James John Parker
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James John "Jim" Parker (born December 21, 1967) is a healthcare administrator who ran for Congress in the Second District of Ohio in (map) in the special primary held June 14, 2005. Parker sought the Democratic nomination in 2006 to challenge Congresswoman Jean Schmidt in the same district but lost the primary to Victoria Wells Wulsin
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[edit] Background
A resident of Waverly, in Pike County, Parker was a first time candidate for office in 2005. Parker received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1989 and both a Master of Health Administration and a Master of Business Administration in 1991. He completed his second Master's Degree when he was 23 years old and was the youngest member of his graduating class.
He and his wife were married in 1994. They have three children, Eric (born 1988), Shana (born 1995), Alec (born 1997).
Parker worked for the Alzheimer's Association in Pittsburgh in 1991 and Meyersdale Community Hospital in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, in 1992. The next year he began work with Appalachian Regional Healthcare, a 4,000-employee hospital system in southeastern Kentucky. In 1995, he became the Assistant Administrator of Whitesburg Appalachian Regional Hospital in Whitesburg, Kentucky. In 1998, he became the Assistant Administrator of Pike Community Hospital in Waverly, Ohio. In 2004, he joined the Adena Health System in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he is the Director of Finance and Support Services for the Physician Services Division, a group of approximately 70 physicians.
[edit] 2005 Congressional run
Parker was one of six candidates in the special primary held on June 14, 2005, seeking to replace Rob Portman, who resigned from Congress on April 29.
In response to the Dayton Daily News asking why Ohioans should vote for him, Parker said "I believe in the American Dream. This campaign is about Family, Medicare, Social Security and the American Dream. I've been the Assistant Administrator of two Hospitals. My leadership experience has prepared me to solve the problems that plague Medicare and Social Security."
Parker finished fourth and did not file a campaign finance report with the Federal Elections Commission, something that is not required of candidates who spend less than $5,000 on their campaign.
[edit] 2006 Congressional run
Parker was the first Democrat to announce a 2006 challenge to Republican Jean Schmidt, who had won the 2005 special election.
On his 2006 site, Parker said that he had previously "ran for US Congress against some of the wealthiest people in Southern Ohio." He ran a populist campaign, writing on his campaign site that voters "are working harder than ever, only to give their earnings to the oil companies, insurance companies and prescription drug companies of America. If you make less than $100,000 per year to support your family, your entire Bush tax cut went to oil, medicine and insurance." He said that he supported a middle class tax cut for families that earn less than $100,000 per year, health insurance for every child in America and an expansion of the Medicare Program from age 65 to age 55 without raising taxes.
In the 2006 Democratic primary, Parker finished third overall, with 6,376 votes (22.35%), out of five candidates. He finished first in Pike and Scioto Counties; second in Clermont (Jean Schmidt's home county), Warren, and Brown Counties; third in Adams County; and fourth in Hamilton County, which provided Victoria Wells Wulsin, the winner of the primary, with almost half of her 10,455 votes.[1]
[edit] External links
- Parker's official site for the 2006 race
- Jim Parker's League of Women Voters Parker's site for the 2006 race
[edit] References
- Lawrence Budd. "2nd District candidates list qualifications." Dayton Daily News. June 2, 2005. Z3.
- Malia Rulon. "Schmidt's foes having field days." The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 28, 2005. B2.
- Howard Wilkinson. "Newest U.S. Rep. Schmidt has opposition." The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 19, 2005. C2.
