Robert Takeo Matsui(Japanese:Tùng giếng võ nam,September 17, 1941 – January 1, 2005)[5]was an American politician from the state of California. Matsui was a member of theDemocratic Partyand served in theU.S. House of Representativesas thecongressmanforCalifornia's 5th congressional districtfrom 1979 until his death at the end of his 13th term.[5][6]
Bob Matsui | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2003 – January 1, 2005 | |
| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Nita Lowey |
| Succeeded by | Rahm Emanuel |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia | |
| In office January 3, 1979 – January 1, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | John E. Moss |
| Succeeded by | Doris Matsui |
| Constituency | 3rd district(1979–1993) 5th district(1993–2005) |
| Treasurer of theDemocratic National Committee | |
| In office September 8, 1991[1]– May 17, 1995[2] | |
| Preceded by | Robert Farmer |
| Succeeded by | Robert Scott Pastrick |
| Member of theSacramento City Councilfrom the 8th district | |
| In office November 1971[3]– November 8, 1978[4] | |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Donovan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Takeo Matsui September 17, 1941 Sacramento, California,U.S. |
| Died | January 1, 2005(aged 63) Bethesda, Maryland,U.S. |
| Resting place | East Lawn Memorial Park East Sacramento, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 son |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley(BA) University of California, Hastings(JD) |
TheRobert T. Matsui United States CourthouseinSacramentois named in his honor.[7]
Early life and education
editAthird-generationJapanese American,Matsui was born inSacramento, California,[5]and was six months old when he and his family were taken from Sacramento andinternedby the U.S. government at theTule Lake War Relocation Centerin 1942.[8]
Matsui graduated from theUniversity of California, Berkeley,in 1963 with aB.A.in political science, and then from theHastings College of Lawin 1966.[5]He founded his own Sacramento law practice in 1967.[8]
Political career
edit
In 1971, Matsui was elected to theSacramento City Council.[8]He won re-election in 1975 and became vice mayor of the city in 1977.[8]
In 1978, Matsui ran for the Democratic nomination in what was then the 3rd district after 12-term incumbentJohn E. Mossannounced his retirement. He won a five-way Democratic primary with 36 percent of the vote, besting a field that includedState AssemblymanEugene Gualco andSacramento MayorPhil Isenberg.[9]
He defeatedRepublicanSandy Smolley with 53 percent of the vote.[10]He would never face another contest nearly that close in what has long been the most Democratic district in interior California, and would be reelected 13 times. After his initial contest, he never dropped below 68 percent of the vote. He was reelected in 1982 with no major-party opposition, and was unopposed in 1984.[11]His district was renumbered as the 5th district after the 1990 census.
In 1988, Matsui succeeded in helping pass theCivil Liberties Act of 1988,which produced an official apology from the Federal government for theWorld War IIinternment programand offered token compensation to victims. He was also instrumental in the designation ofManzanar internment campas a national historic site and in obtaining land in Washington, D.C. for the memorial to Japanese-American patriotism in World War II.[citation needed]
He was a chairman of theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee,ranking memberof theUnited States House Committee on Ways and Means,and third-ranking Democrat on theWays and Means Committee.During his term he was noted for his staunch opposition to privatization ofSocial Security.He had a mostly liberal voting record having opposed the Defense of Marriage Act, the ban on partial-birth abortions, and the Private Securities and Litigations Reform Act.[citation needed]
In what would be his last election,2004,he faced Republican Mike Dugas and easily won a 14th term with 71.4% of the vote, compared to Dugas' 23.4%. Opponents Pat Driscoll (Green Party) and John Reiger (Peace and Freedom Party), won 3.4% and 1.8% of the vote, respectively.[12](DCCC chairs are chosen in part because they are not expected to face serious competition for re-election.)
Personal life
editHe was married toDoris Okadawho, until December 1998, worked as deputy assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Public Liaison for PresidentBill Clinton,leaving to become senior advisor and director of government relations at the firm of Collier Shannon Scott, PLLC before winning election to her late husband's seat. The Matsuis had one son, Brian, who received his undergraduate andJuris Doctordegree fromStanford University.
Death
editOn December 24, 2004, Matsui enteredBethesda Naval Hospitalwithpneumonia.[6]It was a complication frommyelodysplastic syndrome,a rarestem celldisorder that causes an inability of thebone marrowto produce blood products, such asred blood cells,white blood cellsandplatelets.He died of pneumonia on January 1, 2005.[13][14]
In the special election on March 8 to fill the vacant seat, Matsui's widowDoriswon with over 68 percent of the vote;[15]she was sworn in on March 10, 2005.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Democrats Pick '92 Money Men".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Vol. 113, no. 251. September 8, 1991. p. 3B – viaNewspapers.
- ^Sample, Herbert A. (May 18, 1995)."Matsui is promoted to Demo's No. 3 post".The Sacramento Bee.Vol. 277, no. 2780 (Final ed.). p. B1 – viaNewspapers.
- ^"Our Campaigns - Sacramento City Council- District 8 Race - Sep 21, 1971".
- ^"Our Campaigns - Sacramento City Council- District 8 Race - Sep 23, 1975".
- ^abcd"Biographical Directory of the United States Congress".Library of Congress.RetrievedJanuary 9,2007.
- ^ab"Congressman dies of rare disease".CNN. January 3, 2005.RetrievedJanuary 9,2007.
- ^"The Voter's Self Defense System".Vote Smart.RetrievedJanuary 13,2018.
- ^abcd"Official biography".Archived from the original on December 8, 2004.RetrievedApril 18,2017.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link),house.gov/matsui; retrieved January 9, 2007. - ^1978 Democratic primary results in California's 3rd congressional district,Ourcampaigns; accessed January 13, 2018.
- ^"Our Campaigns - CA District 3 Race - Nov 07, 1978".Ourcampaigns.RetrievedJanuary 13,2018.
- ^"Our Campaigns - Candidate - Robert T. Matsui".Ourcampaigns.RetrievedJanuary 13,2018.
- ^"General Election results, U.S. Congressional district 5".California Secretary of State. December 7, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon March 23, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 9,2007.
- ^Harris, Gardiner (January 3, 2005)."Representative Robert T. Matsui, 63, Dies".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 13,2018.
- ^"Rep. Robert Matsui dies".Spokesman-Review.(Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 3, 2005. p. A3.
- ^"Special Election Results, United States Congress, District 5"(PDF).California Secretary of State. March 8, 2005. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on December 15, 2006.RetrievedJanuary 9,2007.
- ^Doris Matsui's official biographyArchivedDecember 27, 2006, at theWayback Machine,retrieved on January 9, 2007
External links
edit- United States Congress."Bob Matsui (id: M000249)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Robert T. Matsui Legacy Project Road to Redress and ReparationsArchivedSeptember 11, 2015, at theWayback MachineatCSU Sacramento
- Campaign finance data from the 2004 election
- Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing CompetitionatAsian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund
- AppearancesonC-SPAN
- Bob MatsuiatFind a Grave