Steny Hoyer
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Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14 1939) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 5th district of the State of Maryland ([map]) since 1981, and is the current House Minority Whip.
Early life, career, and family
Hoyer was born in New York City but grew up in Mitchellville, Maryland. He graduated from Suitland High School in Suitland, Maryland and went on to attend the University of Maryland, College Park, earning a B.S. degree in 1963. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in 1966.In 1966 at the age of 27, Hoyer won a seat in the Maryland State Senate. In 1975, at the age of 35, Hoyer was elected President of the Senate, the youngest in state history. In 1978, Hoyer sought the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, but lost out to Samuel Bogley. Also in 1978, Hoyer was appointed to the Maryland Board of Higher Education, a position he served in until 1981.
Hoyer and his deceased wife, Judy Pickett Hoyer, have three daughters: Susan, Stefany, and Anne.
Congressional career
In 1981, Hoyer was elected to the House of Representatives by special election to serve the fifth congressional district of Maryland, succeeding Gladys Spellman, who was deemed incapacitated after falling into an irreversable coma. He is now the longest-serving House member from Southern Maryland in history, as well as the highest-ranking member of Congress in Maryland history.
Hoyer has served as Chair of the Democratic Caucus, the fourth-ranking position among House Democrats, from 1989 to 1994; the former Co-Chair (and a current member) of the Democratic Steering Committee; and as the chief candidate recruiter for House Democrats from 1995 to 2000. He also served as Deputy Majority Whip from 1987 to 1989. On November 14, 2002, Rep. Hoyer was unanimously elected by his colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to serve as the House Democratic Minority Whip, the second-highest-ranking position among House Democrats.
In Congress, Steny Hoyer has built a reputation as a defender of Federal employees and a leader on education, human and civil rights issues and, in his own words, is a "tax-tax spend-spend Democrat", C-SPAN footage of him saying this on the floor of Congress have come up repeatedly in election battles. He is perhaps best known for serving as the lead House sponsor of the Help America Vote Act, which President Bush signed into law on October 29, 2002, and for sponsoring the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 when Tony Coelho was forced to resign. He is described by the Washington Post as being "among the House’s 10 most prodigious suppliers of pork", and, when asked by a constituent whether there would ever be an end to pork barrel spending, he replied "I hope not". (Washington Post, October 28, 2004)
Committee assignments
As of May 2006, Hoyer serves on the following House committees:
- Senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee.
- *Member of the Transportation, Treasury and Housing Subcommittee.
- *Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Election history
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Year !bgcolor=#cccccc |Office !bgcolor=#cccccc |Election ! !bgcolor=#cccccc |Subject !bgcolor=#cccccc |Party !bgcolor=#cccccc |Votes !bgcolor=#cccccc |% ! !bgcolor=#cccccc |Opponent !bgcolor=#cccccc |Party !bgcolor=#cccccc |Votes !bgcolor=#cccccc |% ! !bgcolor=#cccccc |Opponent !bgcolor=#cccccc |Party !bgcolor=#cccccc |Votes !bgcolor=#cccccc |% |- |1981 |Congress, 5th district |Special || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |N/A |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |55 | |N/A |N/A |N/A |N/A | |colspan=4| |- |1982 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |83,937 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |79.58 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |William Guthrie |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |21,533 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |20.42 | |colspan=4| |- |1984 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |116,310 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |72.18 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |John Ritchie |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |44,839 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |27.82 | |colspan=4| |- |1986 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |82,098 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |81.93 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |John Sellner |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |18,102 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |18.07 | |colspan=4| |- |1988 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |128,437 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |78.63 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |John Sellner |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |34,909 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |21.37 | |colspan=4| |- |1990 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |84,747 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |80.66 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Lee Breuer |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |20,314 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |19.34 | |colspan=4| |- |1992 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |118,312 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |94.39 | |colspan=2|Other (no major opposition) |7,032 |5.6 | |colspan=4| |- |1994 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |98,821 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |58.81 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Donald Devine |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |69,211 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |41.19 | |colspan=4| |- |1996 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |121,288 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |56.92 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |John Morgan |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |91,806 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |43.08 | |colspan=4| |- |1998 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |126,792 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |65.37 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Robert Ostrom |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |67,176 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |34.36 | |colspan=4| |- |2000 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |166,231 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |65.09 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Thomas Hutchins |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |89,019 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |34.86 | |colspan=4| |- |2002 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |137,903 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |69.27 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Joseph Crawford |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |60,758 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |30.52 | |colspan=4| |- |2004 |Congress, 5th district |General || |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Steny Hoyer |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |204,867 |bgcolor=#DDEEFF |68.67 | |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Brad Jewitt |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |87,189 |bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |29.93 | |bgcolor=#9DFF9D |Bob Auerbach |bgcolor=#9DFF9D |Green |bgcolor=#9DFF9D |4,224 |bgcolor=#9DFF9D |1.42
References
- This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- [Official Congressional biography for Representative Hoyer.]
- [Congressional Quarterly Voting and Elections Collection.]
- [Congressional Quarterly biography]
External links
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Maryland Congressional Delegation currently serving in the United States Congress | |
|---|---|
| Senators : | Paul Sarbanes (D), Barbara Mikulski (D) |
| Representative(s) : | Wayne Gilchrest (R), Dutch Ruppersberger (D), Ben Cardin (D), Albert Wynn (D), Steny Hoyer (D), Roscoe Bartlett (R), Elijah Cummings (D), Chris Van Hollen (D) |
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