James Comer (politician)

James Richardson Comer Jr.[1] /ˈkoʊmər/ (born August 19, 1972) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky who currently represents the state's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He previously served as the Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky from 2012 to 2016 and in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2000 to 2012.

James Comer
Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee
Assumed office
June 29, 2020
Preceded byJim Jordan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kentucky's 1st district
Assumed office
November 8, 2016
Preceded byEd Whitfield
Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky
In office
January 2, 2012 – January 4, 2016
GovernorSteve Beshear
Matt Bevin
Preceded byRichie Farmer
Succeeded byRyan Quarles
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
from the 53rd district
In office
January 2001 – January 2, 2012
Preceded byBilly Polston
Succeeded byBart Rowland
Personal details
Born
James Richardson Comer Jr.

(1972-08-19) August 19, 1972
Carthage, Tennessee, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Tamara Jo Comer
(
m. 2003)
Children3
EducationWestern Kentucky University (BS)
WebsiteHouse website

Comer unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Governor of Kentucky in the 2015 election. A year later, he successfully sought the Republican nomination for Kentucky's 1st congressional district to succeed fellow Republican Ed Whitfield. On November 8, 2016, Comer won both a full term to the seat for the next Congress and also a special election which allowed him to serve the remainder of Whitfield's term.

Early life and education

Comer is a native of Carthage, Tennessee.[2] He received a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University in 1993.[3] In college, he served as President of the Kentucky Future Farmers of America. After college, he started James Comer, Jr. Farms,[4] a 2,300 acres (950 ha) farm with his family,[5] and he is also co-owner of Comer Land & Cattle Co.[6] He also served as a director of the South Central Bank for twelve years.[3] He served as President of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2000.[3]

Kentucky House of Representatives

In 2000 Comer was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives at the age of 27.[7]

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
Comer speaking to members of the Kentucky National Guard in 2013

In 2011, Comer ran for the position of Agriculture Commissioner; the incumbent, Richie Farmer, was term limited.[8] In the election, Comer was the only Republican to win election to a statewide executive office,[9] and worked with a team of Democratic officials and under a Democratic Governor.[10] Comer had the highest percentage of the vote of any candidate on the ballot. He raised $606,766 while his opponent raised $204,287.[11] He took office on January 2012 and one of his first actions in office was teaming up with Democratic Auditor Adam Edelen to investigate his Republican predecessor's ethical issues while in office.[12]

That year Comer became the chairman of the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission,[13] and shortly after taking office, Comer labeled the legalization of industrialized hemp as his top priority,[14][15] and was "instrumental in getting the hemp industry up and running,"[16] including the founding of several pilot programs[17] in an effort to restart the industrial hemp industry of Kentucky. His efforts also included filing suit against the DEA, which resulted in the DEA allowing hemp seeds to be delivered to farmers in Kentucky for the first new crops.[18] Between 2014 and 2015 the hemp crops of Kentucky grew from 33 to 1700 acres.[19] Comer also advocated for national hemp deregulation in Washington DC.[20]

Comer also founded the Kentucky Proud Farm to Campus program,[21] and created a mobile science centers program for primary and secondary school students to learn about agricultural sciences.[22]

2015 gubernatorial election
Comer in 2014

On August 2, 2014, during the annual Fancy Farm picnic, Comer announced he would seek the Republican nomination for Governor of Kentucky in the 2015 election.[23] His running mate was State Senator Christian McDaniel.[24] Comer was 83 votes behind businessman Matt Bevin in the May 19, 2015 primary election. The Associated Press, referring to the race a "virtual tie", did not call the race in favor of either candidate. In addition, Comer had refused to concede and stated that he would ask for a recanvass.[25] The request for recanvass was filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office on May 20, 2015 with Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes ordering the recanvass to occur at 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 28, 2015.[26][27] Upon completion of the recanvass, Grimes announced that Bevin remained 83 votes ahead of Comer.[28] Grimes also stated that should Comer want a full recount, it would require a court order from the Franklin Circuit Court.[29] On May 29, Comer announced he would not request a recount and conceded the nomination to Bevin.[30]

United States House of Representatives

2016 election

In 2016 Comer entered the Republican primary election for the first congressional district of Kentucky against two other competitors. Prior to the primary, he was endorsed by both the National Rifle Association and the US Chamber of Commerce.[31] In the end he won the primary with 60.6% of the vote.[28] Comer was elected to the United States House of Representatives in Kentucky's District 1 with 72.6% of the vote,[16] defeating his Democratic opponent Samuel L. Gaskins. Voters voted separately both for who would fill the unexpired term of predecessor Ed Whitfield from the date of the election forward, as well as who would fill the seat for the upcoming 2017-19 term, and Comer won both elections.[32]

Comer being sworn in by Speaker Paul Ryan

Tenure

During the first few months of his tenure, Comer held several town hall meetings, where he discussed the Congress's early platform.[33] He also partnered with Murray State University to form the Congressman James Comer Congressional Agriculture Fellowship program,[34] and has advocated for the reform of agricultural legislation.[35] He has also criticized the regulatory policies of Barack Obama,[36] and supported the early domestic policies and actions of Donald Trump. Comer is a social conservative on "same-sex marriage and abortion".[37] In terms of foreign policy, Comer believes that the trade embargo on Cuba should be lifted.[38]

In December 2017, Comer voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[39] After the bill's passing, Comer stated: "I am proud to support this critical part of President Trump's pro-growth agenda that will fulfill this promise to the American people who have struggled under the weight of Washington bureaucrats for far too long."[40]

Comer has an original cosponsor of the Hemp Farming Act, which legalizes hemp nationwide and removes federal regulations on the crop.[41] The bill was later included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 and signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2018. [42] Comer was a member of the conference committee which negotiated the final version of the legislation [43]

At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, Comer teamed up with Democratic Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon to introduce legislation which would protect access to school lunches for school districts throughout the country who had to close down in light of the coronavirus. [44] The COVID–19 Child Nutrition Response Act allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive requirements for children to gather at schools in order for school officials and food service personnel to distribute reimbursable, nutritious meals. It also provides local school officials with discretion over substitutions for meal components if supply or procurement is disrupted. [45] When introducing the bill, Comer noted that "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." [46] After clearing both the House and Senate, President Trump signed the legislation into law on March 18.[47]

Committee assignments

Political positions

Health care

Comer supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").[48]

Economic issues

In 2016, Comer called the Obama administration's final budget a "disaster in the making." He believes that federal spending must become "under control" to not create "mountains of debt."[48] In 2017, he voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which is anticipated to add an estimated $1.49 trillion to the national debt.[49]

Immigration

Comer opposes amnesty and sanctuary cities. He supports Executive Order 13767, the building a wall along the Mexico–U.S. border.[48]

Abortion

Comer is pro-life.[48]

Drug policy

Comer supports declassifying marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic. He supports growing hemp. He says there is "simply not enough support for medical marijuana legalization across the board."[50]

LGBT rights

Comer opposes same-sex marriage.[48] He also opposes banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and voted against the Equality Act in 2019.[51][52]

Electoral history
Kentucky 53rd State House District Republican Primary, 2000[53]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer 3,969 81.33
Republican Donnie Mayfield Polston 911 18.67
Total votes 4,880 100.0
Kentucky 53rd State House District General Election, 2000[54]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer 11,051 100.0
Total votes 11,051 100.0
Kentucky 53rd State House District General Election, 2002[55]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer (incumbent) 9,361 100.0
Total votes 9,361 100.0
Kentucky 53rd State House District General Election, 2004[56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer (incumbent) 12,247 100.0
Total votes 12,247 100.0
Kentucky 53rd State House District General Election, 2006[57]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer (incumbent) 10,876 100.0
Total votes 10,876 100.0
Kentucky 53rd State House District General Election, 2008[58]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer (incumbent) 12,482 100.0
Total votes 12,482 100.0
Kentucky 53rd State House District General Election, 2010[59]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer (incumbent) 12,040 100.0
Total votes 12,040 100.0
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Republican Primary, 2011[60]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer 86,316 66.67
Republican Rob Rothenburger 43,150 33.33
Total votes 129,466 100.0
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture General Election, 2011[61]
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
Kentucky Governor Republican Primary, 2015[62]
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
Kentucky 1st Congressional District Republican Primary, 2016[63]
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
Kentucky 1st Congressional District Special Election, 2016[64]
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
Kentucky 1st Congressional District General Election, 2016[65]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James R. Comer 216,959 72.56
Democratic Samuel L. Gaskins 81,710 27.33
Write-in votes Terry McIntosh 332 0.11
Total votes 299,001 100.0
Kentucky 1st Congressional District General Election, 2018[66]
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

Personal life

Comer is married to Tamara Jo "TJ" Comer and has three children, one boy and two girls. He is a Member of First Baptist Church of Tompkinsville, but has attended Forks of the Elkhorn Baptist Church since his election to the office of Agriculture Commissioner.[1][67]

On May 5, 2015, he was accused of physical and mental abuse by Marilyn Thomas, a woman he dated while attending Western Kentucky University in 1993.[68] According to Atlantic Magazine, Comer has stated that he believes the accusation was a political stunt in order to hinder his gubernatorial campaign.[28]

gollark: Thanks.
gollark: This is just published publicly as a test.
gollark: It's a single user thing so it has basically no permission model or accounts, yes.
gollark: Do NOT engage in mean.
gollark: Yeeees.

References
  1. "James Comer, Jr.'s Biography". Votesmart.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  2. "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress".
  3. Barton, Ryland. "James Comer's Quest To 'Pass A Bold Agenda' Gets Bumpy".
  4. "KY Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer to Keynote Farm Family Night at MCTC". maysville.kctcs.edu.
  5. "Comer combines experience in bid". www.paducahsun.com.
  6. "Comer commemorates May beef month in Kentucky". May 10, 2013.
  7. "Comer confident despite campaign 'turbulence'".
  8. "Comer and Bob Farmer will face off for agriculture commissioner".
  9. "2011 – The Year In Review".
  10. "Ag Commissioner James Comer ending first year in office as it began – full steam ahead - KyForward.com". www.kyforward.com.
  11. Kentucky Registry of Election Finance
  12. "Bluegrass Beacon: Edelen takes the farm for government transparency". May 4, 2012.
  13. "America's hemp epicenter: Kentucky ag commissioner excites enthusiasts". October 14, 2015.
  14. "Lexington, KY local and state news by the Lexington Herald-Leader". Kentucky.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  15. Bastian, Jonathan (February 6, 2014). "Up Front TV: Kentucky Ag Commissioner James Comer on Hemp, GOP's Future, Felon Voting Rights - 89.3 WFPL". Wfpl.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  16. Markgraf, Matt. "Congressman James Comer Talks President Trump, Trade Deals, Regulations, Hemp".
  17. "Comer, growers, industry leaders announce array of hemp projects".
  18. "Kentucky CBD: Back to the Future with Industrial Hemp". May 12, 2015.
  19. "Kentucky's 2015 Hemp Crop to Exceed 1,700 Acres; Up from 33 Acres in 2014". May 8, 2015.
  20. Colston, Kenny (April 23, 2013). "Ag Commissioner James Comer Heading to Washington to Talk Hemp - 89.3 WFPL News Louisville".
  21. cmason@bgdailynews.com, CHARLES A. MASON. "Gubernatorial hopeful Comer speaks about farm program".
  22. "Comer launches new mobile science units to teach Kentucky kids about agriculture".
  23. "Ag. Commissioner James Comer announces run for governor in 2015". wdrb.com. August 2, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  24. "James Comer Introduces Running Mate Chris McDaniel In Kentucky Gubernatorial Campaign Kick-Off". wkms.org. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  25. "Officials say Bevin, Comer race too close to call". Wkyt.com. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  27. "Secretary Grimes Receives Recanvass Request from James Comer and Chris McDaniel". Kentucky.gov. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  28. Hagen, Lisa. "After Near-Miss in Kentucky Governor's Race, James Comer Tries a Congressional Comeback".
  29. "Review shows Bevin holding 83-vote lead in Kentucky GOP primary". Wkyt.com. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  30. "Comer concedes, Bevin to face Conway in race for governor". Wkyt.com. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  31. Null, John. "[AUDIO] James Comer Talks Bid for 1st District Congressional Seat Ahead of May 17 Primary".
  32. "James Comer Elected to Fill Open Seat in Kentucky's 1st District". Roll Call. November 9, 2016.
  33. Director, Rita Dukes Smith, SurfKY News. "Comer Town Hall Set in Heart of Farmland USA". surfky.com.
  34. "Congressman James Comer and Murray State University Hutson School of Agriculture partner for agriculture fellowship – The Blue & Gold". msublueandgold.org.
  35. Markgraf, Matt. "Congressman Comer Talks Farm Bill, Ag Industry, Healthcare in Hopkinsville".
  36. http://www.westkentuckystar.com/News/State/Kentucky/Comer-Talks-Tobacco-with-Secretary-of-Agriculture.aspx
  37. Markgraf, Matt. ""That Was Not an Act of War" Comer Talks Syrian Strike and More with Murray Business Leaders".
  38. Markgraf, Matt. "Rep. Comer: Kentucky Ag Industry Would Benefit from Lifting Embargo on Cuba".
  39. Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  40. "Congressman Comer votes for final version of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act | The Ohio County Monitor". Ohio County Monitor. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  41. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5485
  42. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2
  43. https://apnews.com/a8494679e9c44c0f803e67fb292ff34f/Comer-gains-seat-on-farm-bill-conference-committee
  44. https://www.wkms.org/post/comer-introduces-bill-protect-school-lunches-during-coronavirus-outbreak#stream/
  45. https://www.wtvq.com/2020/03/18/bill-allow-students-receive-meals-coronavirus-outbreak-signed-law/
  46. https://www.wkms.org/post/comer-introduces-bill-protect-school-lunches-during-coronavirus-outbreak#stream/
  47. https://www.wtvq.com/2020/03/18/bill-allow-students-receive-meals-coronavirus-outbreak-signed-law/
  48. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  49. Bryan, Bob. "The giant Senate tax bill barely squeaked by a critical test". Business Insider. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  50. Harvey, Laura. "Comer meets with residents". The Messenger. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  51. Final Vote Results for Roll Call 217
  52. "House Debate on the Equality Act". C-SPAN. May 17, 2019.
  53. "2000 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  54. "2000 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  55. "2002 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  56. "2004 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  57. "2006 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  58. "2008 Primary and General Election Results". Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  59. "2010 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  60. "2011 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  61. "2011 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  62. "2015 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  63. "2016 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  64. "Special Elections - 2016 - 1st Congressional District" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  65. "2016 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  66. "2018 Primary and General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  67. "Comer Tweets about events and services at "Forks of the Elkhorn [Southern] Baptist Church" with relative Frequency". Twitter.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  68. Gerth, Joseph (May 5, 2015). "College girlfriend says James Comer abused her". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by
Richie Farmer		 Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky
2012–2016		 Succeeded by
Ryan Quarles
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Ed Whitfield		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kentucky's 1st congressional district
2016–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Jim Jordan		 Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee
2020–present		 Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Warren Davidson		 United States Representatives by seniority
282nd		 Succeeded by
Dwight Evans
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