1981	Congress, 5th district	Special	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	N/A	55	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1982	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	83,937	79.58	William Guthrie	Republican	21,533	20.42
1984	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	116,310	72.18	John Ritchie	Republican	44,839	27.82
1986	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	82,098	81.93	John Sellner	Republican	18,102	18.07
1988	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	128,437	78.63	John Sellner	Republican	34,909	21.37
1990	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	84,747	80.66	Lee Breuer	Republican	20,314	19.34
1992	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	118,312	94.39	Other (no major opposition)		7,032	5.6
1994	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	98,821	58.81	Donald Devine	Republican	69,211	41.19
1996	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	121,288	56.92	John Morgan	Republican	91,806	43.08
1998	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	126,792	65.37	Robert Ostrom	Republican	67,176	34.36
2000	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	166,231	65.09	Thomas Hutchins	Republican	89,019	34.86
2002	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	137,903	69.27	Joseph Crawford	Republican	60,758	30.52
2004	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	204,867	68.67	Brad Jewitt	Republican	87,189	29.93	Bob Auerbach	Green	4,224	1.42
2006	Congress, 5th district	General	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	168,114	82.69	Steve Warner	Green	33,464	16.46	Write-in Candidates		1,739	0.86

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b "Democrats defy Pelosi, elect Hoyer House leader", Reuters, November 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
^ Alexander Mooney. "Hoyer beats out Murtha for majority leader", CNN Political Ticker, CNN.com, November 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
^ Short Biography for Introductions, office of the House Democratic Whip.
^ Jessica Valdez. "For Hoyer, a Balancing of Roles". The Washington Post. August 28, 2004.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat), U.S. Representative. Maryland Archives. Accessed November 18, 2006
^ Jonathan Weisman and Lois Romano. "Pelosi Splits Democrats With Push For Murtha", Washington Post, November 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
^ The Judy Center website. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
^ Epilepsy Foundation announcement of Judith Hoyer lectureship program (January 28, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
^ Epilepsy Foundation Recognizes the Honorable Steny H. Hoyer For Longstanding Support. Epilepsy Foundation (March 26, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Biography of Congressman Steny Hoyer. From the official website of Steny Hoyer. Accessed November 18, 2006
^ Shailagh Murray "Political Pragmatism Carried Hoyer to the Top". The Washington Post, page A6. Friday, November 17, 2006.
^ "CNN: Scramble is on to replace Congressional leaders", CNN.com, November 9, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
^ Congressional Quarterly Voting and Elections Collection

[edit] External links

	Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Steny Hoyer

Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
"The Establishmentarian" by Zachary Roth, Washington Monthly, November 2006
Steny Hoyer at the Internet Movie Database

Preceded by William S. James	President of the Maryland State Senate 1975–1978	Succeeded by James Clark, Jr.
Preceded by Gladys Spellman	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 5th congressional district 1981 – present	Incumbent
Preceded by Nancy Pelosi	House Minority Whip 2003–2007	Succeeded by Roy Blunt
Preceded by John Boehner	House Majority Leader 2007—	Succeeded by Incumbent

Majority Leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Payne • Underwood • Kitchin • Mondell • Longworth • Tilson • Rainey • Byrns • Bankhead • Rayburn • McCormack • Halleck • McCormack • Halleck • McCormack • Albert • Boggs • O'Neill • Wright • Foley • Gephardt • Armey • DeLay • Blunt (acting) • Boehner • Hoyer

Minority Whips of the United States House of Representatives
Underwood • Lloyd • Dwight • Burke • Hamilton • Oldfield • McDuffie • Bachmann • Englebright • Arends • McCormack • Arends • McCormack • Arends • Michel • Lott • Cheney • Gingrich • Bonior • Pelosi • Hoyer • Blunt