Michael Waltz
Michael George Glen Waltz[2][3] (born January 31, 1974)[4] is a U.S. Army officer and American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 6th congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Michael Waltz | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 6th district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Ron DeSantis |
Personal details | |
Born | Michael George Glen Waltz January 31, 1974 Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Virginia Military Institute (BA) |
Website | House website |
Military service | |
Allegiance | |
Branch/service | |
Rank | Lieutenant Colonel[1] |
Unit | U.S. Army Special Forces |
Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
Education
Waltz earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies at the Virginia Military Institute and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army National Guard.
Career
A U.S. Army National Guard Special Forces officer, he is a veteran of the War in Afghanistan and is the first Green Beret ever elected to the United States Congress. Before his election to Congress, Waltz served in a senior role at The Pentagon as Director for Afghanistan policy within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, served as a senior advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney for South Asia and Counterterrorism in the George W. Bush Administration, was co-founder and partner at Askari Associates, LLC, and was president of Metis Solutions. He was formerly a FOX News Channel contributor, providing expert commentary on foreign policy and defense issues, and has also appeared frequently on CNN, MSNBC, BBC World News, and PBS Frontline.[5][6]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2018 general election
Waltz ran for Florida's 6th congressional district in 2018 to succeed incumbent Republican Ron DeSantis, who retired before being elected Governor of Florida in a close race.[7][8]
Tenure
He won the election over Democrat Nancy Soderberg and was sworn in to the 116th congress on January 3, 2019.
In April 2020, Waltz joined the National Guard's COVID-19 response efforts as a colonel on the planning staff.[9]
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
- For Country Caucus
- Army Caucus
- Special Forces Caucus
- Shipbuilding Caucus
- Motorsports Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
- American Flood Coalition
- Afghanistan Caucus
- Taiwan Caucus
- Florida Ports Caucus
- Kurdish Caucus
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Michael Waltz | 32,916 | 42.43% | |
Republican | John Ward | 23,593 | 30.41% | |
Republican | Fred Costello | 21,074 | 27.16% | |
Total votes | 77,583 | 100% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Michael Waltz | 187,891 | 56.31% | |
Democratic | Nancy Soderberg | 145,758 | 43.69% | |
Total votes | 333,649 | 100% | ||
Republican hold |
Books
- Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan. ISBN 1612346316.
References
- "Retired Lt. Col. Michael Waltz announces run for Congress". washingtontimes.com. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- VMI Grad Elected to Florida Congress
- "Representative Michael Waltz". Representative Michael Waltz. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
- https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/416745-florida-new-members-2019
- "Matchup between ex-Cheney aide and ex-Clinton aide set in Florida's 6th". The Washington Post. 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- Mark Harper. "Big money aids Nancy Soderberg, Michael Waltz in District 6 congressional race – News – The St. Augustine Record – St. Augustine, FL". Staugustine.com. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- "Republican Michael Waltz wins open Florida House seat, keeping 6th District in GOP control". SFGate. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- "Special forces: How Mike Waltz defeated the national left – Florida Politics". floridapolitics.com. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- "These National Guard members also serve in Congress. Now they're fighting COVID-19". Roll Call. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
External links
- Congressman Michael Waltz official U.S. House site
- Michael Waltz for Congress
- 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
- Appearances on C-SPAN
U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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Preceded by Ron DeSantis |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 6th congressional district 2019–present |
Incumbent |
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
Preceded by Jeff Van Drew |
United States Representatives by seniority 422nd |
Succeeded by Steve Watkins |