Pete Olson
Pete Olson | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 22nd district | |
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Nick Lampson |
Succeeded by | Troy Nehls |
Personal details | |
Born | Peter Graham Olson December 9, 1962 Joint Chiefs of Staff Badge |
Peter Graham Olson (born December 9, 1962) is an American politician who served as the
Early life and education
Peter Graham Olson was born in 1962 in
Career
He joined the
After leaving active military duty, he joined Senator Gramm's staff in 1998. After Gramm's retirement from the Senate in 2002, Olson served as chief of staff to Gramm's successor, U.S. Senator and former
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2008
Olson defeated incumbent Democratic Representative Nick Lampson in the general election on November 4, 2008. Olson received 53% of the vote and Lampson received 45%.[4][5] Olson won the Republican nomination by defeating former Congresswoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs in the April 8, 2008, run-off election.[6][7]
An October 22, 2008, poll by
Due to the unusual circumstances in District 22, the race attracted national attention. In 2007, Stuart Rothenberg called the district "arguably the best Republican takeover opportunity in the country".[12] After Olson was nominated, the Electoral-vote.com website identified his campaign as "probably the GOP's best pickup opportunity for 2008."[13]
- Republican primary race
In 2007, Olson announced he would run for the Republican nomination in the 22nd District. He was one of 10 Republicans in the field. Also running were Sekula-Gibbs, former
Olson won the April 8 runoff in a rout with 69 percent of the vote to Sekula-Gibbs' 31 percent.[20][21]
- General election race
Olson faced Lampson in the general election, and John Wieder, the
- Fundraising efforts
At the end of March 2008, Olson's campaign was technically in debt, with almost $128,000 on hand and a debt to the candidate, who provided a personal loan of $175,000.[24]
On June 5, 2008, outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney visited Houston to raise money for Olson's congressional campaign.[25][26] The event took place at the home of Houston billionaire Dan Duncan. From July 1 to September 30, 2008, Olson raised more money than Lampson, $312,700 to $149,000. In the November 2008 election, Olson defeated Lampson with 53 percent of the vote to Lampson's 45%. He won four of the district's five counties.[27]
2010
Olson won re-election in 2010 with 67 percent of the vote against Democratic challenger Kesha Rogers.[28]
2012
Olson won election to a third term with 64% of the vote to Democrat Kesha Rogers' 32%.[29]
2014
In the November 4 general election, Olson defeated Democratic nominee Frank Briscoe.
2016
Olson won his fifth term in the House in the general election held on November 8, 2016. He polled 181,864 votes (59.2 percent) to 123,670 (40.5 percent) for his Democratic opponent, Democrat Mark Gibson.[30]
2018
Olson campaigned against Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni, a former diplomat raised in Houston whose mother's family traces their ancestry back to Sam Houston, one of the founders of Texas. Olson refused to respond to a constituent's question on why he had called Kulkarni an "Indo-American who's a carpetbagger." Olson's untrue claim that Pakistanis attacked the US on 9/11 has been interpreted as an effort to exploit anti-Pakistani sentiment in his district.[31] Olson won the election with 51.4% of the vote, to Kulkarni's 46.5%.[32]
House tenure
During the 2008 campaign, Olson claimed he was a better fit for the district than Lampson. Olson told
In mid-November 2013, Olson led a group of 19 other Republican congressmen in an effort to impeach Attorney General
On June 9, 2017, Olson stated during a radio broadcast that former President Bill Clinton had admitted to the murder of White House aide Vincent Foster and had threatened former Attorney General Loretta Lynch with similar violence if she did not drop an investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. When subsequently asked for evidence to support his claims, Olson said: "In my discussion about Loretta Lynch and Vince Foster, I took the accusations a step too far. I regret my choice of words."[38]
On August 15, 2018, Olson incorrectly claimed in a speech that "[on] September 11th, 2001, 3000 innocent Americans were killed by terrorists from Pakistan." In fact, none of the 9/11 hijackers were of Pakistani origin. Congressman Olson later told a reporter that he had misspoken when he made the claim.[39] Critics maintain he did so on purpose to exploit anti-Pakistani sentiment in his district.[40]
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
Caucus memberships
Congressional Constitution Caucus,[41] Aerospace Caucus, General Aviation Caucus, Coal Caucus, Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus, Natural Gas Caucus, National Guard and Reserve Caucus, Beef Caucus, Gulf Coast Caucus, Cystic Fibrosis Caucus, Taiwan Caucus, Ports to Plains Caucus, Diabetes Caucus, Rice Caucus, Johnson Caucus, Congressional Arts Caucus,[42] Congressional Western Caucus.[43]
Civil Rights Uniformity Act
Olson sponsored the Civil Rights Uniformity Act of 2016 (HR 5812) which would strictly limit the definition of gender to the person's
In a press release following the introduction of HR 2796, Olson stated that gender identity should not be treated as a protected class unless explicitly established by Congress. "The Obama Administration strongly overreached by unilaterally redefining the definition of 'sex' with respect to the Civil Rights Act outside of the lawmaking process. We must reject the notion of false power stolen from Congress by a White House seeking to impose social policy on America. The Founding Fathers never intended unelected bureaucrats in federal agencies to make sweeping changes to the definition of gender."[48] The arguments were consistent with Olson's prior statements following the introduction of HR 5812, which stated it "will ensure that gender identity is not treated as a protected class in Federal Law or Policy without the affirmative approval of the people's representatives in Congress."[49][50]
Electoral history
Year | Republican | Votes | Pct | Democratic | Votes | Pct | Libertarian | Party | Votes | Pct | Green | Party | Votes | Pct | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Pete Olson | 161,600 | 51% | Nick Lampson | 139,879 | 45% | John Wieder | Libertarian | 6,823 | 2% | |||||||||
2010 | Pete Olson | 140,537 | 67% | Kesha Rogers | 62,082 | 30% | Steven Susman | Libertarian | 5,538 | 3% | |||||||||
2012 | Pete Olson | 160,668 | 64% | Kesha Rogers | 80,203 | 32% | Steven Susman | Libertarian | 5,986 | 2% | Don Cook | Green
|
4,054 | 2% | |||||
2014 | Pete Olson | 100,861 | 67% | Frank Briscoe | 47,844 | 32% | Rob Lapham | Libertarian | 2,861 | 2% | |||||||||
2016 | Pete Olson | 181,864 | 60% | Mark Gibson | 123,679 | 40% | |||||||||||||
2018 | Pete Olson | 152,750 | 51% | Sri Preston Kulkarni | 138,153 | 46% | John B. McElligott | Libertarian | 3,261 | 1% | Kellen Sweny | Independent | 3,241 | 1% |
Personal life
Olson lives in Sugar Land with his wife Nancy and their two children. Since leaving Congress he has been working for Hance Scarborough LLP.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "U.S. Rep. Pete Olson announces he won't seek reelection", texastribune.org, July 25, 2019.
- ^ "MR. PETER G. OLSON". Find a Lawyer. State Bar of Texas. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
- ^ Gamboa, Suzanne. "Olson upends Lampson in closely watched race". Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 8, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
- ^ "U.S. House, Texas 22, Results by District". CNN. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
- ^ Tolson, Mike (April 9, 2008). "Olson scores victory against Sekula Gibbs, He'll battle Democratic candidate Nick Lampson in general election for District 22 seat". Fort Bend County News. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
- ^ Greg Giroux, "Texas GOP Runoff Goes to Ex-Senate Aide in Race for DeLay's Old Seat" Archived October 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, CQ Politics, April 9, 2008.
- ^ Anand, Easha (October 28, 2008). "Down the Homestretch: Texas's 22nd District (Democratic Incumbent)". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
- ^ Thurlkill, Jason (October 27, 2008). "Houston Chronicle/Zogby: Olson has 17 point lead over Lampson, Culberson holding off Skelly". PolitickerTX.com. Retrieved October 28, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Houston Politics" (PDF). Zogby International. Houston Chronicle. October 22, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
- ^ Sabato, Larry (October 30, 2008). "The Last Word – Almost". Rassamussen Reports. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
- ^ Rothenberg, Stuart (June 22, 2007). "Texas 22: Top of the List". The Rothenberg Political Report. 30 (12). Retrieved May 25, 2008.
- ^ "Hot House Races in 2008". Electoral-vote.com. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
- ^ Blake, Aaron (April 8, 2008). "Olson tops Sekula Gibbs in Texas runoff". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 13, 2008. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
'Nick Lampson better find himself a flashlight because his reelection chances are quickly growing dim', said Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, adding that 'Pete Olson has proven himself to be one of the top Republican challengers in the country and we believe he has exactly what it takes to win in November.'
- Dallas Morning News.
- ^ "2008 Republican Party Primary Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State's Office. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
- ^ Bernstein, Alan (March 5, 2008). "Congressional District 22: Sekula Gibbs, Olson set up runoff battle for House seat". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ "Olson Wins Run-Off Elections". Fox 26. April 8, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
- ^ Bernstein, Alan (March 6, 2008). "A congressional chorus backs Olson in 22nd District runoff". Texas on the Potomac. Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
- ^ Blake, Aaron (April 8, 2008). "Olson tops Sekula Gibbs in Texas runoff". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 13, 2008. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
'Nick Lampson better find himself a flashlight because his reelection chances are quickly growing dim', said Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, adding that 'Pete Olson has proven himself to be one of the top Republican challengers in the country and we believe he has exactly what it takes to win in November.'
- ^ Kraushaar, Josh (April 8, 2008). "Olson Wins Texas Runoff, Will Face Lampson". CBS News. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
- ^ Wyman, Hastings (May 26, 2008). "Dixie's Competitive Congressional Districts". Southern Political Report. Internet News Agency. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
Tom DeLay's (R) old district might return to its roots this fall, since first year incumbent Nick Lampson (D) won in 2006 against a write-in opponent by a mere 52%. Lampson is facing ex-US Senate aide Pete Olson, a GOP-establishment favorite.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris (June 20, 2008). "The Line: Generic Ballot Distress for House GOP". Washington Post. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
- ^ Bernstein, Alan (June 5, 2008). "Cheney to raise funds in Houston for Olson, state GOP". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
Cheney, who has extremely low approval ratings in voter surveys and was criticized in former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan's new book, is more of an asset for Olson as a money magnet than as a campaigner, University of Houston political scientist Richard Murray said.
- ^ Gillman, Todd (June 1, 2008). "Cheney could be charm or curse in GOP's bid to regain DeLay's seat". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
[Cheney's visit is] not bad for a first-time candidate who's basically broke in his bid to unseat Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, though Democrats call it a sign of desperation.
- ^ Wilson, Reid (June 6, 2008). "Strategy Memo: Obama's The Boss". Politics Nation. RealClearPolitics. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
- ^ Texas House results by county, NBC News.msn.com; accessed January 18, 2017.
- ^ "State Results – Election Center 2010 – Elections & Politics from CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Texas' 22nd Congressional District elections, 2012". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ "Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ Huffington Post,29 Oct 2018, "Texas Congressman Won't Say Why He Labeled Opponent 'Indo-American Carpetbagger'" [1]
- ^ "Texas's 22nd Congressional District". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- ^ Eaton, Leslie (July 21, 2008). "GOP Goes on Offensive For DeLay's Old Seat". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
- ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ Olson profile, clerk.house.gov; accessed January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Twenty House Republicans call for Holder impeachment", thehill.com, November 13, 2014.
- ^ "House Republicans Want To Impeach Eric Holder For Refusing To Defend Unconstitutional Law", huffingtonpost.com; retrieved November 17, 2013.
- ^ texastribune.org/2017/06/20/congressman-says-comments-about-clintons-were-step-too-far/
- ^ "U.S. Rep. Pete Olson 'accidentally' blamed Pakistanis for 9/11 terrorist attack". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ^ Marans, Daniel (October 29, 2018). "Texas Congressman Won't Say Why He Labeled Opponent 'Indo-American Carpetbagger'". HuffPost. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Constitution Caucus. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ Text of the Civil Rights Uniformity Act of 2016 at Congress.gov
- ^ Text of the Civil Rights Uniformity Act of 2017 at Congress.gov
- ^ Olson, Pete (November 4, 2016). "Editorial: Restoring the constitutional roles of the executive, legislative branches". The Hill. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Scaccia, Annamarya (August 3, 2017). "Insane Federal Bill Would Strip Trans People of Their Civil Rights". Broadly. Vice. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ "House Members Act to Restore Congressional Authority on Transgender Definition" (Press release). Office of Congressman Pete Olson, Representing the 22nd District of Texas. June 7, 2017. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
- ^ "Olson Bill Puts Congress in Driver Seat on Transgender Definition" (Press release). Office of Congressman Pete Olson, Representing the 22nd District of Texas. August 3, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ "New GSA Bathroom Rule Further Evidence Olson Bill Needed" (Press release). Office of Congressman Pete Olson, Representing the 22nd District of Texas. August 18, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ "2008 General Election Results". Secretary of State. State of Texas. November 4, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ "2018 General Election Results". Secretary of State. State of Texas. November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
External links
- Pete Olson at Curlie