Jack Kingston
Jack Kingston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 1st district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Lindsay Thomas |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Libby Morris |
| Residence | Savannah, Georgia |
| Alma mater | University of Georgia |
| Occupation | insurance agent, agribusiness |
John Heddens Kingston (born April 24, 1955), Republican politician, has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing Georgia's 1st congressional district (map).
Early life and background
Kingston was born April 24, 1955 in Bryan, Texas, but spent most of his life in Athens, Georgia. He earned a degree in economics from the University of Georgia, where he also joined Lambda Chi Alpha. He has lived in Savannah since 1977 and spent over a decade selling insurance and working in agribusiness throughout southeastern Georgia before his election to Congress. [1]
Georgia's First Congressional District
The First District comprises the entire coastal area of The Golden Isles, which include St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, and Sea Island, places where many of the large cotton and rice plantations flourished in the nineteenth century, as well as much of the rural southeastern part of the state. In addition to part of Savannah and most of its suburbs, there are a few modest-sized cities like Brunswick, Waycross, Georgia, and Valdosta. However, much of the district is rural, with cotton and tobacco farming. The district includes four military bases: Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, at Kings Bay in Camden County, Fort Stewart, near Hinesville in Liberty County, Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, and Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta. Though this section of the South was solidly Democratic for many years after General Sherman’s troops marched through Georgia, it became increasingly friendly to Republicans in the 1960s. It has only supported a Democrat for president twice since 1964, when native son Jimmy Carter carried it in 1976 and 1980. However, much of this area was represented by conservative Democrats at the state level well into the 1990s.
First bid for House of Representatives
Kingston ran for Congress in 1992 at the age of 37 after serving eight years in the Georgia House of Representatives. Kingston won his first election decisively with 58 percent of the vote, in part because most of Savannah's black residents had been drawn into the majority-black 11th District. He has not been seriously challenged since, never dropping below 69 percent of the vote. He even ran unopposed in 1998 and 2004.
Positions
Kingston is a consistent fiscal and social conservative, opposing abortion and supporting tax cuts. He also has a reputation as a strong speaker and is a frequent guest on cable news.
Status in Congress
From 2003 through the end of 2006, Kingston served as vice-chairman of the House Republican Conference.
Committee Assignments
- Appropriations Committee
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Defense
Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)
- House Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Defense
Vice-chairman, House Republican Conference (2003-2006)
Interviews and public life
Kingston is frequent guest on shows such as "The Colbert Report," and HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," and TV news shows.
Electoral history
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Barbara Christmas | 75,808 | 42% | Jack Kingston | 103,932 | 58% | |||
| 1994 | Raymond Beckworth | 27,197 | 23% | Jack Kingston | 88,788 | 77% | |||
| 1996 | Rosemary D. Kaszans | 50,622 | 32% | Jack Kingston | 108,616 | 68% | |||
| 1998 | (no candidate) | Jack Kingston | 92,229 | 100% | |||||
| 2000 | Joyce Marie Griggs | 58,776 | 31% | Jack Kingston | 131,684 | 69% | |||
| 2002 | Don Smart | 40,026 | 28% | Jack Kingston | 103,661 | 72% | |||
| 2004 | (no candidate) | Jack Kingston | 188,347 | 100% | |||||
| 2006 | Jim Nelson | 43,668 | 31% | Jack Kingston | 94,961 | 69% |
References
- ^ Project Vote Smart - Representative Jack Kingston - Biography
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
External links
- U.S. Representative Jack Kingston official House site
- United States Congress. "Jack Kingston (id: k000220)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- On the Issues — Jack Kingston issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Jack Kingston campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart — Representative Jack Kingston (GA) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Jack Kingston profile
- Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Jack Kingston voting record
- Kingston introduction of Fuel Choices for American Security Act of 2005
- ^ Insert footnote text here