Susan Davis (politician)

Susan Davis
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 53rd district
Assumed office
January 3, 2003
Preceded by Constituency established
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 49th district
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by Brian Bilbray
Succeeded by Darrell Issa
Member of the California State Assembly
In office
1995–2001
Personal details
Born Susan Carol Alpert
(1944-04-13) April 13, 1944
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Dr. Steven J. Davis
Residence San Diego, California
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Occupation Social worker, Politician

Susan Carol Alpert Davis (born April 13, 1944) is the U.S. Representative for California's 53rd congressional district, serving since 2001. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes central and eastern portions of the city of San Diego, as well as eastern suburbs such as El Cajon, La Mesa, Spring Valley and Lemon Grove.[1]

Early life, education and career

Davis was born Susan Carol Alpert in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the daughter of Dorothy M. "Dora" (née Wexler) and Dr. George R. Alpert. All of her grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.[2] She has spent most of her life in California. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley where she was a member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority.[3] She earned a master's degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her husband Steve Davis was a doctor in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. After returning to California, she became a social worker in San Diego.[4]

Early political career

Davis was elected to the San Diego School Board in 1983. She served there until 1992, spending eight years of the time as president or vice president of the body. In 1994, she was elected to the California State Assembly, and was reelected in 1996 and 1998. In the Assembly, Davis chaired the Committee on Consumer Protection, Government Efficiency and Economic Development. She authored a state law giving women direct access to their OB/Gyn doctors without requiring a referral from their primary care physicians.

U.S. House of Representatives

Susan Davis marching in the 2014 San Diego LGBT Pride Parade

In 2000, Davis challenged three-term Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray in what was then the 49th District, winning with 50 percent of the vote. Her district was renumbered the 53rd District after the 2000 Census redistricting and made somewhat more Democratic than its predecessor. She has been reelected eight times since then without much difficulty. She is the first Democrat to represent what is now the 53rd district for more than one term in over half a century. The only other Democrat to represent this district since the Harry Truman administration, Lynn Schenk, was toppled by Bilbray in the 1994 Republican wave.

Davis introduced a federal version of the California OB/Gyn law she authored at the start of every Congress from 2001 to 2009. Provisions of her OB/Gyn bill were included in the health care reform bill enacted into law.

In 2011, Davis voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 as part of a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to indefinitely detain American citizens and others without trial.[5]

Davis is a member of the New Democrat Coalition and portrays herself as working across party lines. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She also serves on the Education and Workforce Committee, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development.

In 2012, Davis filed a lawsuit to recover over $150,000 in campaign funds from her former campaign treasurer, Kinde Durkee.[6] Durkee was later sentenced to eight years in prison for fraud after pleading guilty to stealing seven million dollars from more than fifty people.[7]

Earlier photo of Davis

Committee assignments

Committee on Education and the Workforce

Committee on Armed Services

Caucus memberships

Personal life

Davis and her husband Steve have two children and three grandchildren.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "District 53" (PDF). California Redistricting Commission certified map. Healthy City. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  2. ↑ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ebattle/reps/davissusan.htm
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  5. ↑ http://www.ibtimes.com/ndaa-bill-how-did-your-congress-member-vote-384362
  6. ↑ McCutcheon, Michael; Barone, Chuck (2013). 2014 Almanac of American Politics. The University of Chicago Press.
  7. ↑ Campaign treasurer get 8 years for fraud Archived 2015-09-10 at the Wayback Machine.
California Assembly
Preceded by
Mike Gotch		 California State Assemblywoman, 76th District
1994-2000 		Succeeded by
Christine Kehoe
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Brian Bilbray		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 49th congressional district
2001-2003 		Succeeded by
Darrell E. Issa
Preceded by
District Created		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 53rd congressional district
2003-Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
John Culberson
R-Texas 		United States Representatives by seniority
87th 		Succeeded by
Sam Graves
R-Missouri
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