Enid Greene

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Enid Greene
Enid Greene
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Utah's 2nd district
In office
1995–1997
Preceded by Karen Shepherd
Succeeded by Merrill Cook
Born June 5, 1958 (1958-06-05) (age 50)
San Rafael, California
Political party Republican
Spouse Joe Waldholtz (divorced)
Religion The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Enid Greene, formerly Enid Greene Waldholtz (born June 5, 1958) is a politician from the state of Utah who served one term in the United States House of Representatives. She was the third woman and first Republican woman elected to congress from Utah. Since her retirement in 1997 no woman has served in Congress from Utah.

Greene was born in San Rafael, California. She graduated from East High School and earned her B.A. from the University of Utah in 1980. She received her law degree from Brigham Young University in 1983.

She worked as a lawyer for software company Novell and then at a Salt Lake City law firm. She was deputy chief of staff for Governor Norman H. Bangerter.

As a young Republican, Enid met Joe Waldholtz and they were soon in a relationship. Greene ran for the House of Representatives in 1992 against Karen Shepherd for the Utah Second District, which was entirely contained in Salt Lake County at that time, losing by four percentage points.

Greene married Waldholtz in 1993. After her marriage, Greene took the name Enid Greene Waldholtz. During her 1994 rematch against Shepherd, Joe acted as her campaign manager. Her campaign spent approximately $2 million, the most expensive House race in the country that year.[1] Greene was swept into the 104th Congress in the Republican landslide in November. She was named to the House Rules Committee, the first freshman on that committee in over 80 years, and considered to be a potential rising star in the party. In March 1995, she announced she was pregnant. Greene became the second representative to ever give birth while in office (the first being Yvonne Brathwaite Burke) and the first Republican.

Her term was marred with scandal as her campaign was accused of campaign finance violations. Almost $1.8 million[2] of the money spent in the 1994 campaign came from her husband, Joe, who had embezzled nearly $4 million from her father. Joe Waldholtz disappeared in November 1995 for six days before surrendering to police. During that time she announced that she was suing for divorce, for custody of her daughter, and to change her name back to 'Enid Greene'. Under pressure from Utah Republicans, she announced on March 5, 1996 that she would not seek re-election to Congress. Joe Waldholtz pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax, bank, and campaign fraud,[3] and then, while out on parole, was subsequently convicted of forging insurance and Veterans Affairs checks from his stepmother and his late father.[4]

Greene has slowly made her way back up the state Republican ladder in Utah. In 2003, she was elected vice chair of the state Republican party.

Greene was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Utah in 2004, but her ticket with gubernatorial candidate Nolan Karras was unsuccessful, garnering only 34% of the vote in the Republican primary.[5]

After losing in the primary, Greene went back to being state party vice chairwoman. Greene became acting chair of the Utah Republican Party upon the resignation of Joe Cannon in November of 2006, and was unanimously elected to serve as state party chair in February of 2007 until the next convention in June of 2007.

[edit] Electoral history

Utah's 2nd congressional district: Results 1992–1994[6]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1992 Karen Shepherd 127,738 50% Enid Greene 118,307 47% A. Peter Crane Independent 6,274 2% *
1994 Karen Shepherd 66,911 36% Enid Greene Waldholtz 85,507 46% Merrill Cook Independent 34,167 18%
* Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, Eileen Koschak of the Socialist Workers party received 650 votes.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Online NewsHour: Enid Waldholtz - December 11, 1995
  2. ^ F.E.C. IMAGE 96016134667 (Page 7 of 16)
  3. ^ CNN - Waldholtz enters guilty pleas - June 5, 1996
  4. ^ Ex-GOP strategist headed back to jail
  5. ^ http://elections.utah.gov/2004.primary.election.canvass.pdf
  6. ^ Election Statistics. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.

[edit] References

  • Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa. The Almanac of American Politics, 1994. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 1993. ISBN 0-89234-058-4
  • Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa. The Almanac of American Politics, 1998. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 1997. ISBN 0-89234-080-0
  • Michael Barone, Richard E. Cohen, and Grant Ujifusa. The Almanac of American Politics, 2002. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 2001. ISBN 0-89234-099-1
  • Benson, Lee. Blind Trust: The True Story of Enid Greene & Joe Waldholtz, Agreka Books (November 1997), ISBN 1-888106-97-2
  • Leigh Dethman, Greene elected Utah GOP chief, Deseret News, February 11, 2007 [1]


Preceded by
Karen Shepherd		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Utah's 2nd congressional district
1994–1996		 Succeeded by
Merrill Cook