Curtis Jay Clawson (born September 28, 1959) is an American politician who served as the United States representative for Florida's 19th congressional district from 2014 to 2017. He is the former chief executive of Hayes Lemmerz, a Michigan-based automobile wheel and brakes supplier.[1][2]
Curt Clawson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 19th district | |
| In office June 25, 2014 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Trey Radel |
| Succeeded by | Francis Rooney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Curtis Jay Clawson September 28, 1959 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | |
| Basketball career | |
| No. 33 – Purdue Boilermakers | |
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Batesville High School, Indiana |
| College |
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and education
editClawson attended Batesville High School in Batesville, Indiana. A high school basketball star, he was recruited by Gene Keady.[3] At Purdue, he was a 2× All-Academic Big Ten selection (1982–83 and 1983–84). He was a team captain for the 1983–84 Big Ten Champions, was a member of 2× NCAA teams (1982–83 and 1983–84) and an NIT Finalist team (1981–82).[4] He graduated in 1984 with a BA in Spanish and a BS from the Krannert School of Management.[3] He was named a "Purdue Old Master" in 2010 and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014.[3]
In 1990, he earned an MBA from Harvard University.[3]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit- 2014 special
Clawson was the Republican Party nominee in a special election to fill the seat being vacated by Trey Radel.[5] and won the election on June 24, 2014. In the April 22, 2014 Republican primary—the real contest in this heavily Republican district—Clawson defeated State Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto and former State Representative Paige Kreegel with 38% of the vote to Benacquisto's 26% and Kreegel's 25%.[5] Clawson was endorsed in the primary by the Tea Party Express.[4] He spent $2 million on advertising and in one of his ads he challenged U.S. President Barack Obama to a game of one on one basketball.[4]
- 2014 general
Clawson won a full term in November 2014 with 64 percent of the vote.
Tenure
editClawson delivered the Tea Party response to President Obama's State of the Union Address in 2015.[6][7]
On May 20, 2016, Clawson announced that he would not seek re-election that year, citing his desire to support his father in the aftermath of his mother's death the previous year.[8]
Clawson was a member of the Congressional Constitution Caucus.[9]
Electoral history
edit2014 (special)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Curt Clawson | 26,857 | 38 | |
| Republican | Lizbeth Benacquisto | 18,032 | 26 | |
| Republican | Paige Kreegel | 17,762 | 25 | |
| Republican | Michael Dreikorn | 7,560 | 11 | |
| Total votes | 70,211 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Curt Clawson | 66,922 | 66.9 | |
| Democratic | April Freeman | 29,314 | 29.3 | |
| Libertarian | Ray Netherwood | 3,729 | 3.7 | |
| Write-In | Timothy J. Rossano | 24 | 0.0 | |
| Total votes | 99,989 | 100.0 | ||
2014
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Curt Clawson* | 159,354 | 64.6 | |
| Democratic | April Freeman | 80,824 | 32.7 | |
| Libertarian | Ray Netherwood | 6,671 | 2.7 | |
| Write-In | Timothy J. Rossano | 12 | 0.0 | |
| Total votes | 246,861 | 100.0 | ||
References
edit- ^ "NDN exclusive: Curt Clawson touts business acumen, but record is marred". Naples Daily News. March 12, 2014. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- ^ "Ex-C.E.O. Wins Florida Primary for House Seat". New York Times. New York City. April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Curtis J. Clawson : College of Liberal Arts : Purdue University". Archived from the original on April 25, 2014.
- ^ a b c Leary, Alex (April 22, 2014). "Tea party candidate Curt Clawson wins Republican primary to replace former Rep. Trey Radel". Tampa Bay Times. Tampa: Times Publishing Company. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Sean. Curt Clawson wins Republican nomination in Florida special election, Washington Post, April 23, 2014.
- ^ Topaz, Jonathan (January 20, 2015) – "Tea Party Response to Obama Hits Soft Tones". POLITICO. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ^ Bondioli, Sara (January 20, 2015). "Curt Clawson Pushes Personal Liberty, Teamwork In Tea Party Response To State Of The Union". HuffPost. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- ^ King, Ledyard (May 20, 2016). "U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson won't seek re-election". The News-Press. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Constitution Caucus. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "Florida – County Vote Results". Associated Press. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "Florida Department of State – Election Results: June 24, 2014 Special General Congressional 19". Florida Department of State Department of Elections. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ "Florida Department of State – Election Results: November 4, 2014 General Election". Florida Department of State Department of Elections. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
External links
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