Chris Chocola

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Chris Chocola
Chris Chocola
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 2nd district
Preceded by Mike Pence
Succeeded by Joe Donnelly
Born February 24, 1962
Jackson, Michigan
Political party Republican
Spouse Sarah Chocola
Religion Presbyterian

Joseph Christopher "Chris" Chocola (born February 24, 1962) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana's 2nd congressional district (map) from 2003 to 2007. He was defeated in 2006 by Joe Donnelly.

He was a member of the Agriculture, Small Business, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Ways and Means committees of the House of Representatives.

Contents

[edit] Early life, education, and career

Chocola was born in Jackson, Michigan. He grew up in Michigan, graduating from Williamston High School in 1980. He graduated in 1984 from Hillsdale College, in Hillsdale, Michigan, with a double major in business administration and political economy. After graduation, he went to work Society National Bank, now known as KeyBank, which had recruited him into its management program in Cleveland. When he left to go to law school, he was a foreign exchange trader for the bank.

Chocola attended law school classes at night at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, in Lansing, Michigan, while working as a credit manager for his family's business, Chocola Cleaning Materials. He graduated in 1988.

In 1988, Chocola was hired as corporate counsel by CTB International in Milford, Indiana, a manufacturer of products for the poultry, egg, swine, and grain production industries, which his grandfather, Howard Brembeck, had founded. He initially managed all the legal aspects of the business as corporate counsel. He then held various management positions until he was named CEO in 1994. In April 1999, he left the CEO position to become chairman of the board ([1]).

In August 2002, CTB International was sold to Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the investment firm of billionaire Warren Buffett. The Chocola family (Chris, his parents, and other relatives) received 55% of the $140 million paid to shareholders of the company ([2]).

Chocola and his wife, Sarah, have a daughter and a son, now teenagers. They live in Bristol, Indiana, outside of the district he represented.

[edit] Congressional elections

[edit] 2000

In the 2000 election, Chocola made an unsuccessful bid for Congress, losing to incumbent Democrat Timothy J. Roemer by a 52-47 margin. In that campaign, Chocola spent more than $1 million, including $465,000 of his own money.

In the October 8, 2000, edition of the Elkhart Truth, an Elkhart, Indiana newspaper, Chocola was quoted as saying that "Bush's plan of individual investment of 2 percent of the money is a start. Eventually, I'd like to see the entire Social Security system privatized. It's not a 'risky scheme'" ([3]). In late October, after Roemer had featured that statement in political ads, Chocola said, "There is no one proposing, including me, a plan of total privatization." The newspaper, saying Chocola had made his statement in meeting its editorial board, refused to retract the story. Roemer refused to stop running the ad despite Chocola's contention that the quotation was taken out of context ([4]).

[edit] 2002

Roemer retired after his 2001-2003 term. In 2002, Chocola ran again for the open seat. In November, he defeated former Congresswoman Jill Long (Thompson) by a 51-46 margin, in a race that included campaign appearances by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and other top Republicans, to assist his bid.

[edit] 2004

In 2004, Chocola defeated Democrat Joe Donnelly by a 54-45 margin, in an election where Bush received 56 percent of the district's vote. In that race, Chocola outspent Donnelly $1.4 million to $700,000. Chocola was assisted by a fundraising visit from Vice President Dick Cheney during the campaign.

[edit] 2006

[edit] Primary

In the Republican primary on May 2, 2006, Chocola faced Tony Zirkle ([5]), an attorney, Navy veteran, and frequent candidate, who he had defeated in 2004. Chocola won 70% to 30%. Zirkle, who said he was "willing to debate the idea of returning the guillotine and lynch mob for those who prey on children under the age of 12", was unable to get Chocola to debate him on that or any other subject ([6]).

[edit] Fundraising

On February 23, 2006, President George W. Bush flew to north-central Indiana on Air Force One that helped Chocola raise more than $600,000. Individuals paid $4,000 each to attend the event ([7], [8]).

In the 2006 campaign cycle Chocola had raised about $3.2 million ([9]).

In mid-August, in a report on National Republican Congressional Committee planned spending, the Associated Press reported that "the GOP has not reserved advertising time to aid Rep. Chris Chocola in Indiana even though Democrats plan to spend at least $700,000 to win the district. House Republicans have told Chocola that he must fend for himself, given his personal wealth and his ability to raise large amounts of money" ([10]).

[edit] Democratic opponent

In the November general election, Chocola faced Democratic candidate Joe Donnelly ([11]), whom he had defeated in 2004. Donnelly had raised about 1.5 million ([12]).

[edit] Polls and ratings

A poll released in mid-June by the Donnelly campaign showed Donnelly leading 48% to 38% with 14% undecided. The campaign did not release all of the poll findings ([13]). A poll released six days later, taken by the South Bend Tribune, showed the race to be at the margin of error with Donnelly at 46% and Chocola at 41%. The telephone poll interviewed 400 likely voters who were asked who they would vote for "if the election were held now" ([14]).

On August 16, the Cook Political Report changed the rating for the race from "Lean Republican" to "Toss-Up", saying "Despite a significant fundraising advantage over Democrat Joe Donnelly, which has helped fuel a barrage of negative attack ads, incumbent GOP Rep. Chris Chocola looks more like an underdog than the frontrunner" ([15]). Also in August 2006, Sabato's Crystal Ball, a Web site run by the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, added the race to their "Ferocious Forty" list of the 40 most competitive House races in the nation ([16]).

[edit] 2006 defeat

On November 7, 2006, Chocola lost his congressional seat to Democratic candidate Joe Donnelly, whom Chocola had defeated in 2004. The final tally showed Chocola losing by a 54-46 margin, almost an identical reversal of his fortunes in 2004. The election had a higher turnout than the previous campaign, and the difference appeared to come in St. Joseph County. Historically a Democratic stronghold, Chocola lost by only a few hundred votes while cruising to victory in 2004. In 2006, however, Donnelly won the county by nearly 14,000 votes, garnering 58% of the vote in what is by far the most populous county of the district ([17]).

[edit] Actions as Representative

According to the profile by the Associated Press, "Chocola is a strong supporter of President Bush." The two do differ on some positions, such as illegal immigration. Chocola has supported (against the President's position) the "tough enforcement first" House version of changes in immigration law, in opposition to the President's calls for a guest worker program.

In January 2006, Chocola said that great strides were being made in transitioning Iraq from military coalition to police control. But he said it was too early to predict when the job will be done

[edit] Social issues

  • Chocola was a cosponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2003 and voted for that Amendment when it came to the floor in 2004. He again was a cosponsor of the Marriage Protection Amendment in 2006 (H.J. Res. 88) and voted for the amendment on July 18, 2006.
  • He voted in 2005 for an amendment to the Constitution preventing the desecration of the American flag.
  • Voted for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in July of 2006, which restricts credit card companies from processing payment towards Internet gambling companies.
  • Voted for the Pledge Protection Act in mid-July of 2006, which would prevent federal courts from ruling on cases involving the Pledge of Allegiance.
  • Voted against overriding President George W. Bush's veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act in July of 2006. The bill would have modified restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and allowed for federal funding of the research.

[edit] Fiscal and economic issues

  • Voted against increasing the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program by $1 billion in March of 2006.
  • Voted for the Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act in May 2006, which extended tax cuts set to expire over the next seven (7) years.
  • Voted for the Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act in June 2006. The bill permanently exempted personal estates of less than $5 million per spouse from estate taxes, and lower the tax rate on larger estates.
  • In the summer of 2006, voted for a bill that would allow private companies to drill for oil in ANWR.
  • One of two co-sponsors of HELPS Retirees Act (H.R. 2177), also known as the Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety Retirees Act of 2005, which enables retired public safety officers to designate up to $5,000 per year from governmental pension or deferred compensation funds for health care premiums on a pre-tax basis. This earned Chocola an endorsement from the International Association of Fire Fighters, one of his only endorsements from organized labor.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Mike Pence		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 2nd congressional district
2003-2007		 Succeeded by
Joe Donnelly
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