John Moolenaar
John Robert Moolenaar (/ˈmoʊlənɑːr/; born May 8, 1961) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 4th congressional district since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he was previously elected to the Michigan House of Representatives (2003–2008) and Michigan Senate (2011–2014).[1]
John Moolenaar | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 4th district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Dave Camp |
Member of the Michigan Senate from the 36th district | |
In office January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2014 | |
Preceded by | Tony Stamas |
Succeeded by | Jim Stamas |
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 98th district | |
In office January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2008 | |
Preceded by | Tony Stamas |
Succeeded by | Jim Stamas |
Personal details | |
Born | John Robert Moolenaar May 8, 1961 Midland, Michigan, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Amy Moolenaar |
Children | 6 |
Education | Hope College (BS) Harvard University (MPA) |
Website | House website |
Early life and education
Moolenaar was born in a family of Dutch Americans on May 8, 1961 in Midland, Michigan. In 1983, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Hope College. He then earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University in 1989.
Career
Moolenaar is a chemist, and worked at Dow Chemical Company for eight months before entering politics.[2] He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2002, where he served three terms. In 2010, he was elected to the Michigan Senate, where he served one term.[3] Prior to his election to the Legislature, Moolenaar served on the Midland City Council.[4]
In 2014, Moolenaar ran for the United States House of Representatives seat representing Michigan's 4th congressional district. He won the Republican primary election in August, defeating Paul Mitchell,[5] and the general election in November.
On April 24, 2018, Moolenaar announced that signatures were officially filed with the Secretary of State for a third term in office. In response to this news, Moolenaar stated "I am grateful for the continued support and trust from hardworking people across mid and northern Michigan.[6] In Congress, I will continue to focus on growing jobs, balancing the budget, supporting our veterans and keeping our country safe with a strong national defense."
Moolenaar, along with fellow Michigan representative Andy Levin, has introduced legislation to delay any deportations of Americans to Iraq for two years.[7]
Elections
Moolenaar won election to the 36th district of the Michigan State Senate in 2010. He defeated Democrat Andy Neumann in the November 2nd general election, 56,634 votes to 32,154.
On September 7, 2011, the Midland County Election Commission approved recall language submitted against Moolenaar. The submission was the third attempt by Hay Township supervisor Dennis J. Perry in his efforts to recall Moolenaar. The language of the first two petitions was rejected as unclear.
The approved language cited Moolenaar's support for Michigan House Bill 4361 (S-5), which allowed for taxation of public retiree pensions.[92] It was unclear how many signatures needed to be collected, but Perry was instructed to contact each of the 10 county clerks in the district in order to determine the number. The effort failed to collect enough signatures to put the recall on the November 2011 ballot.
Moolenaar ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Michigan's 4th District. Moolenaar won the Republican nomination in the primary on August 5, 2014, against Paul Mitchell and Peter Konetchy. He defeated Jeff Holmes (D), Will Tyler White (Libertarian) and George Zimmer (U.S. Taxpayers) in the general election on November 4, 2014.
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
References
- 2011-2012 Michigan Manual: State Senator John Moolenaar
- "Biography". house.gov. December 11, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- Gonzales, Nathan L.; Gonzales, Nathan L. (November 21, 2014). "Freshman Class Filled With Losers". Roll Call. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- "Meet Senator Moolenaar - Senator John Moolenaar". Senator John Moolenaar. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- "Sen. John Moolenaar defeats Paul Mitchell in 4th District congressional Republican primary race". MLive.com. August 6, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- "Moolenaar Files for Reelection". John Moolenaar for Congress. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- article on death of Aldaoud and related issues
- "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- "Members". Republican Main Street Partnership. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
External links
- Congressman John Moolenaar official U.S. House site
- Campaign website
- John Moolenaar at Curlie
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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Preceded by Dave Camp |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 4th congressional district 2015–present |
Incumbent |
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
Preceded by Barry Loudermilk |
United States Representatives by seniority 266th |
Succeeded by Alex Mooney |