Sue Kelly
Sue Kelly | |
---|---|
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Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's19thdistrict | |
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 | |
Preceded by | Hamilton Fish |
Succeeded by | John Hall |
Personal details | |
Born | Madelyn Sue Weisenbarger[1] September 26, 1936 Lima,Ohio,U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Ed Kelly |
Education | Denison University(BA) Sarah Lawrence College(MA) |
Sue Weisenbarger Kelly(néeMadelyn Sue Weisenbarger;born September 26, 1936) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as aRepublicanmember of theUnited States House of Representativesfrom 1995 to 2007, representing New York's19th District.She was elected to the seat that had been held by RepublicanHamilton Fish IVafter he dropped out ofthe 1994 racedue to prostate cancer. Kelly defeated his son,Hamilton Fish V,in that race and served untilJohn Halldefeated her in the2006 congressional election.
Kelly served from February 1999 to April 2001 as Chair of the House Page Board, which came under fire during theMark Foleyscandal.
Early life and career
[edit]Sue Kelly was born inLima, Ohio,on September 26, 1936. She was raised Presbyterian and graduated fromDenison Universityin 1958.[2]She also holds aMaster's degreefrom Sarah Lawrence College.
She held jobs as a small business owner, patient advocate, rape counselor, and educator. She first became involved in politics by working as an advisor and campaign manager for Hamilton Fish IV, who represented Kelly's home area in New York's Hudson Valley.[3]
Campaigns
[edit]When Congressman Hamilton Fish IV, aRepublican,decided not to seek re-election in 1994, Kelly sought and won the nomination for the congressional seat, defeatingJoseph J. DioGuardi,Guy Parisi, andPaul Bucha.[4]Kelly defeated Fish's son,Hamilton Fish V,who ran as aDemocrat,andConservative Partycandidate Joseph DioGuardi, who had been defeated by her in the Republican primary but continued campaigning. She was re-elected by a seven-point margin in 1996 and had comfortable victory margins in her campaigns thereafter.[5]In 2004, Kelly easily won re-election with 67% of the vote in New York's 19th Congressional district althoughThe New York Timesdescribed Kelly's opponents in previous races as "token opposition".[6]
Views
[edit]Kelly highlighted a socially moderate and fiscally conservative voting record. A 2006 survey of congressional power and effectiveness by the nonpartisan company, Knowlegis, indicated that Rep. Kelly was among the 100 most powerful lawmakers in the 435-memberHouse.The survey also labelled Kelly as the second most powerfulcongresspersonin the New Yorkdelegation,second only toThomas M. Reynolds,who was chairman of theNational Republican Congressional Committee.[7]
2006 election
[edit]On November 7, 2006, Kelly was narrowly defeated by Democratic opponent John Hall by less than 4700 votes.[8]On November 16, nine days after the election, she conceded the election. The state certified the official voting results on December 15, 2006. It is notable that although Hall barely outperformed Kelly's previous Democratic challengers in 2004, 2002, and 2000, Kelly herself received over 80,000 fewer votes than she had in 2004.
Initially, Hall's candidacy was considered a "long-shot," but he gained momentum after Kelly faced criticism in October 2006 for her connection to theMark Foley scandal.Kelly refused to speak to a reporter from a local news network about the matter and also did not appear at a televised debate sponsored by theLeague of Women Voters.[9]Kelly was represented by an empty chair at the debate.[10]
Kelly was endorsed by theLeague of Conservation Voters,an environmental advocacy group.[11]Her score of 92% was the highest among any Republican Member of Congress in 2006. Kelly had earned a 17% score from the LCV in 2005, but attributed that score to the many missed votes that came in the several days she was absent due to a death in the family.[12]
Kelly stated she was an "independent voice" in Congress, but theTimes Herald Recordnoted that in 25 of the closest House votes during her last session, Kelly sided with the Republican leadership 24 of those times.[13]
In 2006, comedianStephen Colbertinvited Kelly to an interview for his "Better Know a District"segment onThe Colbert Report.Upon Kelly's refusal, Colbert interviewed Kelly's challenger, John Hall. Colbert took credit for Hall's election win on the November 8, 2006, edition ofThe Colbert Report.[citation needed]
Ratings from special interest groups
[edit]Kelly was a member of TheRepublican Majority For Choice,Republicans for Choice,The Wish List,TheRepublican Main Street Partnership,andRepublicans for Environmental Protection.She received an average score of 30% fromNARALfrom 1994 to 2005, and an average of 71% from 2000 to 2005. HerSierra Clubrating of 63% was 8th highest among Republicans during her congressional career, and 159th overall in the House. Some seniors advocacy groups have questioned her votes onSocial SecurityandMedicare.[14][15]The Sierra Club chose to endorse her competitor in 2006.[16]She has a lifetime rating of 64% from theAmerican Conservative Uniondemonstrating a moderate to conservative voting record.[17]
Kelly, a formersmall businessowner, received a 22% rating from theUS Women's Chamber of Commerce.[18]She received a grade of a C+ from theIraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America,[19]an issue which she felt strongly on because of her nephew's service in Iraq and Afghanistan with theUnited States Special Forces.Kelly voted in favor of so-called "pork amendments84% of the time according to the conservativeClub for Growth,[20]and has declined to answer questions from theNational Taxpayers Union,anon-partisangroup focused on taxpayer's waste.[21]
In February 2006, the House voted 216 to 214 to cut domestic spending by $39 billion, primarily by cutting $11 billion fromMedicaidand another $12.7 billion from federalstudent loans,which led to protest[22]in her district. Sue Kelly andFrank LoBiondo(NJ-02) were the deciding votes.[23][24]
She voted for theFederal Marriage Amendmentin 2004 and in 2006, a bill to permanently ban gay marriage in all states. These votes cost her the endorsement of theHuman Rights Campaign,which had supported her campaigns prior to 2004.[25]Her rating on the Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard is 25%.[26]
Personal life
[edit]She is married to Edward Kelly, and they live inKatonah, New York.They have four children and eight grandchildren.[27]
Electoral history
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sue W. Kelly(incumbent) | 102,142 | 46.3 | ||
Democratic | Richard S. Klein | 86,926 | 39.4 | ||
Conservative | Joseph J. DioGuardi | 27,424 | 12.4 | ||
Independence | William E. Haase | 4,104 | 1.9 | ||
Majority | 15,216 | 6.9 | |||
Turnout | 220,596 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sue W. Kelly(incumbent) | 104,467 | 62.2 | +15.9 | |
Democratic | Dick Collins | 56,378 | 33.6 | −5.8 | |
Right to Life | Joseph J. DioGuardi | 5,941 | 3.5 | +3.5 | |
Freedom Party | Charles C. Williams | 1,046 | 0.6 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 48,089 | 28.7 | +21.8 | ||
Turnout | 167,832 | −23.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sue W. Kelly(incumbent) | 145,532 | 60.9 | −1.3 | |
Democratic | Lawrence Otis Graham | 85,871 | 35.9 | +2.3 | |
Right to Life | Frank X. Lloyd | 4,086 | 1.7 | −1.8 | |
Green | Mark R. Jacobs | 3,662 | 1.5 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 59,661 | 24.9 | −3.8 | ||
Turnout | 239,151 | +42.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sue W. Kelly(incumbent) | 121,129 | 70.0 | +9.1 | |
Democratic | Janine M. H. Selendy | 44,967 | 26.0 | −9.9 | |
Right to Life | Christine M. Tighe | 4,374 | 2.5 | +0.8 | |
Green | Jonathan M. Wright | 2,642 | 1.5 | −0.0 | |
Majority | 76,162 | 44.0 | +19.1 | ||
Turnout | 173,112 | −27.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sue W. Kelly(incumbent) | 175,401 | 66.7 | −3.3 | |
Democratic | Michael Jaliman | 87,429 | 33.3 | +7.3 | |
Majority | 87,972 | 33.5 | −10.5 | ||
Turnout | 262,830 | +51.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John Hall | 100,119 | 51.2 | +17.9 | |
Republican | Sue W. Kelly(incumbent) | 95,359 | 48.8 | −17.9 | |
Majority | 4,760 | 2.4 | −31.1 | ||
Turnout | 195,478 | −25.6 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Adytum: 1958.Denison University. 1958. p. 157.
- ^"Susan Weisenbarger Kelly - Denison University Alumni".Denison University Alumni.RetrievedMay 22,2018.
- ^"Women in Congress"(PDF).[permanent dead link]
- ^Feron, James (September 14, 1994)."THE 1994 CAMPAIGN: CONGRESS; In House Races, Incumbents Defeat Challengers Handily".New York Times.RetrievedAugust 2,2024.
- ^"Women in Congress"(PDF).[permanent dead link]
- ^"The 19th District in New York".The New York Times.August 22, 2006.
- ^"Survey: Schumer has more clout than Clinton".May 16, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon June 14, 2006.RetrievedFebruary 19,2016.
- ^"Hall, Kelly spar over debates".Poughkeepsie Journal. October 11, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon September 30, 2007.RetrievedOctober 5,2006.
- ^VideoonYouTube[dead link]
- ^"RNN on Sue Kelly: Anatomy of a Loss".YouTube. November 10, 2006.Archivedfrom the original on December 19, 2021.RetrievedAugust 11,2011.
- ^"Talk on the Street: Green group gives surprise nod to Kelly".recordonline.RetrievedAugust 11,2011.
- ^"recordonline – Times Herald-Record – Archive".Archive.recordonline.RetrievedAugust 11,2011.
- ^"Sue Kelly faces her toughest challenge yet".recordonline.RetrievedAugust 11,2011.
- ^"Alliance for Retired Americans: 2005 Congressional Voting Record".retiredamericans.org.Archived fromthe originalon March 12, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 17,2022.
- ^"Project Vote Smart – Interest Group Ratings".Vote-smart.org. Archived fromthe originalon December 15, 2006.RetrievedAugust 11,2011.
- ^"Endorsements – Politics".Sierra Club. Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2013.RetrievedAugust 11,2011.
- ^ArchivedJuly 19, 2011, at theWayback Machine[dead link]
- ^"USWCC-Scorecard".Archived fromthe originalon February 12, 2007.RetrievedOctober 22,2006.
- ^[1][dead link]
- ^"Archived copy".clubforgrowth.org.Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2006.RetrievedJanuary 17,2022.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^"National Taxpayers Union & National Taxpayers Union Foundation - 2006 Congressional Candidate Survey".Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2006.RetrievedOctober 22,2006.
- ^"Protestors blast Kelly for supporting cuts".Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2006.RetrievedAugust 20,2006.
- ^"More From The House – Hotline On Call".Hotlineblog.nationaljournal. February 1, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon September 5, 2008.RetrievedAugust 11,2011.
- ^"Congress Narrowly Approves $39 Billion in Budget Cuts".The New York Times.February 1, 2006.
- ^"HRC | HRC Congressional Endorsements - House 2004 NE-WY".hrc.org.Archived fromthe originalon October 13, 2006.
- ^[2]ArchivedAugust 14, 2006, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Women in Congress 1917—2020".United States House of Representatives. 2020. pp. 594–596.RetrievedJune 12,2024.
External links
[edit]- 1936 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American legislators
- 21st-century American women politicians
- American Presbyterians
- Denison University alumni
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- People from Katonah, New York
- Politicians from Lima, Ohio
- Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
- Politicians from Rockland County, New York
- Sarah Lawrence College alumni
- Politicians from Westchester County, New York
- Women in New York (state) politics
- 21st-century New York (state) politicians