Jo Ann Emerson
Jo Ann Emerson (b. September 16, 1950 in Bethesda, MD) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing Missouri's 8th Congressional District. Emerson was first elected to the House in 1996,[1] and was serving her ninth consecutive term upon her resignation, having won re-election on November 6, 2012 by a margin of 46.3%.[2]
Emerson announced on December 3, 2012, that she would be resigning in February 2013 to become President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.[3] Her resignation occurred on January 22, 2013.[4]
Biography
Emerson was born in Bethesda, Maryland. She earned a degree in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University.[1]
Career
Emerson worked in PR and communications for a number of professional associations before her civic career.[5] After her husband and representative Bill Emerson died of cancer she was elected to his vacated House seat in Missouri's 8th Congressional District.
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Emerson briefly served on the following committees:[6]
- Appropriations Committee
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education
- Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
2011-2012
Emerson served on the following committees:[7]
- Appropriations Committee
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
Issues
Lobbying position after leaving office
Emerson was listed in March 2013 by USA Today as one of 16 former lawmakers who had taken on a lobbying related position after leaving office since January 2011. Former lawmakers may take positions with either lobbying firms or trade associations. Former U.S. House members are barred from lobbying their former colleagues for one year, and former U.S. Senate members are barred for two years. There are no restrictions, however, on providing advice to those who seek to shape federal legislation. Former legislators can also immediately lobby the executive branch and officials in state and local governments.[8]
Presidential preference
2012
Jo Ann Emerson endorsed Rick Santorum in the 2012 presidential election.[9]
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
Emerson voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. She was 1 of 85 Republicans that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.[10]
Elections
2012
Emerson won re-election in 2012.[11] She defeated Bob Parker in the Republican primary.[12] She was re-elected on November 6, 2012.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jack Rushin | 24.6% | 73,755 | |
| Republican |  Jo Ann Emerson Incumbent |
71.9% | 216,083 | |
| Libertarian | Rick Vandeven | 3.5% | 10,553 | |
| Total Votes | 300,391 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Jo Ann Emerson |
67.1% | 61,975 |
| Bob Parker | 32.9% | 30,429 |
| Total Votes | 92,404 | |
Full history
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2010 On November 2, 2010, Jo Ann Emerson won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Tommy Sowers (D), Larry Bill (Independent) and Rick Vandeven (L) in the general election.[14]
2008 On November 4, 2008, Jo Ann Emerson won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Joe Allen (D), Branden C. McCullough (L) and Richard L. Smith (Constitution) in the general election.[15]
2006 On November 7, 2006, Jo Ann Emerson won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Veronica J. Hambacker (D) and Branden C. McCullough (L) in the general election.[16]
2004 On November 2, 2004, Jo Ann Emerson won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Dean Henderson (D), Stan Cuff (L) and Leonard J. Davidson (Constitution) in the general election.[17]
2002 On November 5, 2002, Jo Ann Emerson won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Gene Curtis (D) and Eric Van Oostrom (L) in the general election.[18]
2000 On November 7, 2000, Jo Ann Emerson won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Bob Camp (D), Tom Sager (Green) and John B. Hendricks, Jr. (L) in the general election.[19]
1998 On November 3, 1998, Jo Ann Emerson won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Anthony J. "Tony" Heckemeyer (D) and John Hendricks (L) in the general election.[20]
1996 On November 5, 1996, Jo Ann Emerson won election to the United States House. She defeated Emily Firebaugh (D), Richard Kline (R), Greg Tlapek (L) and David R. Zimmer (Natural Law) in the general election.[21]
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Campaign themes
2012
On her campaign website, Emerson listed nine issues. They were:[22]
- Agriculture and Manufacturing
- On her website, Emerson said, "Southern Missouri is home to the farms and ranches that supply the safest, most affordable supply of food in the world. By working with members of both parties to make sure a safety net stays in place for our family farms and ranches we're working to make sure American producers to continue to lead."
- Honoring our Commitment to our Veterans
- On her website, Emerson said, "Veterans and active duty servicemen and servicewomen deserve the sincere admiration and thanks of a grateful nation. These brave Americans dedicate their lives to the service of their country, and I believe our responsibility to them does not simply end when they return home from a battlefield far away. Our veterans represent the very best of our country's founding principles: honor, duty, courage, patriotism, selflessness, and a willingness to sacrifice everything in the name of freedom. Our veterans here in southern Missouri provide clear evidence of their character every day."
- Improving our Roads, Bridges & Waterways
- On her website, Emerson said, "In our rural part of the country, we are often required to travel some distance to reach our grocery stores, pharmacies and churches – making safe highways and roads even more important. Together we have made numerous improvements, including the widening of Highways 60 and 67 as well as the vital improvements made to Interstate-55. As many in Washington shift their focus to funding mass transportation systems used in urban areas, I remain a vocal supporter for roadways necessary to maintain the quality of life we enjoy here in rural Missouri."
- Keeping us Safe
- On her website, Emerson said, "Gone are the days that the safety and security of our nation depends solely on alleviating threats from abroad. The defense of our nation not only depends on a strong, smart fighting force, but the strengthening of our borders, a robust intelligence operation, genuine diplomacy, and the ready response of our finest first-responders."
- Protecting Individual Rights
- On her website, Emerson said, "As a long-time and proud member of the NRA, I oppose further gun control measures and believe we must more adequately enforce the laws already on the books. In Congress, I was proud to support the exemption of off-duty law enforcement officers from the ban on carrying concealed weapons in Missouri."
- Putting Healthcare Decisions back in your Hands
- On her website, Emerson said, "The truth is there aren’t very many things the federal government does well. The last thing we ought to do is put them in charge of personal decisions affecting our health. That’s why I so vehemently opposed this government takeover. That is why I listened and talked with you and I brought your opinions to the debate."
- Spurring Private Sector Job Growth
- On her website, Emerson said, "The government shouldn’t be in the business of creating jobs, it should be creating the conditions necessary for private employers to create jobs. This means we must keep taxes low, refrain from imposing onerous new regulations and mandates on our small businesses, and put this nation’s economy back on track."
- Strengthening our Rural Economy
- On her website, Emerson said, "We face unique challenges in rural America, where our economy is intensely energy-dependant and our homes and places of employment are often separated by many miles. As a result, we must continue working to bring every advantage to our Southern Missouri economy."
- Working to Defeat Cap-and-Trade
- On her website, Emerson said, "Not a day goes by that I don’t hear from a farmer, worker, or family living here in Southern Missouri worried about the impact this misguided energy policy will have on their job and family. Like you, I understand that cap-and-trade or as it’s more appropriately called, cap-and-tax, is nothing more than a massive new energy tax on the energy we use every day to fuel our cars, tractors, and combines, as well as heat and cool our homes."[22]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Emerson missed 370 of 10,994 roll call votes from Jan 1997 to Jan 2013, which is 3.4% of votes during that period. This is worse than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives serving in Jan 2013.[23]
Ideology and leadership
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Emerson was a centrist Republican as of May 2013.[24]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Emerson paid her congressional staff a total of $1,117,918 in 2011. Overall, Missouri ranked 21st in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[25]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Emerson's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $201,005 and $984,996. That averages to $593,000, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232. Her average calculated net worth[26] increased by 20.9% from 2010.[27]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Emerson's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $121,010 to $859,996. That averages to a net worth of $490,503, which is lower than the average net worth of Republicans in 2010 of $7,561,133.[28]
National Journal vote ratings
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
Each year, National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted, as compared to other members in the previous year. More information about the analysis process can be found on the vote ratings page.
2012
According to the data released in 2013, Emerson ranked 202nd in the conservative rankings in 2012.[29]
2011
According to the data released in 2012, Jo Ann Emerson ranked 200th in the conservative rankings in 2011.[30]
Voting with party
November 2011
Jo Ann Emerson voted with the Republican Party 89.0 percent of the time, which ranked 201st among the 242 House Republican members as of November 2011.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
After the death of Emerson's husband, Bill Emerson, she married Ron Gladney, an attorney. She is the mother of two daughters, Victoria and Katharine, five stepdaughters, Elizabeth Emerson Leger, Abigail Emerson Gray, Alison Gladyney, Jessica Gladney and Stephanie Gladney, and one stepson, Sam Gladney. She lives in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.[31]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Jo Ann + Emerson + Missouri + House
See also
- Missouri's 8th Congressional District
- Missouri's 8th Congressional District elections, 2012
- United States House of Representatives
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial (federal level):
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media coverage:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Project VoteSmart, "Jo Ann Emerson's biography" (accessed May 31, 2013)
- ↑ State of Missouri, "Nov. 6, 2012 General Election" (accessed May 31, 2013)
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Missouri Rep. Jo Ann Emerson to resign from House," December 3, 2012
- ↑ Southeast Missourian, "At least three vying for Democratic nod in 8th District," January 24, 2013
- ↑ Jo Ann Emerson, Representing Missouri's 8th Congressional District, "U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson"
- ↑ CQ.com, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed March 3, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk, "Committee Information"
- ↑ USA Today, "Ex-lawmakers go to lobbying-related jobs," March 26, 2013
- ↑ PoliticalNews.me, "Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson Announces Her Support for Rick Santorum," March 13, 2012
- ↑ U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013
- ↑ Official Campaign Site accessed January 21, 2012
- ↑ AP Results, "Missouri U.S. House Results" accessed August 7, 2012
- ↑ ABC News, "2012 General Election Results," accessed November 6, 2012
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1996," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Jo Ann Emerson, "Issues" April 25, 2012
- ↑ GovTrack, "Jo Ann Emerson" accessed April 2013
- ↑ GovTrack, "Jo Ann Emerson," (accessed May 31, 2013)
- ↑ LegiStorm, "Jo Ann Emerson," accessed October 8, 2012
- ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Jo Ann Emerson, (R-Mo), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), 2010," accessed October 8, 2012
- ↑ National Journal, "TABLE: House Liberal Scores by Issue Area," February 26, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," accessed February 23, 2012
- ↑ Jo Ann Emerson, Putting People Before Politics, "Meet Jo Ann"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bill Emerson |
U.S. House of Representatives - Missouri, District 8 1997-2013 |
Succeeded by Jason Smith |
