Luke Messer

Luke Messer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded by Mike Pence
Member of the Indiana House of Representatives
from the 57th district
In office
January 2003 – January 2007
Preceded by Roland Stine
Succeeded by Sean Eberhart
Personal details
Born February 27, 1969
Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Jennifer
Alma mater Wabash College
Vanderbilt University
Religion Presbyterianism
Website House website

Allen Lucas "Luke" Messer (born February 27, 1969) is an American politician who has served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Indiana's 6th congressional district, since 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Born in Evansville, Indiana, Messer is a graduate from Wabash College and Vanderbilt University Law School. After a failed run for the U.S. House in 2000, Messer served as the executive director of the Indiana Republican Party from 2001 to 2005. He was appointed to serve in the Indiana House of Representatives in 2003, after State Representative W. Roland Stine was killed in a car accident. Messer represented Indiana's 57th District from 2003 to 2007. In 2012, Messer defeated Democratic challenger Brad Bookout and was elected to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Early life, education, and law career

Messer graduated from Greensburg Community High School in 1987.[1]

Messer attended Wabash College where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and majored in speech, he graduated in 1991.[2] He also attended Vanderbilt University Law School, from which he received a law degree, in 1994.[3][4] Shortly after Messer graduated from Vanderbilt, he served as an Associate Counsel at Koch Industries from 1995 to 1996.[5]

Early political career

Messer started his political career serving as the Press Secretary for Tennessee Representative Ed Bryant in 1997. He served as the Legal Counsel on the House Subcommittee for Government Reform for Indiana Representative's David McIntosh and Dan Burton from 1998 to 1999, and the Legal Counsel to U.S. Representative Jim Duncan later in 1999.[6] In 1998, he served as the campaign manager for Virginia Murphy Blankenbaker's failed congressional campaign.[7] In 1999, Messer returned to Indiana and was a practicing attorney at the Barnes & Thornburg Law Firm in Indianapolis.[8]

In 2000, Messer ran for the United States House of Representatives in Indiana's 2nd congressional district, where incumbent David M. McIntosh was retiring to run for governor. Though Messer received the endorsement of The Indianapolis Star,[9] he lost the election to Mike Pence.

Indiana House of Representatives

On May 23, 2003, Messer was sworn in by the Chief Justice of Indiana Supreme Court Randall Shepard to fill the remainder of the late W. Roland Stine's term.[1] From 2003-2006, Messer represented District 57 in the Indiana House of Representatives, which contained portions of Shelby County and Bartholomew County.[10] During the 2005-2006 legislative session, Messer served as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader.[11] His legislation aimed at curbing high school drop-out rates received national attention after Shelbyville High School became a symbol of a national dropout crisis.[12] He did not run for reelection as State Representative in 2006, and was succeeded by Sean Eberhart.[13] Messer joined the law firm Ice Miller LLP as a partner in their Public Affairs group.[14]

Messer served as the co-chair of John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign in Indiana.[15] In 2010, Messer ran for the House of Representatives in Indiana's 5th congressional district. He challenged Dan Burton, the incumbent representative, in the Republican primary. Burton narrowly defeated Messer in the election.[16] Messer then became President & CEO of School Choice Indiana, a lobbying group that supported Indiana's private school voucher law.[17]

United States House of Representatives

Elections

With the announcement of then Representative Mike Pence's intentions to run for Governor of Indiana, in May 2011, Messer declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination to represent the 6th District. His home in Shelbyville had been shifted from the 5th District to the 6th District in redistricting.[18] On May 8, 2012 Messer defeated the grassroots effort by Columbus real estate investor Travis Hankins, winning with 71% of the vote.[19] He faced Democrat Brad Bookout, a Delaware County councilman, in the general election.[20][21] Messer, described as a "Libertarian-Leaning Conservative" by OnTheIssues.Org,[22] aligned his views with the views of Mike Pence, saying that "If you like Congressman Mike Pence, we’re going to have very similar philosophy in the way we approach the job," he was also described by Bookout as "a clone" of Pence.[23] On November 6, 2012, Messer defeated Bookout with roughly 59% of the vote.[24] After the election, Messer was selected by his peers as Freshman Class President for the 113th Congress.[25]

Committee assignments

Tenure

In 2013 Messer signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.[26]

Personal life

Messer is married to his wife Jennifer, have two daughters and one son, and they currently reside in Shelbyville, Indiana. Messer is the author of a children’s book called Hoosier Heart.[27]

Electoral history

2006
Indiana House of Representatives, 57th District, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Luke Messer 16,004 100.00
Total votes 16,004 100.00
Republican hold
2012
Indiana's 6th Congressional District election, 2012 [28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Luke Messer 162,613 59.08
Democratic Brad Bookout 96,678 35.12
Libertarian Rex Bell 15,962 5.80
Total votes 275,253 100.00
Republican hold

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Luke Messer Sworn in Today as State Representative for House District 57". in.gov. May 28, 2003. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  2. ↑ Torrez, Jonathan. "The Wabash College Bachelor" (PDF). wabash.edu. Wabash College Board of Publications. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Indiana’s 6th House District Luke Messer bio; The National Journal". nationaljournal.com. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  4. ↑ "Ex-McIntosh aide is seeking GOP nod to fill seat". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1999-10-14. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  5. ↑ "LUKE MESSER INFORMATION". solitical.com. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ "REPRESENTATIVE LUKE MESSER'S BIOGRAPHY". votesmart.org. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  7. ↑ "President George W. Bush-Campaign Organization, Indiana". georgewashingtonuniversity.edu. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Wabash Alumnus Elected to Indiana General Assembly". wabash.edu. May 22, 2003. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Candidate Messer's good ideas for positive change". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 2000-04-17. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  10. ↑ "IBJ Newsbank Archives". Nl.newsbank.com. 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  11. ↑ "INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE CHAIRS // 2005-2006". state.in.us. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Drop Out Nation; Time Magazine". www.time.com. 2006-04-09. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  13. ↑ "Election 2006: Indiana House". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  14. ↑ InsideIndianaBusiness.com Report. "State Representative Luke Messer Joins Ice Miller - Newsroom - Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick". Insideindianabusiness.com. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  15. ↑ Davies, Tom (2008-09-24). "Politics | Obama out to flip Indiana to Dems | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  16. ↑ Schneider, Mary Beth (July 9, 2011). "Candidates line up for Pence's open seat in Congress". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Messer defeats Bookout, wins Pence's 6th seat". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. November 6, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Former state lawmaker announces run for Congress". Los Angeles Times. May 21, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Messer conquers crowded Republican field in 6th District". indystar.com. May 8, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Bookout to face 'young gun' Messer in race for U.S. Congress seat | The Star Press". thestarpress.com. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  21. ↑ "Messer, Bookout win vote in Delaware County for U.S. Congress seat | The Star Press". thestarpress.com. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  22. ↑ "IN Luke Messer". ontheissues.org. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  23. ↑ "6th District Candidates Compare Themselves To Mike Pence". indianapublicmedia.org. October 29, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  24. ↑ Johannesen, Kirk (November 7, 2012). "Messer puts focus on jobs, budget work". The Republic (Columbus, Indiana).
  25. ↑ "Indiana’s-new-federal-lawmakers-seek-leadership-roles-learn-ropes; The Indianapolis Star". indystar.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
  26. ↑ http://americansforprosperity.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Messer_Luke.pdf
  27. ↑ "Election 2012 Luke Messer bio; The Wallstreet Journal". projects.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  28. ↑ "Election Results". Indiana Elections Division. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Mike Pence		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 6th congressional district
2013–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
James Lankford		 Chairperson of the House Republican Policy Committee
2015–present 		Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Grace Meng		 United States Representatives by seniority
341st 		Succeeded by
Markwayne Mullin