James Comer (politician)
James Comer | |
---|---|
Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky | |
In office January 2, 2012 – January 4, 2016 | |
Governor | Steve Beshear Matt Bevin |
Preceded by | Richie Farmer |
Succeeded by | Ryan Quarles |
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 53rd district | |
In office January 1, 2001 – January 2, 2012 | |
Preceded by | Billy Polston |
Succeeded by | Bart Rowland |
Personal details | |
Born | James Richardson Comer Jr. August 19, 1972 Carthage, Tennessee, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Tamara Jo Comer (m. 2003) |
Children | 3 |
Education | Western Kentucky University (BS) |
Website | House website |
James Richardson Comer Jr.
As the chair of the
Comer served as Kentucky's agriculture commissioner from 2012 to 2016 and in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2000 to 2012. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor of Kentucky in the 2015 election. A year later, he won the Republican nomination for Kentucky's 1st congressional district to succeed Ed Whitfield. On November 8, 2016, Comer won both a full term to the seat for the next Congress and a special election that allowed him to serve the remainder of Whitfield's term.
Early life and education
Comer is a native of Carthage, Tennessee. He grew up in Monroe County, Kentucky, graduating from Monroe County High School, Tompkinsville, Kentucky, in 1990.[3] He received a BS in Agriculture from Western Kentucky University in 1993.[4] In college he served as president of the Kentucky Future Farmers of America.[5] After college, he and his family started James Comer, Jr. Farms,[6] a 2,300 acres (950 ha) farm,[7] and he also co-owns Comer Land & Cattle Co.[8] He served as a director of the South Central Bank for 12 years.[4] Comer served as president of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2000.[4]
Kentucky politics
Kentucky House of Representatives
In 2000, Comer was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives at the age of 27 following the retirement of incumbent Billy Polston. Comer defeated Polston's wife Donnie for the Republican nomination.[9][10]
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
In 2011, Comer ran for agriculture commissioner. The incumbent, Richie Farmer, was term-limited.[11] In the election, Comer was the only Republican to win election to a statewide executive office,[12] and worked with a team of Democratic officials and under a Democratic governor.[13] He had the highest percentage of the vote of any candidate on the ballot, and raised $606,766 to his opponent's $204,287.[14] He took office in January 2012. One of Comer's first actions in office was to team up with Democratic Auditor Adam Edelen to investigate his Republican predecessor's ethics while in office.[15]
That year Comer, became chair of the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission,[16] and shortly after taking office, he called the legalization of industrialized hemp his top priority,[17][18] and was "instrumental in getting the hemp industry up and running",[19] including by founding several pilot programs[20] in an effort to restart Kentucky's industrial hemp industry. He also filed suit against the DEA, which resulted in the DEA allowing hemp seeds to be delivered to Kentucky farmers for the first new crops.[21] Between 2014 and 2015, Kentucky's hemp crops grew from 33 to 1,700 acres.[22] Comer also advocated for national hemp deregulation.[23]
Comer founded the Kentucky Proud Farm to Campus program,[24] and created a mobile science centers program for primary and secondary school students to learn about agricultural sciences.[25]
2015 gubernatorial election
On August 2, 2014, during the annual
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2016
In 2016, Comer entered the Republican primary election for the 1st congressional district of Kentucky against two other competitors. Before the primary, he was endorsed by the
Tenure
During his first few months in office, Comer held several town hall meetings, where he discussed the Congress's early platform.
Comer voted for the
Comer was an original cosponsor of the Hemp Farming Act, which legalized hemp nationwide and removed federal regulations on the crop.
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Comer and Representative Suzanne Bonamici introduced legislation that would protect access to school lunches for school districts throughout the country that had to close because of the pandemic.[48] The COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response Act allows the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive requirements for children to gather at schools for school officials and food service personnel to distribute reimbursable, nutritious meals. It also gives local school officials discretion over substitutions for meal components if supply or procurement is disrupted.[49] When introducing the bill, Comer said, "this bill is a critical step toward ensuring that our students maintain access to the school meals they rely on for their health and well-being".[48] After it cleared the House and Senate, President Trump signed the legislation into law on March 18.[49]
After the
After Comer became chair of the Oversight Committee, he responded in January 2023 to the Joe Biden classified documents incident by calling for visitor logs for Biden's residence, where Biden's lawyers found some classified documents from his vice presidency; the same day, Comer said that he would not call for visitor logs for Trump's residence Mar-a-Lago, where an FBI search found classified documents from Trump's presidency despite Trump's lawyers' claim that no such documents were there.[51] Comer declared he would investigate Biden because Biden "hasn't been investigated", adding: "there have been so many investigations of President Trump. I don't feel like we need to spend a whole lot of time investigating President Trump".[52] When Comer told Fox TV's
When CNN asked Comer in April 2023 whether his investigation had found "anything illegal while [Joe Biden] was actually in office", he replied: "we found a lot that's certainly unethical … We found a lot that should be illegal. The line is blurry as to what is legal and not legal with respect to family influence-peddling."[55][56] On September 12, 2023, Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, and announced that he had chosen Comer to head the inquiry.[57]
Comer discussed the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden in October 2023, stating that "because we have so many documents, and we can bring these people in for [private] depositions or [public] committee hearings, whichever they choose".[58] After Biden's son Hunter was subpoenaed to testify, Hunter preferred to testify publicly instead of privately, to avoid misrepresentations of the proceedings, stated Hunter's lawyer; Comer responded that the subpoenas for a private deposition were "not mere suggestions open to [Hunter] Biden's interpretation or preference".[58]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[59]
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Committee on Oversight and Accountability (Chair)
- As Chair of the committee, Rep. Comer is entitled to sit as an ex officio member in all subcommittee meetings, per the committee's rules.
Caucus memberships
- Second Amendment Caucus
- Republican Study Committee[60]
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption[61]
Political positions
Health care
Comer supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").[62]
Economic issues
In 2016 Comer called the Obama administration's final budget a "disaster in the making".[
Comer opposes paid parental leave for federal workers.[64]
Immigration
Comer opposes
Abortion
Comer is anti-abortion.[62]
Marijuana
Comer supports declassifying
LGBT rights
Comer opposes same-sex marriage.[62] He also opposes banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and voted against the Equality Act in 2019.[66][67] Comer voted against the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022.[68]
Foreign policy
In June 2021, Comer was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the AUMF against Iraq.[69][70]
In 2023, Comer was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[71][72]
Comer voted to provide Israel with support following
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer | 3,969 | 81.33 | |
Republican | Donnie Mayfield Polston | 911 | 18.67 | |
Total votes | 4,880 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer | 11,051 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 11,051 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer (incumbent) | 9,361 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 9,361 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer (incumbent) | 12,247 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 12,247 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer (incumbent) | 10,876 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 10,876 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer (incumbent) | 12,482 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 12,482 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer (incumbent) | 12,040 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 12,040 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer | 86,316 | 66.67 | |
Republican | Rob Rothenburger | 43,150 | 33.33 | |
Total votes | 129,466 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer | 519,183 | 63.79 | |
Democratic | Robert "Bob" Farmer | 294,663 | 36.21 | |
Total votes | 813,846 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Matt Bevin (Jenean Hampton) | 70,480 | 32.90 | |
Republican | James R. Comer (Chris McDaniel) | 70,397 | 32.87 | |
Republican | Hal Heiner (K.C. Crosbie) | 57,951 | 27.06 | |
Republican | Will T. Scott (Rodney Coffey) | 15,365 | 7.17 | |
Total votes | 214,193 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer | 24,342 | 60.59 | |
Republican | Mike Pape | 9,357 | 23.29 | |
Republican | Jason Batts | 5,578 | 13.88 | |
Republican | Miles A. Caughey Jr. | 896 | 2.23 | |
Total votes | 40,173 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer | 209,810 | 72.19 | |
Democratic | Samuel L. Gaskins | 80,813 | 27.81 | |
Total votes | 290,623 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer | 216,959 | 72.56 | |
Democratic | Samuel L. Gaskins | 81,710 | 27.33 | |
Write-in | Terry McIntosh | 332 | 0.11 | |
Total votes | 299,001 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Comer (incumbent) | 172,167 | 68.59 | |
Democratic | Paul Walker | 78,849 | 31.41 | |
Total votes | 251,016 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James Comer (incumbent) | 246,329 | 75.0 | |
Democratic | James Rhodes | 82,141 | 25.0 | |
Total votes | 328,470 | 100.0 |
Personal life
Comer is married to Tamara Jo "TJ" Comer and has three children. He was baptized at First Baptist Church of Tompkinsville and is a member of Elkhorn Baptist Church in Midway, Kentucky.[1][89]
On May 5, 2015, Comer was accused of physical and mental abuse by Marilyn Thomas, a woman he dated while attending Western Kentucky University in 1993.[90] He has said he believes the accusation was a political stunt to hinder his gubernatorial campaign.[31]
By 2023, Comer has reported owning around 1,600 acres of land.[91]
In 2015, just before Comer started publicly running for Congress, he bought a 50% stake in six acres of Kentucky land for $128,000 from landowner Darren Cleary, a major donor to Comer's political campaigns.
References
- ^ a b "James Comer, Jr.'s Biography". Votesmart.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
- ^ Diaz, Jaclyn. "The first impeachment inquiry hearing into Biden was six hours. Here's what happened". NPR. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ "Bioguide Search". congress.gov.
- ^ a b c Barton, Ryland (May 13, 2015). "James Comer's Quest To 'Pass A Bold Agenda' Gets Bumpy". WKU Public Radio.
- Herald-Leader, Austin Horn, January 25, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "KY Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer to Keynote Farm Family Night at MCTC". maysville.kctcs.edu.
- ^ "Comer combines experience in bid". Paducah Sun.
- ^ "Comer commemorates May beef month in Kentucky". May 10, 2013.
- ^ "Incumbent's wife, young farmer seek house seat in 53rd". Lexington Herald-Leader. May 18, 2000. p. B1.
- ^ Loftus, Tom. "Comer confident despite campaign 'turbulence'". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ "Comer and Bob Farmer will face off for agriculture commissioner".
- ^ "Clinton County News » 2011 – The Year In Review". Clinton News.
- ^ "Ag Commissioner James Comer ending first year in office as it began – full steam ahead - KyForward.com". KY Forward.
- ^ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance
- ^ "Bluegrass Beacon: Edelen takes the farm for government transparency". May 4, 2012.
- ^ "America's hemp epicenter: Kentucky ag commissioner excites enthusiasts". October 14, 2015.
- ^ "Lexington, KY local and state news by the Lexington Herald-Leader". Kentucky.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
- ^ Bastian, Jonathan (February 6, 2014). "Up Front TV: Kentucky Ag Commissioner James Comer on Hemp, GOP's Future, Felon Voting Rights". WFPL. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
- ^ a b Markgraf, Matt (February 10, 2017). "Congressman James Comer Talks President Trump, Trade Deals, Regulations, Hemp".
- ^ "Comer, growers, industry leaders announce array of hemp projects". May 6, 2015.
- ^ "Kentucky CBD: Back to the Future with Industrial Hemp". May 12, 2015.
- ^ "Kentucky's 2015 Hemp Crop to Exceed 1,700 Acres; Up from 33 Acres in 2014". May 8, 2015.
- ^ Colston, Kenny (April 23, 2013). "Ag Commissioner James Comer Heading to Washington to Talk Hemp". Louisville: WFPL.
- ^ Mason, Charles A. (March 17, 2015). "Gubernatorial hopeful Comer speaks about farm program". Bowling Green Daily News.
- ^ "Comer launches new mobile science units to teach Kentucky kids about agriculture". The Lane Report. August 19, 2013.
- ^ "Ag. Commissioner James Comer announces run for governor in 2015". WDRB. August 2, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ^ "James Comer Introduces Running Mate Chris McDaniel In Kentucky Gubernatorial Campaign Kick-Off". WKMS. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ "Officials say Bevin, Comer race too close to call". WKYT. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Comer Recanvass" (PDF). May 26, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Secretary Grimes Receives Recanvass Request from James Comer and Chris McDaniel". Kentucky.gov. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c Hagen, Lisa (October 21, 2015). "After Near-Miss in Kentucky Governor's Race, James Comer Tries a Congressional Comeback". The Atlantic.
- ^ "Review shows Bevin holding 83-vote lead in Kentucky GOP primary". WKYT. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Comer concedes, Bevin to face Conway in race for governor". WKYT. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "NRA-PVF Endorses James Comer In Kentucky's Primary for the 1st Congressional District". NRA-PVF. April 11, 2016. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ Null, John (April 27, 2016). "[AUDIO] James Comer Talks Bid for 1st District Congressional Seat Ahead of May 17 Primary".
- ^ "James Comer Elected to Fill Open Seat in Kentucky's 1st District". Roll Call. November 9, 2016.
- ^ Rita Dukes Smith. "Comer Town Hall Set in Heart of Farmland USA". SurfKY News.
- ^ "Congressman James Comer and Murray State University Hutson School of Agriculture partner for agriculture fellowship". The Blue & Gold.
- ^ Markgraf, Matt (April 11, 2017). "Congressman Comer Talks Farm Bill, Ag Industry, Healthcare in Hopkinsville".
- ^ "Comer Talks Tobacco with Secretary of Agriculture". West Kentucky Star.
- ^ Markgraf, Matt (April 11, 2017). ""That Was Not an Act of War" Comer Talks Syrian Strike and More with Murray Business Leaders".
- ^ Markgraf, Matt (March 13, 2017). "Rep. Comer: Kentucky Ag Industry Would Benefit from Lifting Embargo on Cuba".
- ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Congressman Comer votes for final version of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act | The Ohio County Monitor". Ohio County Monitor. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Hemp Farming Act of 2018 (2018 - H.R. 5485)". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 - H.R. 2)". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "Comer gains seat on farm bill conference committee". Associated Press. July 18, 2018.
- ^ a b York, Dalton (March 11, 2020). "Comer Introduces Bill To Protect School Lunches During Coronavirus Outbreak". WKMS.
- ^ a b McSwine, Bobbi (March 19, 2020). "Bill to allow students to receive meals during coronavirus outbreak signed into law".
- ^ Morgan, David (November 18, 2022). "U.S. House Republicans make investigation of Biden a top priority". Reuters. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Chiacu, Doina (January 16, 2023). "Republicans want Biden home visitor logs - but not Trump's". Reuters. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Knutson, Jacob (January 15, 2023). "Comer: House won't investigate Trump classified docs despite Biden probe". Axios. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Broadwater, Luke; Swan, Jonathan (March 13, 2023). "House Republicans Quietly Halt Inquiry Into Trump's Finances". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Garcia, Eric (April 19, 2023). "Republican committee chair trying to dig up dirt on Biden admits they've come up dry". The Independent. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Amari, Fournish (September 12, 2023). "What's ahead now that Republicans are opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden". Associated Press. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Brooks, Emily (December 6, 2023). "Hunter Biden battle with House GOP over public vs. private testimony heats up". The Hill. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
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- ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
- ^ a b c d "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
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- ^ "Federal workers would be eligible for paid leave for more reasons under this House bill". The Washington Post. 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Laura. "Comer meets with residents". The Messenger. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 217". Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ "House Debate on the Equality Act". C-SPAN. May 17, 2019.
- ^ "Roll Call 373 Roll Call 373, Bill Number: H. R. 8404, 117th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ "House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization". NBC News. June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Final vote results for roll call 172". clerk.house.gov. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ "H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … -- House Vote #136 -- Mar 8, 2023". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria". Associated Press. March 8, 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "2000 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2000 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2002 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2004 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2006 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2008 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2010 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2011 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2011 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2015 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2016 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "Special Elections - 2016 - 1st Congressional District" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2016 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "2018 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "Comer Tweets about events and services at "Forks of the Elkhorn [Southern] Baptist Church" with relative Frequency". Twitter.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
- The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Slodysko, Brian (December 14, 2023). "The Republican leading the probe of Hunter Biden has his own shell company and complicated friends". Associated Press. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
External links
- Congressman James Comer official U.S. House website
- Campaign site
- James Comer (politician) at Curlie
- Appearances on C-SPAN