Jackie Walorski

Jackie Walorski
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Joe Donnelly
Member of the Indiana House of Representatives from the 21st district
In office January 1, 2005 – November 16, 2010
Preceded by	Richard Mangus
Succeeded by	Timothy Wesco
Personal details
Born	(1963-08-13) August 13, 1963[1] South Bend, Indiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Dean Swihart
Residence	Elkhart, Indiana
Alma mater	Liberty Baptist College Taylor University (B.A.)
Occupation	Journalist
Religion	Assemblies of God
Website	Representative Jackie Walorski

Jackie Walorski (born August 13, 1963) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 2nd congressional district since 2013. She is a member of the Republican Party, and she was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing Indiana's 21st district, from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, Walorski won the Republican nomination for Indiana's 2nd congressional district, but narrowly lost in the general election. In 2012, after redistricting that heavily favored Republicans,^[2] Walorski went on to win the seat by one percent.

Early life, education, and career

Born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, Walorski grew up with her two older brothers in the Gilmer Park neighborhood of South Bend. Her father Raymond, worked as a firefighter and owned an appliance store; and her mother Martha, worked as a meat cutter at a local grocery store.^[3] As a child, she attended Hay Elementary School and graduated from Riley High School in 1981.^[3] She then attended Liberty Baptist College from 1981 to 1983, and graduated from Taylor University, receiving her B.A. in Communications and Public Administration in 1985.^[4]

Walorski began her career as a television reporter for WSBT-TV, a CBS affiliate in South Bend, from 1985 to 1989, and was the executive director of the St. Joseph County Humane Society from 1989 to 1991.^[5] Walorski was appointed as the director of institutional advancement at Ancilla College in 1991, a position she held until she was appointed as the director of membership at the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce in 1996.^[4] She later worked as the director of annual giving at Indiana University South Bend from 1997 to 1999.^[6] Walorski moved to Romania in 2000 and founded Impact International; a foundation to provide medical supplies and attention to impoverished children.^[7] Walorski also did Christian missionary work in Romania before returning to the U.S. in 2004.^[8]

Indiana House of Representatives

Elections

In 2004, Walorski ran for a seat in the Indiana House of Representatives after incumbent Republican State Representative Richard Mangus of decided to retire. She ran for Indiana's 21st District, a district which represented the suburban area between South Bend and Elkhart. Walorski defeated Democrat Carl H. Kaser 64%–36%.^[9] In 2006, she won a second term with 53% of the vote.^[10] In 2008, she won a third term unopposed.^[11]

Tenure

During her tenure in the Indiana House, Walorski was a sponsor of Indiana's Voter ID law, requiring voters to present Government issued identification during in person voting.^[6] The Voter ID law led to many lawsuits and was brought before the Supreme Court, where the law was upheld in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, and is cited as helping the expansion of Voter ID laws in other states.^[12]

Walorski has been criticized for missing a committee vote and the opportunity for stopping the Daylight Saving Time bill from passing out of committee, even though that bill died on the House floor.^[13][14] After a different bill passed introducing DST, she authored and introduced a bill to rescind DST, a measure that ended up dying.^[14]

Walorski authored legislation combating identity theft, including in 2006 when she sponsored a bill requiring companies to notify customers who are Indiana residents, of any security breaches that could cause identity theft, identity deception or fraud, and making it a Class C felony and imposing a $50,000 fine on anyone who has the identities of over 100 persons.^[15] With Walorski saying that "Identity theft is the most rapidly growing crime in the United States. We need to find a solution to this problem before it gets any bigger in Indiana."^[16]

Committee assignments

Walorski became active in the caucus and was appointed as Assistant Floor Leader. She served on the Family, Children, & Human Affairs and the Public Policy committees.^[17]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010

On January 31, 2009, Walorski formally announced her bid to challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Congressman Joe Donnelly in Indiana's 2nd congressional district. Walorski won the Republican primary on May 4, 2010^[18] with 61% of the votes,^[19] defeating opponents Martin Dolan, Jack Jordan, and Tony Zirkle.^[20] She was defeated, 48%–47% on November 2, 2010 by Donnelly.^[21]

2012

On March 22, 2011, Walorski announced that she would run for Indiana's 2nd Congressional District again. Over the Indiana legislature's 2011-2013 legislative session, the predominately Republican Indiana House and Senate redrew Indiana's congressional districts. After redistricting, the newly drawn 2nd district included all Elkhart County, Walorski's home county, and the demographics of the new district included more registered Republican voters. ^[22]

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Joe Donnelly decided not to seek re-election, opting instead to run for the U.S. Senate.^[23] Walorski ran against Libertarian candidate Joe Ruiz of Mishawaka^[24] and Democratic candidate Brendan Mullen of Granger.^[25]

On May 8, 2012, Walorski easily won the primary election with 73% of the vote, winning all 10 counties in the 2nd District.^{[26][27][28][29]} Many articles have been written about Walorski's role as a woman running for Congress.^[30]

Walorski defeated Mullen 49%-48%.^[31] She took office on January 3, 2013.

Tenure

Walorski is a strong supporter of the balanced budget amendment and has advocated privatizing Social Security. In March 2010 she said, “I think the one thing we have to do is the thing that Bush actually tried to do a couple years ago, which is privatize Social Security and allow people to invest in their own retirement.” She has received endorsements from the National Federation of Small Business and the U.S. and Indiana chambers of commerce ^[32]

Walorski voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.^[33]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Personal life

In 1995, Walorski married her husband, Dean Swihart, a schoolteacher in Mishawaka.^[17] She resides in Elkhart, Indiana and is a member of Southgate Church (formerly Calvary Temple), an Assemblies of God megachurch in South Bend.^[34]

Electoral history

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jackie Walorski.

• Congressman Jackie Walorski official U.S. House website
• Jackie Walorski for Congress
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress