Ernest Istook

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Ernest Istook
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 5th district
In office 1993-2007
Preceded by	Mickey Edwards
Succeeded by	Mary Fallin
Born	February 11, 1950 Fort Worth, Texas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Judy Istook
Religion	Mormon

Ernest James Istook Jr. (born February 11, 1950, in Fort Worth, Texas) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for the 5th District of Oklahoma. Istook was a member of the Appropriations and the Homeland Security committees. He was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2006, running against incumbent Democratic Gov. Brad Henry. Istook lost the gubernatorial race by a very wide margin, getting only 33.5% of the vote to Henry's 66.5%. [1]

[edit] Early life and career

Istook's grandparents immigrated to the US from Hungary through Ellis Island and spoke Hungarian at home. He graduated from Castleberry High School in Fort Worth, Texas in 1967 and received a bachelor of arts degree from Baylor University (in Waco, Texas) in 1971. He worked full time as a radio news reporter first at KOMA (now KOKC) and then at WKY in Oklahoma City while attending law school, receiving a law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1976. After graduation, he established his own law firm, and practiced law for 15 years.

Istook also was director of the Oklahoma State Alcoholic and Beverage Control Board (1977-1978), was legal counsel to popular Oklahoma Governor David L. Boren (1978), and was a member of the board of the Oklahoma County metropolitan library system (1982-1986), chairman of the Warr Acres city council (1982-1986), director of the Warr Acres Chamber of Commerce, and an Oklahoma state representative from 1987-1993.

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

[edit] 1992 election

In the 1992 Republican primary, Istook challenged and defeated incumbent Deputy House Minority Whip Mickey Edwards in a three-way primary that also featured former federal prosecutor Bill Price. Both Istook and Price used Edwards' involvement in the House banking scandal to chip away at his support. [2]

[edit] Political views

Istook is pro-life. He opposes abortion, partial or otherwise, and does not support federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Istook supports the position that abortion should be prohibited except when the mother's life is in danger. Istook opposes homosexual marriage and the adoption of children into homosexual homes. He favors a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Istook favors a constitutional amendment against flag-burning.

Istook introduced the Religious Freedom Amendment, a Constitutional Amendment to permit school prayer, in 1995 and (slightly modified) in 1997. [3] On June 4, 1998 the House voted 224-203, with 7 abstentions, in favor of it, but it failed as a Constitutional amendment, needing a 2/3 majority to pass. He reintroduced it in 1999, [4], and again with different text in 2001, renamed the Religious Speech Amendment.[5], and in 2003 [6]. The other efforts did not make it out of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution.

Istook opposes more federal funds for health coverage and supports the creation of personal accounts within Social Security. He supports the Bush Administration's tax cuts and want to make those permanent. He favors expansion of free trade; he voted in favor of CAFTA. He wants the US to withdraw from the World Trade Organization, wants the end of the estate tax, and supported Normal Trade Relations with the People’s Republic of China to be made permanent.

Istook voted to make the USA PATRIOT Act permanent and supports intelligence gathering by the military. Istook favors military recruiting on college campuses that receive federal aid. Istook stands behind the Bush Administration and its handling of the War in Iraq and supports higher Defense Department funding.

Istook does not the support a US ratification of the Kyoto Protocol nor heavy taxpayer subsidies for alternative fuel sources. He supports drilling in ANWR.

[edit] Controversies

Istook is against the current federal funding level for Amtrak. For several years, he chaired the subcommittee on Treasury, Transportation, and Special Agencies that oversaw transportation funding. In 2004, Istook denied special transportation funding (earmarks) requests for districts of 21 Republican House members because the other Republicans had written a letter supporting of funding of $1.8 billion for Amtrak. Istook took the view that their request for major funding increases for Amtrak took precedence over their requests for their districts, and viewed those requests as trying to "double-dip" into the Treasury. [7] Istook lost the chairmanship in 2005, in large part because others in the Republican party were still upset over his handling of this issue.

Although not otherwise involved with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Istook had received campaign contributions from Abramoff and some of his clients. Istook then donated those amounts to charitable groups. (See attached articles.0 [8] [9] [10] [11]

[edit] Ratings

• 0% by NARAL
• 92% by the Christian Coalition
• 100% by the Federation for American Immigration Reform
• 0% by SANE
• 0% by League of Conservation Voters
• 63% by National Taxpayers Union
• Ranked A by National Rifle Association
• 40% by Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education
• 17% by National Education Association
• 0% Oklahoma Passenger Rail Association

[edit] 2006 gubernatorial race

Main article: Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2006

Oklahoma gubernatorial election 2006 results map. Red denotes counties won by Ernest Istook, Blue denotes those won by Brad Henry.

On October 3, 2005 Istook announced he would run for governor of Oklahoma against Democratic incumbent Brad Henry [12]. He was immediately the consensus frontrunner for the nomination, as a seven-term incumbent U.S. Representative whose district covered most of Oklahoma City area, the state's largest media market.

In the July 2006 primary, Istook got 55% of the vote to become the Republican nominee. Oil businessman Bob Sullivan was second with 31 percent of the vote. [13].

Henry and Istook faced each other in the November general election after a heated campaign. Henry defeated Istook, gathering 66.5% of the total vote - the biggest landslide in an Oklahoma governor's race in almost half a century. Istook carried three counties; Beaver, Cimarron and Texas, all counties in Oklahoma's far western panhandle. [14] [15]

Istook's campaign was managed by Chip Englander, a political operative from California. National media attention was attracted when it turned out that one of the campaign's workers from California had been one of the congressional page victims in the Mark Foley scandal. [16]

[edit] Personal

Istook and his wife Judy (whom he married in 1973) have five children (two sons and three daughters) and seven grandchildren. Istook, who comes from a Southern Baptist background, is now a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). He and his wife live in Warr Acres, a suburb of Oklahoma City.

[edit] External links

• Istook for Governor 2006
• Voting record maintained by the Washington Post

United States Representatives from Oklahoma

v • d • e

Current Districts 1st District: McGuire • Davenport • Chandler • Howard • Chandler • Howard • Montomery • Howard • O’Connor • Disney • Schwabe • Belcher • Jones • Inhofe • Largent • Sullivan 2nd District: Fulton • Morgan • Hastings • Robertson • Hastings • Nichols • Stigler • Edmondson • McSpadden • Risenhoover • Synar • Coburn • Carson • D. Boren 3rd District: Davenport • Creager • Davenport • Carter • Cartwright • Stewart • Albert • Watkins • Brewster • Watkins • Lucas 4th District: Carter • Murray • McKeown • Pringey • McKeown • Gassaway • L. Boren • Johnson • Steed • McCurdy • Watts • Cole 5th District: Ferris • Thompson • Harreld • Swank • Stone • Swank • Lee • Hill • Smith • Monroney • Jarman • Edwards • Istook • Fallin Defunct Districts Territorial (1889-1907): Harvey • Flynn • Callahan • Flynn • McGuire 6th District (1913-2003): Murray • Ferris • Gensman • Thomas • Johnson Sr. • Morris • Wickersham • Morris • Wickersham • Johnson Jr. • Smith • Camp • English • Lucas 7th District (1913-1953): McClintic • Massingale • Wickersham • Peden • Wickersham 8th District (1913-1953): Weaver • Morgan • Swindall • Herrick • Garber • Marland • Ferguson • Ross Rizley • Wilson • Belcher 9th District (1933-1943): Rogers