Bill Orton

William "Bill" Orton (September 22, 1948 – April 18, 2009) was an American Democratic Congressman. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Utah from 1991 to 1997.

Biography

Early life and education

Born in North Ogden, Utah, Orton was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He attended Brigham Young University, from which he earned his undergraduate degree and his Juris Doctor. In 1966, he was hired by the Internal Revenue Service, and in 1979, he returned to Utah to set up a private law practice.

Politics

In 1990, Orton ran for the open 3rd District seat, his first bid for public office. He defeated Republican Karl Snow by 22 points in one of the biggest upsets in Utah political history. The 3rd, then as now, was one of the most Republican districts in the nation, and was thought to be all but unwinnable even for a conservative Democrat like Orton. He was easily re-elected in 1992 and 1994. While in the House, Orton served at various times on the Banking, Budget, Small Business, and Foreign Affairs Committees.

Orton was one of the few bright spots for the Democrats when the Republicans took control of the House in the 1994 elections. In a year when many districts far less Republican than Orton's reverted to form (including the Salt Lake City-based 2nd District, traditionally the most Democratic district in the state), Orton won by just over 19 points. The 1994 election left Orton as the only Democrat representing Utah at the federal level. However, in 1996, Orton was narrowly defeated by Republican businessman Chris Cannon during his bid for a fourth term. He left Congress as his third term expired in January 1997, and no Democrat would be elected to Congress from Utah again until Jim Matheson's victory in 2000. Utah and national political pundits blame Orton's loss on the creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument without local input.^{[2][3] [4]}

During his last term, he was injured at the U.S. Capitol:

In the spring of 1996, as he was preparing for his re-election that year, Orton was injured in a freak accident. As he was walking down a tunnel to make a House vote, he was struck from behind by a deranged federal employee who was running behind him.^[5]

After politics

Following his departure from Congress, Orton resumed the practice of law and was a member of the legal counsel of the plaintiff in Idaho Potato Growers v. Ruben, the case in which the line-item veto was ruled unconstitutional. He also joined Advantage Associates, a consulting firm made up of former politicians. In 2000, Orton unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Michael Leavitt for the governorship.

Death

Orton died in an ATV accident on April 18, 2009, at Little Sahara Recreation Area in Juab County, Utah.^[6] Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. ordered flags flown at half-staff on 24 April, the day of Orton's funeral.^[7]

References

External links

• Bill Orton at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune