Thomas Massie

Thomas Massie
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office November 6, 2012
Preceded by	Geoff Davis
Judge-Executive of Lewis County, Kentucky
In office January 3, 2011 – June 30, 2012
Deputy	John Patrick Collins
Preceded by	Steve Applegate
Succeeded by	John Patrick Collins
Personal details
Born	Thomas Harold Massie (1971-01-13) January 13, 1971 Huntington, West Virginia
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Rhonda Massie
Children	Four
Residence	Garrison, Kentucky
Alma mater	Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S, M.S.
Occupation	Entrepreneur, Farmer

Thomas Harold Massie (born January 13, 1971) is an American politician who has been the United States Representative for Kentucky's 4th congressional district since 2012. Previously he was Judge-Executive of Lewis County, Kentucky from 2011 to 2012.

In 2010, Massie announced his intention to seek the office of Lewis County Judge Executive; he went on to defeat the incumbent by a large margin. In 2012, Massie announced his run for the seat most recently occupied by Congressman Geoff Davis. On November 6, 2012, Massie defeated Bill Adkins in both the special election and the general election to represent Northern Kentucky (including suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio) in Washington, D.C.

Early life, education, and business career

Thomas Massie was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He grew up in Vanceburg, Kentucky and met his future wife, Rhonda. He earned a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.^[1]

In 1993, at MIT, he and his wife started a successful company, called SensAble Devices Inc.^[2][3] Massie was the winner in 1995 of the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventors.^[1] The company was re-incorporated as SensAble Technologies, Inc. in 1996 after partner Bill Aulet joined the company.^[2] They raised $32 million of venture capital, had 24 different patents, and 70 other employees.^[4]

After Massie sold the company, he and his wife moved back to their hometown in Lewis County. They raised their children on a farm,^[3][5] where he built his own off-the-grid timberframe house.^[6]

Judge Executive of Lewis County

In 2010, after attending several local political meetings in Lewis County, Kentucky, Massie decided to pursue the office of Judge Executive of Lewis County, in order to fight what he considered wasteful spending and intrusion into the lives of the county's citizens by the government.^[3] Massie won the primary election, defeating the incumbent by a large margin,^[3] and went on to defeat his Democratic opponent by nearly 40 points.^[7] Massie also campaigned for then-U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul, speaking to various Tea Party groups on his behalf.^[3]

Massie resigned as Lewis County Judge-Executive, effective June 30, 2012.

U.S. House of Representatives

2012 election

Results of the primary by county. Red indicates a county won by Massie, green by Webb-Edgington. Gray indicates a county that is not within the 4th congressional district.

In December 2011, Congressman Geoff Davis announced his decision to retire from his seat in Kentucky's 4th congressional district. After several other officeholders announced their candidacies for the seat, Massie announced his decision to join the race on January 10, 2012.^[8] Massie has been endorsed by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky,^[9][10] and Rand's father, Texas Congressman Ron Paul.^[11][12] He has also received endorsements from FreedomWorks,^[13] Club for Growth,^[14][15] Gun Owners of America,^[16] and Young Americans for Liberty.^[17]

On May 22, 2012, Thomas Massie was elected as the Republican nominee for the 4th congressional district, beating his closest opponents, State Representative Alecia Webb-Edgington and Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore, by a double-digit margin.^[18][19] In his victory speech, Massie thanked "the Tea Party, the liberty movement, and grassroots Ronald Reagan Republicans."^[20] Massie was challenged by Democrat Bill Adkins in the general election, and was expected to win the election by a wide margin.^[18][21] Massie resigned as Lewis County Judge-Executive, effective June 30, 2012, in order to focus on his campaign for U.S. Congress, and allow an election to be immediately held in order to replace him.^[22] He was succeeded by Deputy Lewis County Judge-Executive John Patrick Collins, who was appointed temporarily by Governor Steve Beshear.^[23] On July 31, 2012, Congressman Geoff Davis resigned from office, citing a family health issue for his abrupt departure.^[24] On August 1, 2012, the Republican Party committee for Kentucky's 4th Congressional district voted unanimously to endorse Massie as the party's nominee once a special election was called.^[25] A special election was called by Governor Steve Beshear to take place on the same day as the general election, November 6, 2012.^[26] This meant that Massie would be running in two separate elections on the same day—one for the right to serve the final two months of Davis' term, another for a full two-year term.^[27]

On November 6, 2012, Massie won both the general and special elections, defeating his opponent by a wide margin in both elections.^[28]

Tenure

Congressman Thomas Massie being sworn into office by Speaker of the House John Boehner on November 13, 2012.

Having won the special election, Massie was therefore sworn into office immediately after the election, on November 13, 2012, filling the vacancy left by Geoff Davis.^[29] Massie was selected to serve on three committees, including the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Committee on Science, Space and Technology.^[30] He was also selected to become Chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, replacing outgoing Chairman Ben Quayle.^[31]

Since being sworn in, Massie has voted on and co-sponsored several key pieces of legislation, including voting against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, otherwise known as the NDAA,^[32] and co-sponsoring legislation in favor of industrial hemp,^[33] and repealing federal gun free zones in schools.^[34] Massie also voted against the fiscal cliff deal, stating "This plan is Washington kicking the can down the road [...] The modest spending cuts agreed to in the 2011 debt ceiling deal are postponed by this bill. This bill does nothing to reform our bloated tax code — in fact the bill perpetuates Obama's failed stimulus spending within the tax code. Finally, it fails to address entitlement reform or the solvency of Social Security and Medicare." ^[35] Massie also broke from the majority of his party by opposing the reelection of Speaker of the House John Boehner, instead casting his vote for Republican Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan.^[36]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  • Subcommittee on Government Operations
  • Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements
• Committee on Science, Space and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Energy
  • Subcommittee on Technology (Chairman)
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Electoral history

Personal life

Massie operates a cattle farm in Garrison, Kentucky with his wife Rhonda and their four children. They live in a solar-powered home that Massie built himself.^[37][38]

See also

• Kentucky's 4th congressional district

References

External links

• Congressman Thomas Massie official U.S. House site
• Thomas Massie 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