the council of state governments

nov 2012

ELECTIONs 2012
special edition

State Leaders and the New Congress

While a few U.S. House races remain too close to call, at least 12 new senators and 66 House members will pack their bags and head to Washington to join the 113th Congress. More than half of these new freshmen will arrive on Capitol Hill with substantial state experience as governors, legislators, constitutional officers or senior appointed officials. Three-quarters of the incoming Senate freshman class have served in state government. The Senate is often a landing pad for former governors and the recent election confirmed this trend with former Govs. Angus King of Maine and Tim Kaine of Virginia. The freshman class also includes four members with substantial state legislative experience, including one member, Mazie Hirono, who began her career as a Hawaii legislative staffer before serving as a state house member, state senator and lieutenant governor. The list also includes a pair of state leaders who have been at center stage in two of the most prominent cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in the past 20 years. Former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp argued unsuccessfully for the rights of states to tax online sales transactions in North Dakota vs. Quill (1992), while Ted Cruz successfully led a coalition of 31 states as Texas solicitor general in advocating for an individual right to bear arms in District of Columbia vs. Heller (2008). While more than half of current members in Congress have significant state experienceincluding 226 members who served previously in state legislaturesboth parties appear to be increasingly fielding candidates from their activist bases rather than from the state house. Only 27 of the 66 new House freshmen have served in state legislatures. This group includes Hawaiis Tulsi Gabbard, who became the Hawaii Houses youngest member ever when she was elected in 2002 before resigning just two years into her term when her National Guard unit was deployed to Iraq. The list is rounded out by six members who have served in senior appointed roles in their respective states, including former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams and former Illinois Adjutant General Bill Enyart. The state-heavy resumes of these new freshmen are sorely needed in a Congress that will be grappling with a

growing fiscal crisis that will necessitate changes to entitlements, discretionary programs and revenue streams, which all have direct implications for state budgets. As Congress weighs shifting more responsibilities to statesa concept that often sounds good on paper but can lead to unfunded mandateshaving strong advocates for federalism on both sides of the aisle, such as Heitkamp and Cruz, will be helpful. Similarly, as Congress works to reform the tax code, a process with implications for state income tax deductions and tax-exempt bonds, state legislative leaders with detailed tax reform experience, such as Nebraskas Deb Fischer, and experienced technical experts such as former Washington state Department of Revenue Director Suzanne DelBene, will be on hand to have their voices heard. The challenge will be to find welcoming ears in a town where listening is in short supply.

Chris Whatley, Washington D.C. Office Director | cwhatley@csg.org

Newly Elected Congressional Members with State Experience

New U.S. SeNatorS
Member tammy Baldwin ted cruz deb fischer heidi heitkamp mazie hirono tim Kaine angus King chris murphy State
Wisconsin texas nebraska north dakota hawaii virginia maine connecticut

Party
democrat republican republican democrat democrat democrat independent democrat

State experience
Wisconsin house, 1993-99 texas state solicitor general, 2003-2008 nebraska senate (unicameral), 2005-2012 north dakota tax commissioner, 1986-1992; north dakota attorney general, 1992-2001 state legislative staffer, hawaii house 1980-1994; lieutenant governor 1994-2002 lieutenant governor, 2002-2006; governor 2006-2010 governor, 1995-2003 connecticut house, 1999-2003; connecticut senate 2003-2007

New U.S. HoUSe MeMberS

Member Julia Brownley tony cardenas Joaquin castro doug collins paul cook Kevin cramer suzanne delBene Bill enyart elizabeth esty lois frankel tulsi gabbard pete gallego Joe garcia michelle lujan grisham denny heck steven horsford Jared huffman hakeem Jeffries derek Kilmar doug lamalfa alan lowenthal grace meng luke messer rick nolan scott perry robert pittenger mark pocan mat salmon dina titus Juan vargas marc veasey Jackie Walorski randy Weber roger Williams District
california-26 california-29 texas-20 georgia-9 california-8 north dakota Washington-1 illinois-12 connecticut-5 florida-5 hawaii-2 texas-23 florida-26 new mexico-1 Washington-10 nevada-4 california-2 new York -8 Washington-6 california-1 california-47 new York-6 indiana-6 minnesota-8 pennsylvania north carolina-9 Wisconsin-2 arizona-5 nevada-1 california-51 texas-33 indiana-2 texas-14 texas-25

Party
democrat democrat democrat republican republican republican democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat democrat republican democrat democrat republican democrat republican republican democrat republican democrat democrat democrat republican republican republican

State experience
california assembly, 2006-2012 california assembly, 1996-2002 texas house, 2003-2012 georgia house, 2007-2012 california assembly, 2006-2012 former state economic development director, former state tourism director, north dakota public service commission, 2003-2012 director, Washington department of revenue, 2011-2012 adjutant general, illinois national guard, 2007-2012 connecticut house, 2009-2011 florida house, 1986-1992, 1994-2002 hawaii house 2002-2004, (youngest person ever elected to the hawaii house went on to serve in national guard) texas house, 1991-2012 florida public service commission, 1994-2000 former secretary new mexico department of health, former secretary new mexico department of aging Washington house, 1977-1985; Washington house chief clerk, 1985-1987 nevada senate, 2004-2012 (majority leader) california assembly, 2006-2012 new York assembly, 2007-2012 Washington house, 2005-2007; Washington senate, 2007-2012 california assembly, 2002-2008; california senate 2010-2012 california assembly, 1998-2004; california senate, 2004-2012 new York assembly, 2009-2012 indiana house, 2003-2006 minnesota house, 1969-1973 pennsylvania house, 2007-2012 north carolina senate, 2003-2008 Wisconsin assembly, 1999-2012 arizona senate, 1991-1995 nevada senate, 1988-2008 california assembly, 2000-2006; california senate, 2010-2012 texas house, 2005-2012 indiana house, 2005-2011 texas house, 2009-2012 texas secretary of state, 2005-2007

the council of state governments