Kay_Hagan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kay Hagan Kay Hagan Kay Hagan Political party Spouse Residence Alma mater Profession Religion Website Democratic Chip Hagan Greensboro Florida State University, Wake Forest University Attorney, Banker Presbyterian Official Senate website United States Senator from North Carolina Incumbent Assumed office January 3, 2009 Serving with Richard Burr Preceded by Elizabeth Dole Kay Ruthven Hagan (pronounced [ˈheɪgən]), born May 26, 1953[1]) is the junior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Democratic Party. Before her election, she was a five-term member of the North Carolina Senate. Hagan defeated first-term Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole in the 2008 United States Senate election. She is the second female senator from the state of North Carolina, and the first female Democrat to represent the state in the Senate. She is also the first woman to defeat a female incumbent in a Senate election, and her election makes North Carolina the first state to have elected female senators from more than one political party. Early life and education Hagan was born in Shelby, North Carolina, to Joe, a tire salesman, and Jeanette (née Chiles) Ruthven, a homemaker. Both her father and her older brother served in the Navy.[2] She spent most of her childhood in Lakeland, Florida, of which her father later became mayor.[3] She also spent summers on her grandparents’ farm in Chesterfield, South Carolina, where she would help string tobacco and harvest watermelons.[1] Hagan’s earliest political activity was as a child placing bumper stickers on cars for her uncle, Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles. In the 1970s, she was an intern at the Capitol, operating an elevator that carried senators, including her uncle, to and from the Chamber.[1] Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 27th district In office January 29, 2003 – January 6, 2009 Preceded by Succeeded by John Garwood Don Vaughan Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 32nd district In office January 27, 1999 – January 29, 2003 Preceded by Succeeded by Born John Blust Linda Garrou May 26, 1953 (1953-05-26) [1] Shelby, North Carolina 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia She attended Florida State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree, and Wake Forest University, where she earned a Juris Doctor and also met her husband Chip Hagan, a Vietnam veteran attending Wake Forest with help from the G.I. Bill.[2] They married and she moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, where the Hagan family lived.[4] She then entered private practice as an attorney for North Carolina National Bank (now Bank of America), eventually rising to become Vice President in the estates and trust division. Upon the birth of her first child, she left the bank to become a stay-at-home mother. She also served as the Guilford County manager for Jim Hunt’s 1992 and 1996 gubernatorial campaigns. Kay Hagan announced on October 26, 2007, that two independent sources had reported that Hagan would, in fact, run.[8] Hagan made her candidacy official on October 30, 2007.[9][10] She defeated investment banker Jim Neal of Chapel Hill, podiatrist Howard Staley of Chatham County, Lexington truck driver Duskin Lassiter, and Lumberton attorney Marcus Williams in the May 2008 Democratic primary. Personal life Hagan has three children with her husband, Tilden, Jeanette, and Carrie, all three of whom attended private schools.[4] Tilden attended Duke University and will be attending medical school, Jeanette is studying geology at California Institute of Technology, and Carrie studied business at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.[1] Hagan’s husband, a transaction lawyer[5], is worth between $10.7 million and $40 million.[4] State legislator Hagan was first elected to the North Carolina General Assembly as state senator for the 32nd district in 1998; due to redistricting, her constituency later became the 27th district.[1] During the 1998 campaign, her uncle Lawton Chiles walked the district with her. She represented most of central Guilford County, including most of Greensboro. Serving five terms in the General Assembly, she was the chairwoman of that body’s Appropriations Committee and Pensions, Retirement & Aging Committee, and supported legislation raising teachers’ salaries and increasing funding for early childhood education.[6] She was known as a "probusiness Democrat" in the state Senate.[4] Hagan at a Democratic campaign rally in 2008 Hagan was initially given little chance against Dole, and she was recruited to the race only after more prominent North Carolina Democrats such as Governor Mike Easley, former Governor Jim Hunt and Congressman Brad Miller all declined to compete against Dole.[11] However, most polling from September onward showed Hagan slightly ahead of Dole, although Hagan had previously fallen behind by as many as 17 points at one point.[12] Hagan was helped by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s aggressive push for North Carolina’s 15 electoral votes[13][14] and by 527 groups lobbying on her behalf.[11] The Democratic 2008 U.S. Senate campaign After Hagan first decided not to run against Elizabeth Dole,[7] the Swing State Project 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Senatorial Campaign Committee expended more money in North Carolina than in any other state during the 2008 election season.[11] In the November election, Hagan won by an unexpectedly wide margin, winning 53 percent of the vote to Dole’s 44 percent—the largest margin of victory for a Senate race in North Carolina in 30 years, and the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent Senator in the 2008 cycle. It has been speculated that the wider-than-expected margin was partly due to anger over Dole’s negative tactics in the latter stages of the race (see "Godless" ad below).[15] Hagan trounced Dole in the state’s five largest counties—Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Forsyth and Durham. She also did very well in the eastern part of the state, actually outperforming Obama in that region. Hagan’s victory returned Jesse Helms’s former Senate seat to the Democrats; Helms held the seat from 1973 until Dole won in the 2002 election. Ironically, Helms had won largely by dominating the eastern part of the state, a region Hagan dominated in 2008 as mentioned above. It also means that North Carolina now has two Senators from the Piedmont Triad; senior Senator Richard Burr is from Winston-Salem. Kay Hagan voice saying, "There is no God."[17][18] The Dole campaign said the ad correctly shows who Hagan will associate with in order to raise campaign funds, and on November 1, Bob Dole also defended it, asserting that "it never questions her faith," and that "the issue is why she was there. There’s no question about her faith. I think it’s [the ad’s] fair game."[19] Hagan, a member of First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro and a former Sunday school teacher,[18] condemned the ad as "fabricated and pathetic."[20] Hagan also filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court accusing Dole of defamation and libel.[21][22] Following Hagan’s victory, the lawsuit was dropped.[23] The ad met exceptionally strong criticism from the public as well as many local and several national media outlets. CNN’s Campbell Brown said about the ad: "[A]mid all the attack ads on the airwaves competing to outugly one another, we think we’ve found a winner."[24] The ad was described as "ridiculously outrageous,"[25] "indecent,"[26] a "gross misrepresentation,"[27] "worse than dishonest"[28] and "beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement,"[28] among other harsh criticism.[29] Another ad issued by the Dole campaign in mid-October 2008 was described by The Fayetteville Observer as "[setting] the low mark in negative political campaigning."[30] Husband’s dealings In October 2008, The Politico reported that Hagan’s husband Chip Hagan III, a former Democratic county leader, had been a member of 1,000-member Greensboro Country Club for years, despite the club’s de facto segregation and refusal to admit black members.[16] Hagan herself was not a member of the club. Greensboro Country Club admitted its first black member in 1995.[16] Over the summer, Chip Hagan had also been criticized by Republicans for part ownership of domestic oil wells as gasoline prices increased for consumers.[16] Senate career "Godless" ad In late October, the Dole campaign released a controversial television ad attacking Hagan for reportedly taking donations from individuals involved in the Godless Americans Political Action Group (GAPAC), a group that describes itself as advocating for the rights of people who do not believe in God. The ad ended with a photo of Hagan and a female Senator Kay Hagan (center) with her husband, Chip, and lobbyist Heather Podesta. Committee assignments • • Subcommittee on Airland • Subcommittee on Personnel • Subcommittee on SeaPower • 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia • Kay Hagan [5] Hagan Davis Mangum Barrett Langley Hale PLLC - Who We Are [6] Kady, Martin (2008-11-04). "Hagan wins Hagan differs from the Democratic Party on North Carolina Senate seat". Yahoo! the issue of FDA regulation of the tobacco inNews. http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/ dustry—Hagan opposes the legislation, which 20081105/pl_politico/15273. was cosponsored in the 110th Congress by [7] Beckwith, Ryan Teague (2007-10-08). Barack Obama. Lorillard Tobacco Company is "Hagan will not run against Dole". News based in her hometown of Greensboro, North & Observer. Carolina.[31] http://projects.newsobserver.com/blogs/ Hagan at first refused to take a position hagan_will_not_run_against_dole. on the Wall Street bailout bill, but said she [8] Thompson, Trent (2007-10-25). "NC-Sen: opposed it after the Senate passed the bill.[4] Sources Say Kay Hagan to Challenge Hagan voted against a resolution to estabDole". Swing State Project. lish a national consumer credit usury rate.[32] http://www.swingstateproject.com/ showDiary.do?diaryId=985. [9] Valenzuela, Michelle (2007-10-30). "Hagan to run". News & Observer. http://projects.newsobserver.com/blogs/ 2008 North Carolina U.S. Senator general hagan_to_run. election [33] [10] Hartsfield, Kerri. "Kay Hagan to Face Party Candidate Votes % ±% Elizabeth Dole in November". WFMY Democratic Kay Hagan 2,249,311 52.65 +7.7 News 2 / Associated Press. Republican Elizabeth 1,887,510 44.18 -9.4 http://www.digtriad.com/news/ Dole local_state/article.aspx?storyid=103051. (incumbent) [11] ^ "Is the Southern Strategy Dead?". Libertarian Chris Cole 133,430 3.12 +1.6 American Prospect. 2008-10-24. http://www.prospect.org/cs/ Other Write-Ins 1,719 0.0 0 articles?article=is_the_southern_strategy_dead. 361,801 Majority Retrieved on 2008-10-26. 4,271,970 Turnout [12] "2008 North Carolina Senate General Election: Dole (R-i) vs Hagan (D)". Democratic gain from Swing Pollster.com. 2008-10-20. Republican http://www.pollster.com/polls/nc/08-ncsen-ge-dvh.php. [13] "Scrambling the red states". The Economist. 2008-10-23. [1] ^ "10 Things You Didn’t Know About Kay http://www.economist.com/world/ Hagan". U.S. News and World Report. unitedstates/ 2008-11-04. http://www.usnews.com/ displaystory.cfm?story_id=12480320. articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/11/ Retrieved on 2008-10-23. 04/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-kay[14] Ryan Teague Beckwith (2008-11-04). hagan.html. "Obama coattails for Hagan?". Raleigh [2] ^ "Senator Kay R. Hagan". U.S. Senate. News & Observer. http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/ http://projects.newsobserver.com/ senators/one_item_and_teasers/ under_the_dome/ hagan.htm. obama_coattails_for_hagan. Retrieved on [3] Green, Jordan (2008-03-18). "Kay Hagan 2008-11-05. tries to ride populist wave". Yes Weekly. [15] Barbara Barrett (2008-11-05). "N.C. http://www.yesweekly.com/ voters deny main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=3451. Dole, elect Hagan to U.S. Senate". Miami Herald. [4] ^ "Kay Hagan’s giving Elizabeth Dole a http://www.miamiherald.com/news/ fight she never expected". Charlotte politics/AP/story/757856.html. Retrieved Observer. 2008-10-05. on 2008-11-05. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/100/story/ [16] ^ Thrush, Glenn (2008-10-22). "Club 53485.html. segregation enters N.C. race". ’Politico’. Political positions Electoral history References 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://www.politico.com/news/stories/ 1008/14815.html. [17] Kraushaar, Josh. Hagan’s campaign says the ad sought to put inflammatory words in their candidate’s mouth; The Dole campaign says the ad correctly shows who Hagan will associate with in order to raise campaign funds.Dole still keeping the faith. The Politico. October 29, 2008. [18] ^ Brown, Campbell. Commentary: Mudslinging to get elected. CNN.com. October 29, 2008. [19] Bob Dole Defends "Godless" TV Ad. Small Business VoIP. November 1, 2008. [20] KayHagan.com. Kay on Dole Ad Attacking Her Christian Faith: A Fabricated, Pathetic Ad. October 30, 2008. [21] Dole Sued for ’Godless’ Attack Ad, ABC News. October 30, 2008. [22] Dole challenger irate over suggestion she is ’godless’⁠. CNN.com. October 30, 2008. [23] Senator-elect Hagan drops suit over ’godless’ TV ad. [24] Brown, Campbell. Commentary: Mudslinging to get elected. CNN.com. October 29, 2008. [25] Frank, James. Dole ’Godless’ ad shows progress, sort of. Chicago Tribune. October 31, 2008. [26] Dole’s desperate turn to Big Lie advertising. The Charlotte Observer. Oct. 30, 2008. [27] As election nears, negative ads a distraction. Asheville Citizen-Times. October 30, 2008. [28] ^ Editorial: Dole’s attack on Hagan’s faith drives heated campaign lower. Greensboro News & Record. October 30, 2008. [29] ELIZABETH DOLE ATTACKS KAY HAGAN´S CHRISTIAN FAITH. AmericanChronicle.com. November 02, 2008. [30] Dole’s new ads set the low mark in negative political campaigning. The Fayetteville Observer. October 15, 2008. [31] Craver, Richard (2008-11-10). "Burr, Hagan promise to work for N.C.". Winston-Salem Journal. http://www2.journalnow.com/content/ 2008/nov/10/burr-hagan-promise-towork-for-nc/news/. Kay Hagan [32] http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/ roll_call_lists/ roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vo [33] http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/ NC/7937/13859/en/summary.html# NC State Board of Elections website] External links • Senator Kay Hagan official U.S. Senate website • Kay Hagan for U.S. Senate official campaign website • Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress • Voting record maintained by The Washington Post • Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission • Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org • Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart • Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues • Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com • Congressional profile at GovTrack.us • Follow the Money - Kay Hagan • 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 campaign contributions • About.com Profile of Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina • Profile in the News & Observer • North Carolina Democratic Party • Kay Hagan at the Open Directory Project 5 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia North Carolina Senate Preceded by John Blust Preceded by John Garwood United States Senate Preceded by Elizabeth Dole United States Senator (Class 2) from North Carolina January 3, 2009 – present Served alongside: Richard Burr Kay Hagan Succeeded by North Carolina State Senator Linda Garrou from the 32nd district January 27, 1999 – January 29, 2003 North Carolina State Senator from the 27th district January 29, 2003 – January 3, 2009 Succeeded by Don Vaughan Incumbent Party political offices Preceded by Erskine Bowles Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from North Carolina (Class 2) 2008 (won) United States Senators by seniority 94th Succeeded by Most recent Order of precedence in the United States of America Preceded by Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) Succeeded by Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Hagan" Categories: 1953 births, American Presbyterians, Female United States Senators, Florida State University alumni, Living people, North Carolina Democrats, North Carolina lawyers, North Carolina State Senators, People from Cleveland County, North Carolina, People from Greensboro, North Carolina, United States Senators from North Carolina, Wake Forest University alumni, Women state legislators in North Carolina This page was last modified on 17 May 2009, at 18:24 (UTC). 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