Jon Porter

Infobox_Congressman
name =Jon Porter


nominee = U.S. Representative for Nevada, 3rd District
incumbent = Jon Porter
opponent = Dina Titus (D)
election_date = November 4, 2008
date of birth= birth date and age|1955|05|16
place of birth= Fort Dodge, Iowa
occupation= insurance executive
alma_mater= HS diploma
residence= Boulder City, Nevada
state2 = Nevada
district2 = 3rd
term_start2=January 3, 2003
preceded2 = None (District Created After 2000 Census)
succeeded2 = Incumbent
party = Republican
religion = Roman Catholic
spouse = Divorced

Jonathan Christopher "Jon" Porter (born May 16 1955), an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, the first representative elected from the new 3rd Congressional District of Nevada, which includes much of suburban Las Vegas. [ [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/nv03_109.gifmap] ] He won re-election in the 2006 midterm election against Tessa Hafen by a 48%-47% margin. He is presently running against Democratic Party nominee and Nevada State Senator Dina Titus.

Life and career

Porter was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and graduated from Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa. He attended Briar Cliff College and worked in his family business before being elected to the Boulder City, Nevada, City Council in 1983. That year he also became an agent for Farmers Insurance.

In 2000, Porter lost the race for U.S. Congress in Nevada's first congressional district against Shelley Berkley. Porter was elected mayor of Boulder City in 1987 and served in that capacity until 1991. He served in the Nevada State Senate from 1994 until 2002. He was then was elected in November 2002 to the House, representing Nevada's newly created Third District, which encompasses roughly the suburbs of Las Vegas. The creation of the district was the result of rapid growth in the southern part of Nevada. Porter is a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee. In December, 2005, Porter joined with several other Congressmen to form the Second Amendments, a bipartisan rock and country band set to play for United States troops stationed overseas over the holiday season. In 2006, Porter won re-election over his opponent Tessa Hafen by a 48%-47% margin.

Close ties with the Bush Administration

At an event for Congressman Jon Porter at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Vice President Dick Cheney made the following comments:

It's my honor to be here today to support Jon Porter's reelection, third district from Nevada. This is, of course, one of the very newest congressional districts in the nation. The voters in Clark County sent Jon to the nation's capital a little over a year ago, and you made an excellent choice. With his background in small business and city government, and in the state senate, Jon came to Congress with a great supply of experience and common sense. He's become a respected member of the committees on education in the work force, and on transportation and infrastructure. And both in committee and on the floor, Jon has won the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

I can tell you the President and I enjoy very much working with Jon. He follows the fine Nevada tradition of public service, a tradition established by people like Paul Laxalt, and John Ensign, and Jim Gibbons. And we're counting on Nevada to send him back to the United States Congress next year. [ [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040115-10.html Whitehouse.gov] ]

tance on issues and voting record

War in Iraq

Jon Porter has been a strong supporter of the war in Iraq from the beginning of the war in 2003 until the present.

On July 12, 2007, Porter said he will not reconsider his stance on the Iraq war until September 2007, when General Petraeus will present a report on the efficacy of the Iraq troop surge. [ [http://politics.lasvegassun.com/2007/07/porter-sticks-o.html "Las Vegas Sun": July 12, 2007] ]

On August 29, 2007, Porter claimed that U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would lead to $9 per gallon gasoline. [ [http://www.lvrj.com/news/9466252.html "Las Vegas Review Journal": August 29, 2007] ]

Energy and oil

Jon Porter voted against tax incentives for renewable energy, investing in bio fuels, and removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. He has a 0% rating on energy independence from the Campaign for America's Future, a progressive political organization, and voted twice to implement George W. Bush's national energy policy. [ [http://ontheissues.org/House/Jon_Porter.htm#Energy_+_Oil On the Issues - Energy and Oil] ]

ocial Security

Porter has been given a 0% rating by the Alliance of Retired Americans, indicating a record that the ARA believes is not in the best interest of senior citizens. Porter supports privatization of Social Security. [ [http://ontheissues.org/House/Jon_Porter.htm#Social_Security On the Issues: Jon Porter - Social Security] ] [ [http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2005/mar/01/518371125.html "The Las Vegas Sun"] ]

Equal pay for women

Jon Porter voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This legislation would have prevented corporations from paying women and minorities a lower wage for the same work done by men and non-minorities. [ [http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=768&chamber=H&congress=1101&state=nv Congress.org] ]

Family planning

On July 19 2007, Jon Porter voted for an amendment that would have cut off funding for Planned Parenthood and other family planning services that provide affordable birth control. [ [http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll684.xml United States House of Representatives Roll Call] ]

Minimum wage and labor organizing

In January 2007, Jon Porter voted against raising the federal minimum wage to $7.25. [ [http://ontheissues.org/House/Jon_Porter.htm#Jobs On the Issues: Jon Porter - Jobs] ] In March 2007, Porter voted against restricting employer interference in union organizing. Porter has been given a 13% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-union voting record. [ [http://ontheissues.org/House/Jon_Porter.htm#Jobs On the Issues: Jon Porter - Jobs] ]

Civil rights

He is rated 39% by the NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action. In December 2005, Jon Porter voted to make the PATRIOT Act permanent. In September 2004, Porter voted to amend the United States Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, though same-sex marriage was already banned in Nevada. [ [http://ontheissues.org/House/Jon_Porter.htm OntheIssues.org] ] [ [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/may/13/nation/na-nevadagop13 L.A. Times] "Nevada GOP’s goal: to get its house in order"] [ [http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jun-06-Tue-2006/opinion/7793258.html The Las Vegas Review Journal] "A vote on nothing"]

=Undocumented workers= Jon Porter does not believe illegal aliens should be reported to immigration authorities if they receive hospital treatment [ [http://ontheissues.org/House/Jon_Porter.htm OntheIssues.org] ]

2006 campaign contributors

Top Contributors to Jon Porter (R) During the 2006 Election Cycle
Rank	Donor	Amount (US Dollars)
1	MGM Mirage	$ 51,200
2	Station Casinos	$ 40,900
3	JA Tiberti Construction	$ 36,000
4	Harrah's Entertainment	$ 35,225
5	Focus Property Group	$ 17,800
Source: The Center for Responsive Politics' [ [http://opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cid=N00012560&cycle=2006 OpenSecrets.org] ] Note: Contributions are not from the organizations themselves, but are rather from the organization's PAC, employees or owners. Totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.

2006 campaign expenditures

Recipient	Total	No. of Payments
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Autumn+Productions Autumn Productions] , Las Vegas, NV	$1,455,053	12
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=November+Inc November Inc,] Las Vegas, NV	$207,835	54
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Townsend+Group Townsend Group] Alexandria, VA	$100,095	25
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Weeks+%26+Co+LLP Weeks & Co LLP,] Austin, TX	$86,724	6
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=American+Express American Express] , Los Angeles, CA	$74,065	26
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Public+Opinion+Strategies Public Opinion Strategies,] Alexandria, VA	$72,620	8
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Foundations+Inc Foundations Inc,] Las Vegas, NV	$66,632	37
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Majority+Strategies Majority Strategies,] Columbus, OH	$39,798	15
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Peckman+Maureen Peckman Maureen,] Las Vegas, NV	$38,950	7
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Slanker+Mike Slanker Mike,] Las Vegas, NV	$36,148	10
[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.asp?CID=N00012560&cycle=2004&name=Slanker%2C+Mike Slanker, Mike,] Las Vegas, NV	$35,493	35

[ [http://opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cid=N00012560&cycle=2006 OpenSecrets.org] ]

ee also

*United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada, 2008

References

External links

* [http://porter.house.gov/ U.S. Congressman Jon Porter] official site
* [http://porterforcongress.com/ Porter for Congress] campaign site