The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs, is a group of United States Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party who identify themselves as moderates.^[1]

It was formed in 1995^[2] during the 104th Congress to give more conservative members from the Democratic party a unified voice after the Democrats' loss of Congress in the U.S. Congressional election of 1994.^[3] Blue Dog Coalition membership for the 112th Congress is 26 seats, down from 54 seats in the 111th Congress.

History[link]

Barack Obama meets with Blue Dog Democrats on February 10, 2009

The term "Blue Dog Democrat" is credited to Texas Democratic Rep. Pete Geren (who later joined the Bush Administration). Geren opined that the members had been "choked blue" by "extreme" Democrats from the left.^[4] It is related to the political term "Yellow Dog Democrat," a reference to southern Democrats said to be so loyal they would even vote for a yellow dog if it were labeled Democrat. The term is also a reference to the "Blue Dog" paintings of Cajun artist George Rodrigue of Lafayette, Louisiana, as the original members of the coalition would regularly meet in the offices of Louisiana representatives Billy Tauzin and Jimmy Hayes, both of whom later joined the Republican Party; both had Rodrigue's paintings on their walls.^[5][6] An additional explanation for the term cited by members is "when dogs are not let into the house, they stay outside in the cold and turn blue," a reference to the Blue Dogs' belief they had been left out of a Party that they believed had shifted to the political left.^[7]

Although its membership is not exclusively Southern, some^[8][9] view the Blue Dogs as the political successors to a now defunct-in-name Southern Democratic group known as the Boll Weevils, who played a critical role in the early 1980s by supporting President Ronald Reagan's tax cut plan. The Boll Weevils, in turn, may be considered the descendants of the Dixiecrats and the "states' rights" Democrats of the 1940s through the 1960s.^[10]

The coalition was notably successful in a special election of February 2004 in Kentucky to fill a vacant seat in the House of Representatives.^{[citation needed]} They were also successful in the November 2004 elections, when three of the five races in which a Democrat won a formerly Republican House seat were won by Blue Dogs.

In 2005, the members of the Blue Dog Coalition voted 32 to 4 in favor of the bill to limit access to bankruptcy protection (S 256).

While the Blue Dog Coalition is made up of House members, the term "Blue Dog" is sometimes used informally for Democratic senators, governors, or state legislators who resemble the Blue Dog Coalition positions based on their politics. Current such Senators include Ben Nelson (D-NE) and the newly elected Joe Manchin (D-WV).

110th Congress[link]

In 2006, Blue Dog candidates such as Jason Altmire, Heath Shuler, and Brad Ellsworth were elected in conservative-leaning districts, ending years of Republican dominance in these areas. The group is the rough equivalent of the Republican Main Street Partnership.

In 2007, 15 Blue Dog Coalition Members in safe seats refused to contribute party dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. An additional 16 Blue Dogs have not paid any money to the DCCC but were exempt from party-mandated contributions because they were top GOP targets for defeat in 2008. One reason for the party-dues boycott is contained in remarks made by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) encouraging leaders of anti-war groups to field primary challenges to any Democrat who does not vote to end the war in Iraq. Woolsey later stated that she was misunderstood, but the Blue Dogs have continued with the boycott. Donations to party Congressional Committees are an important source of funding for the party committees, permitting millions of dollars to be funneled back into close races.^[11]

111th Congress[link]

In the summer of 2009, The Economist magazine said "[t]he debate over health care... may be the pinnacle of the group’s power so far" and quoted Charlie Stenholm, a founding Blue Dog, as saying that "this is the first year for the new kennel in which their votes are really going to make a difference."^[12]

112th Congress[link]

The Blue Dog Coalition suffered serious losses in the 2010 midterm elections, losing over half of its seats to Republican challengers. Its members, who comprised roughly one quarter of the Democratic Party's caucus in the 111th Congress, accounted for half of the party's midterm election losses.^[13] Including retirements, Blue Dog numbers in the House were reduced from 54 members in 2008 to 26 members in 2010, and two of the Coalition's four leaders (Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and Baron Hill) failed to secure re-election.^[14][15]

113th Congress[link]

Opposition to Obamacare and climate change legislation are believed to have contributed to the defeat of two conservative Democrats in the United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2012 by more liberal opponents. It was estimated by The New York Times that the number of Blue Dog Democrats will drop to 23 in the 113th Congress as the Democratic electorate takes a more progressive position.^[16]

Ideology[link]

Blue Dogs purport to have an agenda that protects the interests of the vulnerable while also respecting traditional cultural values and keeping taxes low. Others, including fellow members of the Democratic Party, have questioned the veracity of this mission statement.

The Blue Dog Coalition is often involved in searching for a compromise between liberal and conservative positions. The Blue Dogs are viewed by some as a continuation of the socially conservative wing of the Democratic party prominent during the presidency of Harry S. Truman.^{[citation needed]} However, the only stated policy position of the Blue Dogs is fiscal conservatism.

Despite the Blue Dogs' differing degrees of economic and social conservatism, they claim they generally work to promote positions within the House of Representatives that bridge the gap between right-wing and left-wing politics. Blue Dogs are an important swing vote on spending bills and as a result have gained influence in Congress out of proportion to their numbers. They are frequently sought after to broker compromises between the Democratic and Republican leadership, generally lending a more centrist character to US politics.

Funding[link]

The biggest single source of finance for the Blue Dog Political Action Committee is the health care industry, which donated $1.2 million in the 2009-10 election cycle.^[17] In July 2009, Blue Dog members who were committee members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee successfully delayed the House vote on the Health Insurance Reform Bill (HR3200)) until after the Summer Recess.^[18]

Political relationships[link]

New Democrat Coalition[link]

Members of the New Democrat Coalition, an affiliate of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), take moderate or liberal positions on social issues^{[citation needed]} and moderate positions on economic issues and trade. The DLC aims to revitalize and strengthen the Democratic party, while the Blue Dogs emphasize bipartisanship.^{[citation needed]}

Democrats who identify with the Blue Dogs tend to be conservatives, but have more divergent positions on social issues than "New Democrats." Reflecting the group's Southern roots, many Blue Dogs are strong supporters of gun rights and receive high ratings from the National Rifle Association, some have pro-life voting records, and some get high ratings from immigration reduction groups. As a caucus, however, the group has never agreed on or taken a position on these issues, and many members favor more socially liberal positions.

On economic issues, Blue Dogs tend to be pro-business and favor limiting public welfare spending. They have supported welfare reduction as well as the Republican-backed Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005. They have differing positions on trade issues, and include both supporters and strong critics of labor unions, protectionism, and other populist measures. New Democrats tend to favor free trade.

Some Democrats are members of both the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democratic Coalition, as was former Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.

Liberals[link]

Some in the Democratic Party's liberal wing promote primary challenges against Blue Dog Coalition members in an effort to unseat Democratic Party members they view as unreliable or too conservative.^{[citation needed]} The editors of the left-wing weblog OpenLeft refer to Blue Dog Democrats who voted for war funding in May 2007^[19] and voted to grant the Executive branch warrantless wiretapping powers^[20] as "Bush Dogs".^[21][22] Others in the party view these individuals as "Republicans in Democrats Clothing".

Membership[link]

Map of House caucus members during the 112th Congress

Districts represented by members of the Blue Dog Coalition in 2009, during the 111th United States Congress.

Blue Dog membership was nearly cut in half by the 2010 Election, in which 26 members were re-elected but 28 were either defeated or chose not to run for re-election.

The membership is expected to decline further in the 113th Congress. Membership is already down to 25 with the resignation of Jane Harman, one of their more liberal members. Furthermore, four prominent remaining Blue Dogs, Dennis Cardoza of California, Dan Boren of Oklahoma, Mike Ross of Arkansas, and Heath Shuler of North Carolina have announced their retirement; one member, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, is running for Senate (partially due to Republican redistricting efforts); and more members, such as North Carolina's Mike McIntyre as well as Georgia's John Barrow, have been or will be targeted by Republicans in redistricting efforts.^[23] Additionally, the group is likely to shrink further with the defeat of Jason Altmire and Tim Holden in the 2012 Pennsylvania primary by more liberal politicians.^[24]

Freshman Blue Dogs in the House are sometimes nicknamed "Blue Pups".^[5]

Members in the 112th Congress[link]

Bolded names signify a Representative who has announced their retirement at the end of the 112th Congress or was defeated in their 2012 primary.

Members who didn't run for House re-election in 2010[link]

• Robert Marion Berry (AR-1)
• Brad Ellsworth (IN-8) (ran for Senate in 2010, lost)
• Bart Gordon (TN-6)
• Charlie Melancon (LA-3), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications (ran for Senate in 2010, lost)
• Dennis Moore (KS-3)
• John Tanner (TN-8)

Members defeated in 2010 election[link]

Former members[link]

Prominent Blue Dog Coalition members who have left the House or the coalition include:

See also[link]

• Boll weevil
• Democrat In Name Only
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Dixiecrat
• Libertarian Democrat
• New Democrat Coalition
• Red Tory
• Yellow dog Democrat, a person who will vote for any Democratic candidate

References[link]

External links[link]

• Blue Dog Coalition homepage
• Blue Dog PAC homepage
• About.com's Meet the Blue Dog Coalition, Moderate Democratic Members of the House of Representatives
• C-Span article by Ilona Nickels on Blue Dogs
• Future of American Democracy: Academic site of Dr. Glen Browder, founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition
• Texas Blue Dog Coalition
• Right-Leaning "Blue Dogs" Lose Seats in 2010 Election - video report by Democracy Now!

George Rodrigue (born March 13, 1944) is a Cajun artist who grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. Rodrigue began painting outdoor family gatherings framed by moss-clad oak trees in an area of French Louisiana known as Acadiana.

Biography[link]

Rodrigue attended the Brothers of the Christian Schools all-male high school called St. Peter's College, (now Catholic High School) which was located near St. Peter's Church, and on the banks of the Bayou Teche as it runs through New Iberia. He studied art formally at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then named the University of Southwestern Louisiana) and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He later trained in New York, and became well known for his abstract expressionism of Cajun subjects, inspired by his roots.

Rodrigue’s early notable works include The Aioli Dinner and Three Oaks. His most famous works include the Acadian heroine, Evangeline, portrayed in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem, Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie (1847)^[1] and the Cajun modern-day Evangeline, Jolie Blonde.^[2] He also designed three posters for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which feature portraits of Louis Armstrong, Pete Fountain and Al Hirt. Between 1985 and 1989, Rodrigue painted the Saga of the Acadians, a series of fifteen paintings chronicling the Acadian journey from France to Nova Scotia to Louisiana and ending with the official return visit to Grand Pré.^[3]

More recently and worldwide he is known for his creation of the Blue Dog series of paintings, featuring a blue-hued dog, attributed to his deceased dog named Tiffany and influenced by the Loup Garou legend—the first painting in the series bears the title Loup Garou. The Blue Dog was made popular by Absolut Vodka in 1992, when Rodrigue was honored as an Absolut Vodka artist, joining famous artists such as Andy Warhol and glass artist Hans Godo Frabel. The Blue Dog was used by both Absolut Vodka and the Xerox Corporation through national ad campaigns. The blue-hued, ghostly spaniel/terrier is often featured with a white nose and yellow eyes. His symbol helped coin the term Blue Dog Democrat, which refers to a conservative member of the Democratic Party.

Rodrigue has galleries in Aspen, Colorado; Carmel, California; Lafayette, Louisiana; and New Orleans, Louisiana. He was awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on May 17th 2009.

Response to Hurricane Katrina[link]

Forced to relocate, Rodrigue temporarily moved his base of operations to Lafayette, Louisiana. Days after the disaster, he created We Will Rise Again, depicting the American flag covered with water, to benefit the Red Cross in response to Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans. "The Blue Dog is partly submerged, and its eyes, normally yellow, are red with a broken heart," Rodrigue wrote in September 2005. "Like a ship's S.O.S., the red cross on the dog's chest calls out for help."

"We Will Rise Again" was the first of five works that the acclaimed artist created for his new initiative, Blue Dog Relief: George Rodrigue Art Campaign for Recovery. To directly benefit the New Orleans Museum of Art, which was closed for six months due to flood damage, he also painted Throw Me Something FEMA and You Can't Drown the Blues.

Following those releases, Rodrigue launched a campaign for New Orleans levee protection. He sent prints of To Stay Alive We Need Levee 5 to every member of the U.S. Congress. Sales proceeds from silkscreen prints and related campaign materials — including T-shirts, lapel pins, bumper stickers and buttons — are donated to NOMA.

Rodrigue donated his Cut Through the Red Tape image to the United Way for use in promoting the Louisiana 2-1-1 phone system. Louisiana 2-1-1 (an easy to remember Information & Referral phone number) seeks to eliminate the red tape of reaching human-service agencies — particularly in the wake of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

As of September 2006, the donation tally to Blue Dog Relief beneficiaries was $700,000 — including a check for $100,000 that Rodrigue presented to NOMA on March 3, 2006, to help kick off its grand re-opening: "The HeART of New Orleans," a three-day weekend celebration of the arts.

George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts[link]

In 2009 Rodrigue formed the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) a non-profit organization which advocates the importance of the visual arts in the development of our youth. GRFA encourages the use of art within all curriculums and supports a variety of art educational programs.^[4]

Publications[link]

• The Cajuns of George Rodrigue (Oxmoor House; 1st edition 1976)
• A Couple of Local Boys: Paintings by George Rodrigue, Poetry by Gus Weill (Claitor's Publishing Division, 1981)
• Le Petit Cajun: Conversations with André Rodrigue, from his son’s perspective
• Blue Dog (Viking / Penguin, 1994; a Book of the Month Club selection)
• George Rodrigue; A Cajun Artist (Penguin Studio, 1997)
• Blue Dog man (foreword by Tom Brokaw, Stewart Tabori & Chang, 1999)
• A Blue Dog Christmas (Stewart Tabori & Chang, 2000)
• The Art of George Rodrigue a 40-year retrospective by Ginger Danto & George Rodrigue, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (November, 2003)
• George Rodrigue Prints: A Catalogue Raisonne (Abrahms, 2008)
• Are You Blue Dog's Friend? (Abrams, 2009)

Sundry Titles[link]

• The Loup-Garou of Côte Gelée by Morris Raphael, Harlo Press (June 1990); illustrator, George Rodrigue^[5]
• Claire by Moonlight by Lynne Kositsky, Tundra Books (April 12, 2005); cover painting: Traiteur by George Rodrigue^[6]

Accolades[link]

• 1986: Commissioned by Republican Party to paint President Ronald Reagan; Reagan later donated painting to Louisiana State University
• 1988: Commissioned by Republican Party to paint Vice President George Bush and his 10 grandchildren; painting now hangs in Bush's private office
• 1989: Painted three Cajun Easter eggs for annual White House Easter Egg Roll
• 1992: Commissioned by Carillon Importers to paint Absolut Louisiana for USA Today
• 1993: Carillon Importers commissioned Absolut Rodrigue
• 1995: Commissioned by New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to paint Louis Armstrong
• 1996: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival commissioned portrait of Pete Fountain; and Neiman Marcus commissioned catalogue cover design for the book Butterflies Are Free
• 1997: Commissioned by Democratic Inaugural Committee to paint President-elect Bill Clinton and Vice President-elect Al Gore
• 1998: Commissioned by New Orleans Jazz Club to create 50th anniversary poster; and Neiman Marcus commissioned catalogue cover design for the book Hawaiian Blues
• 2000: Commissioned by Young & Rubicam to create paintings for ads promoting Xerox Color Inkjet Printers; and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival commissioned painting of Al Hirt
• 2003: Honored as Outstanding Alum of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, along with baseball legend Ron Guidry
• 2003: Raised approximately 1 million dollars for a new habitat for Mike the Tiger, Louisiana State University's live mascot. He did so by painting the Tiger along with Rodrigue's famous oak trees and donated 5,000 silkscreens to the Tiger Athletic Foundation.
• 2004: Painted official portrait for the inauguration of Louisiana Governor Kathleen Rabineaux Blanco; inducted into Louisiana "Order of Living Legends" by the Acadian Museum; delivered guest lecture at the Great Hall of the Nantucket Atheneum, the historical library on the island of Nantucket; and honored as Artist of the Year by the American Liver Foundation in Birmingham, Al.
• 2005: Created official 25th anniversary artwork for the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans
• 2010: Honored as inaugural Forum35 Art Melt Louisiana Art Legend
• 2011: Honored as a Distinguished Eagle Scout by the Southeast Louisiana Boy Scout Council

External links[link]

• Rodrigue Studio
• George Rodrigue Art Campaign for Hurricane Recovery
• Rodrigue's Louisiana
• Audio Interviews with George Rodrigue
• Southern Living web profile
• Rodrigue Receives Honorary Doctorate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

1. ^ A History of Evangeline in Rodrigue Paintings
2. ^ From Jolie Blonde to Bodies: Paintings of Women
3. ^ The Saga of the Acadians
4. ^ George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts
5. ^ The Loup-Garou of Côte Gelée
6. ^ Claire by Moonlight

Jim Matheson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Merrill Cook
Personal details
Born	(1960-03-21) March 21, 1960 (age 52) Salt Lake City, Utah
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Amy Matheson
Children	2
Residence	Salt Lake City, Utah
Alma mater	Harvard College (A.B.) UCLA Anderson School of Management (M.B.A.)
Occupation	Energy Consultant
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

James David "Jim" Matheson (born March 21, 1960) is the U.S. Representative for Utah's 2nd congressional district, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes eastern Salt Lake City. Matheson currently holds the distinction of representing the most Republican district in the nation represented by a Democrat.^[1]

Early life, education and career[link]

Matheson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and obtained an A.B. from Harvard College and his M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.^[2] His father, Scott M. Matheson, served as Governor of Utah from 1977 to 1985,^[3] and his brother, Scott Matheson, Jr., was the 2004 Democratic nominee for Governor.^[4] Matheson is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[5]

Prior to entering politics, Matheson worked in the energy field, working for several different companies and studying environmental policy. He later started his own energy consulting firm.

His wife, Amy, is a pediatrician and they have two sons.^[6] He also joined a group that was in favor of increased compensation for people who were affected by the radiation from Cold War atomic testing. The radioactive fallout from nuclear tests caused the cancer that would kill Matheson's father.^[7]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Matheson is co-chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition,^[8] a conservative group of 25 Democrats in the House. He also is a member of the New Democrat Coalition.

Like most Utah Democrats^{[dubious – discuss]}, Matheson is relatively conservative by national party standards.^[9] In the National Journal ratings in 2010, Matheson was more conservative than 51% of his colleagues, but more liberal than 49%, making him one of the most conservative Democrats, yet a centrist overall. On November 3^{[clarification needed]}, Matheson voted against requiring public disclosure of bonuses and golden parachute arrangements (agreements between a company and an employee specifying that the employee will receive significant benefits if they are terminated). This was a bill that the Democrats heavily supported, and the Republicans were opposed to. Only five other Democrats voted against the bill.

Foreign policy and terrorism[link]

In March, 2007, Matheson was one of 14 Democrats who voted against a bill that would require President George W. Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq by September 1, 2008.^{[citation needed]} Matheson has always voted conservative in regards to the wars in the middle east, he voted in favor of using military force against Iraq in 2003, voted against removing troops from Libya in 2011, and against removing troops from Pakistan in 2010. He did however, vote in favor of requiring a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan, after opposing the bill in two previous votes.

In 2011, Matheson voted to extend expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act^[10] and voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012.^[11]

Abortion[link]

Matheson leans pro-life but supports expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. He was rated 55% from National Right to Life Committee indicating a mixed record on abortion and 30% from NARAL indicating a pro-life voting record.^{[citation needed]} However, Matheson's NARAL Pro-Choice America rating dropped to 0% in 2010, while he garnered a 50% rating from the National Right to Life Committee.^[12]

Debt and Economy[link]

Matheson voted against raising the federal debt limit, as well as against both Republican and Democratic budgets that did not reduce the deficit.^{[citation needed]} Matheson, a former energy industry businessman, voted against authorizing the construction of new oil refineries.^{[citation needed]}

Matheson has been a strong supporter of regulating Wall Street, voting in favor of The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the strongest set of Wall Street reforms since the 1930s. In a comment on this legislation, Matheson stated, "Nearly two years ago the subprime mortgage meltdown triggered the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. We've been living under the same set of rules that were in place before the financial crisis sparked the job-killing recession. Now, that is about to change."^[13]

In July 2011, Matheson was one of five Democrats to vote for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act.^[14]

Education[link]

Matheson is also opposed to the No Child Left Behind Act, believing that education is a local issue and federal funds should come with minimal strings attached. Matheson also believes that the “Highly Qualified Teacher” requirements should be more flexible, and that states should have alternative options to the single standardized test used in No Child Left Behind.^[15]

Health Care[link]

In November 2009, during intense debates over American health care reform, Matheson voted against the Affordable Health Care for America Act.^[16]When President Obama named Matheson's brother Scott M. Matheson to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit at a time where he needed Matheson's vote for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Weekly Standard posted an article that said "Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he's obviously trying to persuade them to switch their vote to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah."^[17] They suggested that the White House was using this timely nomination to influence Matheson's vote. Matheson responded by saying that he is very happy for his brother and that "the federal 10th Circuit Court will gain a judge devoted to judicial integrity, fairness and knowledge of the law."^[18] In March 2010, he was one of 34 Democrats to vote against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which passed the House 219-212.^[19] However, when the 112th Congress reconsidered the legislation in January 2011, Matheson voted against repealing the healthcare overhaul.^[20]

Committee assignments[link]

Congressman Matheson sits on these committees and subcommittees in the 111th Congress:

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Health

Caucus Memberships[link]

• Congressional Arts Caucus

Political campaigns[link]

2000[link]

In 2000, Matheson was tapped to run for the 2nd District seat. The Democrats were optimistic in part because the 2nd District has historically been friendlier to Democrats than the rest of Utah and in part because two-term incumbent Merrill Cook had a reputation for erratic behavior.^[21] The prospect of losing the seat frightened district Republicans enough that Cook was unseated in the primary by computer executive Derek Smith. However, Matheson defeated Smith comfortably, taking 56 percent of the vote even as George W. Bush won the district with 57% of the vote.

2002[link]

During the 2000s round of redistricting, the Republican-controlled state legislature significantly altered Matheson's district. The old 2nd had been located entirely in Salt Lake County since the 1980s round of redistricting; Salt Lake County has historically been friendlier to Democrats (at least at the state and local level) than the rest of Utah. The legislature drew all or part of 14 mostly rural counties in eastern and southern Utah into the 2nd. They were only connected to Salt Lake City by a narrow band of territory in heavily Republican Utah County. In addition, the legislature shifted most of western Salt Lake City to the 1st, leaving the more conservative eastern part of the city in the 2nd. The new district was approximately six points more Republican than its predecessor. Matheson was thought to face difficult odds for reelection, even though his family has roots in southern Utah.

As expected, the 2002 race was very close. Matheson defeated State Representative John Swallow by only 1,600 votes, largely due to a 25,800-vote margin over Swallow in Salt Lake County.^[22] According to at least one study, some extra financial help from the Republican Party might have helped Swallow defeat Matheson. However, national Republicans stayed out of the race after state legislators claimed they had drawn a district that no Democrat could possibly win.^[23]

2004[link]

Matheson defeated Swallow again—this time by a 12-point margin even as Bush won the state by a large margin (and carried the district with 67 percent of the vote).

2006[link]

Matheson defeated State Representative LaVar Christensen by 22 points.

2008[link]

Matheson defeated Republican challenger Bill Dew in the 2008 general election by 28 percent.

2010[link]

Matheson won against Republican nominee Morgan Philpot. In May, Matheson faced his first challenge from within his party. Claudia Wright claimed that Jim Matheson was not liberal enough and obtained 45% of the vote at the Democratic State Convention, forcing a primary for the Democratic nomination. After weeks of campaigning Matheson secured the Democratic nomination, by obtaining 67.5% of the vote.

2012[link]

Matheson had said he was considering a run for statewide office in 2012, particularly if his seat was substantially changed in redistricting.^[24] Polling conducted in July 2011 showed Matheson leading incumbent Republican Senator Orrin Hatch in a possible 2012 Senate race.^[25]

On December 15, 2011, Matheson announced that he will run for the newly created seat in the 4th District, meaning there will be an open-seat race for the 2nd district. The race is not expected to be competitive for Democrats.^[26]

Electoral history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• U.S. Congressman Jim Matheson official House site
• Jim Matheson for U.S. Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Questionnaire responses from Jim Matheson Deseret Morning News, October 15, 2006
• Respond to Congress issuing a pay raise House.gov, June 13, 2006

v t e Members of the United States House of Representatives from Utah Territorial (1851–1895) Bernhisel Hooper Bernhisel Kinney Hooper G. Cannon Campbell G. Cannon Caine Rawlins F. Cannon One At-large seat (1895–1913) Allen W. King Roberts W. King Sutherland Howell Two At-large seats (1913–1915) Seat Howell Seat Johnson Districts (1915–present) 1st district Howell Welling Colton Murdock Granger Stringfellow Dixon Peterson Burton McKay Hansen Bishop 2nd district Mays Leatherwood Loofbourow Robinson Dawson Bosone Dawson D. King Lloyd D. King Lloyd Owens Howe Marriott Monson Owens Shepherd Greene Waldholtz Cook Matheson 3rd district Nielson Orton C. Cannon Chaffetz