- Melissa Bean
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Melissa Bean 
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 8th districtIn office
January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2011Preceded by Phil Crane Succeeded by Joe Walsh Personal details Born January 22, 1962
Chicago, IllinoisPolitical party Democratic Spouse(s) Alan Bean Residence Barrington, Illinois Alma mater Oakton Community College, A.A., 1982 Roosevelt University, B.A., 2002
Occupation Business consultant, marketing Religion Serbian Orthodox Melissa Luburich Bean (born on January 22, 1962) is a former U.S. Representative for the Illinois's 8th congressional district who served from 2005 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Contents
Early life, education and career
Bean graduated from Oakton Community College with an Associates Degree in 1982 and from Roosevelt University in 2002 with a Bachelors Degree. Prior to her election to Congress, she was president of a home-based business, Sales Resources Inc., which counted many Fortune 1000 companies as clients.[1]
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
Bean was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Coalition.
Bean was a member of the Small Business and Financial Services committees for her entire House tenure. Normally, House Democrats who serve on the Financial Services Committee can't serve on any other committee. However, Bean was granted a waiver by the Democratic leadership.[citation needed]
Political positions
Bean's business and financial record includes opposing a bill that would have allowed for drilling for oil in Lake Michigan which is a large source of drinking water for her district.[2] She has departed from the Democrats in voting in May 2006 to extend about $70 billion in tax cuts (she was one of just 15 Democrats to back the legislation), voting to permanently reduce the estate tax, and voting in favor of a presidential line-item veto. Similarly, she is one of only 15 Democrats to vote in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).[3] In 2009, she voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the American Clean Energy and Security Act. She was a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.[4]
On other issues, Bean opposed President Bush's troop "surge" in Iraq. In a February 2006 speech given before the surge had been fully implemented, Bean said, "regrettably, this surge does not constitute a new course."[5] On social issues, Bean is pro-choice and voted in support of Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, health care reform. Bean was one of four Democrats to vote against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, joining 155 of 159 Republicans, blocking the vote (which needed a 2/3 majority to pass, as it was brought to vote under a motion to suspend rules.)[6]
Political campaigns
2002
In 2002, Bean ran against 73-year-old 8th District Republican incumbent Phil Crane. She charged that Crane, once a leader of conservative forces in the House, had become a "do-nothing" Congressman. Her campaign focus was on lobbyist-funded trips that he had taken. She lost, but gained 43% of the vote. This was unexpected since she had received very little funding from the national party. The 8th had historically been the most Republican district in the Chicago area, and by some accounts was the most Republican district in all of Illinois. Bean's performance was even more notable since the 8th had reportedly been redrawn to protect Crane.
2004
Bean sought a rematch against Crane in 2004. During the campaign, Bean raised almost as much money as Crane, mostly from individual donors, whereas Crane's money came mostly from political action committees. Her surprising performance in the previous election led the national party to pump a large amount of money into her campaign. Bean was endorsed by the Daily Herald, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times--the three major newspapers in her district.
Faced with having to campaign for what was previously thought to be a safe seat, the Republicans tried their best to keep Crane in office. However, on November 2, 2004, Bean defeated Crane with 52% of the vote. Although George W. Bush won the district with 56% of the vote — the largest margin of any district in the state — Bean was helped by US Senate candidate Barack Obama, who carried the district. She is the first Democrat to represent the district since its formation in 1935. (The district was numbered the 10th District from 1935 to 1949, the 13th from 1949 to 1973, the 12th from 1973 to 1993 and has been the 8th since 1993.)[7]
2006
Main article: Illinois 8th congressional district election, 2006In 2006, Bean's seat was seen by Republicans as vulnerable to takeover due to her freshman status and the 8th district's historical Republican tilt at every level. As mentioned above, George W. Bush carried the district fairly easily in 2004. Most of the district's state representatives and state senators were Republicans. Even today, in much of the district Bean was the only elected Democrat above the county level. Bean's reelection was also a top priority of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
Bean faced the winner of a competitive six-candidate Republican primary, David McSweeney, in the 2006 general election. As in 2004, Bean was endorsed by all three of the major newspapers in her district. She defeated McSweeney, 51% to 44%.
2008
Bean decisively defeated her 2008 opponent, businessman Steve Greenberg.[8] Although she was one of forty-four Democrats in the House who voted to condemn the MoveOn.org group for their controversial "General Betray-us" ad in 2007, he criticized her for accepting over $80,000 in campaign donations from them three years earlier.[9] [10] [11] Bean defeated Greenberg, 60% to 40%.
2010
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2010#District 8*Bean was challenged by Republican nominee Joe Walsh and Green Party nominee Bill Scheurer.[12]Bean was heavily favored and lost what was previously thought to be a safe seat to Walsh.[13]
Bean was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune,[14] the Chicago Sun-Times,[15] The Daily Herald,[16] and the Lake County News-Sun.[17]
Electoral history
Illinois's 8th congressional district: Results 2002–2008[18][19][20][21][22] Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 2002 Melissa L. Bean 70,626 43% Philip M. Crane 95,275 57% * 2004 Melissa L. Bean 139,792 52% Philip M. Crane 130,601 48% 2006 Melissa L. Bean 93,355 51% David McSweeney 80,720 44% Bill Scheurer Moderate 8,502 5% * 2008 Melissa L. Bean 146,563 60% Steve Greenberg 97,931 40% 2010 Melissa L. Bean 97,824 48.3% Joe Walsh 98,115 48.5% Bill Scheurer Green 6,494 3.2% *Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2002, Chuck Kelecic received 25 votes. In 2006, minor candidates received 817 votes.Personal life
Bean lives in unincorporated Palatine Township with her husband and two children. Their residence was in the 8th District when they moved there, but became part of the 10th District because of redistricting. They lived in an adjoining district for her entire time in Congress.[23]
References
- ^ Melissa Bean (D). The Washington Post.
- ^ GOP Sees Opportunity to Pick Up Seat in Chicago Suburbs Kelley Beaucar Vlahos. FOX News. August 20, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
- ^ http://www.cqpolitics.com/2006/07/il_8_freshman_bean_appears_str.html
- ^ "H.R.1409: Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 - U.S. Congress". OpenCongress. 2009-03-10. http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1409/show. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ Bean Speaks in Support of Iraq War Resolution, In Opposition to Troop Surge. Congresswoman Melissa Bean.
- ^ "H.R.847: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 - U.S. Congress". 2010-07-29. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll491.xml. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
- ^ Lawrence Kestenbaum. "Illinois: U.S. Representatives". The Political Graveyard. http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/IL/ofc/usrep.html. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ "IL - District 08 Race - Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=338045. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ Dems who condemned MoveOn took its cash - Kenneth P. Vogel - Politico.com
- ^ FEC Disclosure Report Search Results
- ^ The Swamp: MoveOn dust-up hits Bean race
- ^ GOP congressional candidate asked to drop out. Associated Press. May 3, 2010.
- ^ Bean concedes 8th Cong. District seat to Tea Party's Walsh Chicago Sun-Times. 2010-11-16.
- ^ "For the U.S. House". Chicago Tribune. 2010-10-07. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-congress-20101007,0,587673.story?page=2. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
- ^ "Bean right for her district". Chicago Sun-Times. 2010-10-05. http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/endorsements/2771554,CST-EDT-edit05b.article. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
- ^ "Congress, 8th District: Bean". Daily Herald. 2010-10-16. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101016/discuss/710179931/. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
- ^ "Our View: Bean, Seals for Congress". Lake County News-Sun. 2010-10-14. http://newssun.suntimes.com/opinions/1983552-474/news-district-congress-seals-business.html. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
- ^ "The 2010 Results Maps". Politico.Com. http://www.politico.com/2010/maps/#/House/2010/IL. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ "Illinois State Board of Elections". Elections.state.il.us. http://www.elections.state.il.us/ElectionInformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?officeid=4998. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ http://elections.chicagotribune.com/results/[dead link]
- ^ "Ballots Cast: General Primary, 8th Congress - 2/2/2010". Illinois State Board of Elections. 2010-02-02. http://www.elections.state.il.us/ElectionInformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?ElectionType=GP&ElectionID=28&SearchType=OfficeSearch&OfficeID=4998&QueryType=Office&. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
- ^ Illinois Redistricting Hearing, C-SPAN, April 27, 2001
External links
- Re-Elect Congresswoman Melissa Bean official campaign site
- Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Congressional profile at GovTrack
- Congressional profile at OpenCongress
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
- Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
- Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Profile at SourceWatch
United States House of Representatives Preceded by
Phil CraneMember of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 8th congressional district
2005–2011Succeeded by
Joe WalshCategories:- 1962 births
- Living people
- Eastern Orthodox Christians from the United States
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
- People from Barrington, Illinois
- People from Chicago, Illinois
- Roosevelt University alumni
- American people of Serbian descent
- Serbian Orthodox Christians
- Women in Illinois politics
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