Mike Synar

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Mike Synar
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Ted Risenhoover
Succeeded by	Tom Coburn
Personal details
Born	Michael Lynn Synar (1950-10-17)October 17, 1950 Vinita, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	January 9, 1996(1996-01-09) (aged 45) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Oklahoma (BS, JD) Northwestern University (MA)
Profession	Lawyer

Michael Lynn Synar (October 17, 1950 – January 9, 1996) was an American Democratic politician who represented Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district in Congress for eight terms.^[1]

Early life and career

Synar was born in Vinita, Oklahoma,^[1] His father, Ed Synar, was a World War II B-24 tailgunner in Europe. His father's family line was Polish Catholics. Mike Synar was graduated from Muskogee High School in 1968.^[1] He attended the University of Oklahoma (OU) and graduated in 1972 with a B.S.; later Synar also earned his J.D.^[2] degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1977.^[1] Synar was also a Rotary International Scholar and attended the Graduate School of Economics at the University of Edinburgh (in Scotland) in 1973, and earned an M.A. from Northwestern University in 1974.^[1]

While Synar's primary profession was the

He was first elected to Congress in 1978 at the age of 28, by defeating incumbent Ted Risenhoover. Synar's campaign pulled off an upset victory as they circulated copies of a Washington D.C. media report that said Risenhoover slept on a "heart-shaped waterbed," which did not play well with the voters back home in Oklahoma.

Unlike most Oklahoma Democrats, Synar held

A major issue for Synar involved low fees charged ranchers who grazed cattle on public lands. The "animal unit month" (AUM) fee was only $1.35 and was far below the 1983 market value. The argument was that the federal government in effect was subsidizing ranchers, with a few major corporations controlling millions of acres of grazing land. Working with Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, Synar tried to rally environmentalists and raise fees, but senators from Western states successfully blocked their proposals.^[3][4]

Despite having no criminal prosecution experience, in 1989 Synar served as the lead

Cooper won by just 2,609 votes out of 92,987 cast, a 51–49 margin. Cooper was subsequently defeated in the general election by Republican Tom Coburn by a 52–48 margin.^{[citation needed]}

After Congress

After Congress, Synar served as the Chairman of the Campaign for America Project and of the National Bankruptcy Review Commission.^{[citation needed]}

He was also awarded the 1995 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.^{[citation needed]}

Synar died of a

• Oklahoma Democratic Party
• Politics of Oklahoma
• Oklahoma's congressional districts
• United States congressional delegations from Oklahoma
• List of notable brain tumor patients

References

External links

• Mike Synar at Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
• Mike Synar Center at Northeastern State University, Muskogee, OK
• 2000 Award to Mike Synar by Taxpayers For Common Sense
• Article on 1994 Synar primary loss
• Bowsher vs Synar (1986)
• American College of Physicians
• 1995 JFK Profile in Courage Award Recipient
• Sayonara Synar Confirmation Via New York Times
• A Civic Thrill: An open letter to Congressman Synar from writer Sarah Vowell
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Michael Lynn "Mike" Synar Collection at the Carl Albert Center