Zoe Lofgren

Zoe Lofgren
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 16th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1995
Preceded by Don Edwards
Chairman of the House Ethics Committee
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by Gene Green
Succeeded by Jo Bonner
Personal details
Born Sue Lofgren
San Mateo, California
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) John Marshall Collins
Residence San Jose, California
Alma mater Stanford University, Santa Clara University School of Law
Occupation attorney, political assistant
Religion Lutheran

Zoe Lofgren (born December 21, 1947) is the U.S. Representative for California's 16th congressional district, serving since 1995. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in San Jose. On December 15, 2011, she was declared "a Hero of the Internet" for her role in the Stop Online Piracy Act House Judiciary Committee hearings,[1] in which she defended the current state of the internet in opposition of the bill.

Contents

Early life, education, and early career

A lifelong Bay Area resident, Lofgren attended Gunn High School in Palo Alto, earned her B.A. at Stanford University and a J.D. at Santa Clara University School of Law. She left the San Jose area for a few years after graduation from Stanford, to serve as a staff assistant to Congressman Don Edwards, in whose office she worked on, among other projects, the attempted impeachment of Richard Nixon. She was also instrumental in the creation of a Bay Area wilderness area that now bears the name of Edwards.

Returning to San Jose, Lofgren worked in Edwards' district office, while at the same time earning her law degree. After two years as partner at an immigration law firm in San Jose, she was elected first to a community college board, then to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, where she served for 13 years. Lofgren also spent three years teaching classes on immigration law at her former law school at Santa Clara University.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1994, Edwards decided to retire after 32 years in Congress. Lofgren entered the Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—as a decided underdog, but managed to defeat the favorite, former San Jose mayor Tom McEnery. Lofgren's victory virtually assured her of becoming only the second person to represent the district since its creation in 1963 (it was numbered as the 9th District from 1963 to 1975, as the 10th from 1975 to 1993 and has been the 16th since 1993). She has been reelected six times with no substantive opposition.

Lofgren is currently the chair of the 34-member California Democratic Congressional Delegation. She serves on the Judiciary Committee and is the chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. In April 2011, she became the first member of Congress to call for federal investigation into the Secure Communities deportation program.[1]

During the 110th Congress, Lofgren worked for the development of fusion energy. She initiated a bill that would accelerate its uses as an alternative energy solution. Another piece of legislation that she recently authored has the goal of providing lower Internet access rates to schools, libraries, and other public institutions.

She is a leader on intellectual property law issues, and has fought against what she views as the unnecessary expansion of copyright law.

Beginning in 2009, Lofgren served as chair of the House Ethics Committee. In doing so, she presided over a rare sanction of censure, against long-time member Charles B. Rangel.[2]

Committee assignments

Caucuses

Other leadership positions

Electoral history

16th Congressional District of California, Democratic Primary election, June 7, 1994[3]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren 16,168 45.3%
Democratic Tom McEnery 15,037 42.2%
Democratic Dick Lane 1,537 4.3%
Democratic Cynthia Williamson 1,414 4.0%
Democratic Tom Harney 780 2.2%
Democratic Edward R. Dykes 721 2.0%
Totals 35,657 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
United States House of Representatives elections, 1994[4]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren 74,935 65.0%
Republican Lyle J. Smith 40,409 35.0%
No party Barraza (write-in) 8 0.0%
Totals 115,352 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1996[5]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 94,020 65.7%
Republican Chuck Wojslaw 43,197 30.2%
Libertarian David Bonino 4,124 2.8%
Natural Law Abaan Abu-Shumays 1,866 1.3%
Totals 143,207 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1998[6]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 85,503 72.82%
Republican Horace Eugene Thayn 27,494 23.42%
Natural Law John H. Black 4,417 3.76%
Totals 117,414 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2000[7]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 115,118 72.1%
Republican Horace "Gene" Thayn 37,213 23.3%
Libertarian Dennis Michael Umphress 4,742 3.0%
Natural Law Edward J. Klein 2,673 1.6%
Totals 159,746 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2002[8]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 72,370 67.1%
Republican Douglas Adams McNea 32,182 29.8%
Libertarian Dennis Michael Umphress 3,434 3.1%
Totals 104,556 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2004[9]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 129,222 70.9%
Republican Lawrence R. Wiesner 47,992 26.4%
Libertarian Markus Welch 5,067 2.7%
Totals 182,281 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2006[10]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 98,929 72.8%
Republican Charel Winston 37,130 27.2%
Totals 136,059 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2008[11]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 146,481 71.3%
Republican Charel Winston 49,399 24.1%
Libertarian Steven Wells 9,447 4.6%
Totals 205,327 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 105,841 67.9%
Republican Daniel Sahagun 37,913 24.3%
Libertarian Edward M. Gonzalez 12,304 7.8%
Totals 156,058 100.0%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ^ a b "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/congresswoman-calls-for-investigation-of-enforcement-program-that-screens-for-illegal-immigrants-in-.html. 
  2. ^ Kane, Paul; Farentholt, David A. (December 2, 2010). "House censures Rep. Charles Rangel in 333-79 vote". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/02/AR2010120201626.html?hpid=topnews. 
  3. ^ Our Campaigns "California District 16 - Democratic Primary Race," (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  4. ^ Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1994" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  5. ^ Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1996" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  6. ^ Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  7. ^ Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  8. ^ 2002 Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  9. ^ Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  10. ^ 2006 Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).
  11. ^ 2006 Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008" (retrieved on August 8th, 2009).

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Don Edwards		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 16th congressional district
1995–Present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Gene Green
Texas
 Chairman of House Ethics Committee
2009–2011		 Succeeded by
Jo Bonner
Alabama
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Frank LoBiondo
R-New Jersey		 United States Representatives by seniority
108th		 Succeeded by
Sue Myrick
R-North Carolina
Senators
Representatives
Other states'
delegations