David Loebsack

From dKosopedia

David Loebsack
U.S. Representative – IA-02

Party	Democratic
Assumed office January 4, 2007
Preceded by	Jim Leach
Committees	Armed Services Education and Labor
Born	December 23, 1952
Spouse	Terry Loebsack
Religion	Methodist

David W. Loebsack (D) entered Congress January 4, 2007, having defeated defeated fifteen-term Republican Congressman Jim Leach in the November 2006 election to represent the Second Congressional District of Iowa in the 110th Congress; this election was little followed by the press, and was something of an upset.

1 Background
2 Grassroots Activism and Politics
3 Election of 2006
4 Committees
5 GovTrack link
6 External Links
7 Related areas

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Background

Before his election to Congress, he was a professor of political science at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. One of his former students was Chris Carney, who was also elected to Congress in 2006.

Dave was born in Sioux City, Iowa December 12, 1952. He grew up in a very poor family headed by a single mother. He could not have attended college without Social Security survivors benefits and scholarships. He graduated from East High School in 1970 and attended Iowa State University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 1974 and a Master’s degree in 1976. He then attended the University of California at Davis where he earned his Ph.D. in political science with a specialty in international relations. Dave has taught political science at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa since 1982, where he was Professor of Political Science (International Relations and Comparative Politics). He is a member of the American Federation of Teachers. Loebsack had taken Cornell students overseas seven times to experience the people and culture of China, Nicaragua, and Brazil.

Loebsack is married to Teresa Loebsack, who was a second grade teacher in the Mount Vernon public schools before making the move to Washington. They each have two children by previous marriages. His daughters, Jennifer and Sarah are recent college graduates. His stepchildren are Madeleine Melendez and Marcos Melendez, III, the latter a Naval Academy graduate (class of 2000) and a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. Marcos and his wife, Michelle (also a Marine officer), have served tours of duty in Iraq.

Grassroots Activism and Politics

Chair, Linn Phoenix Club (fundraising arm of the Linn County Democrats), 2002-2005.
Member of the Linn County and Second District Democratic Central Committees.
A Linn County coordinator for Howard Dean for President, and was a local leader in Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign in 2000.
Iowa Civil Liberties Union Board member, 2002-2005

Election of 2006

Loebsack: 107,097, 51%
Leach: 101,386, 49%
See Iowa Federal elections, 2006

Committees

Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
- Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions