Randy Forbes
James Randy Forbes (born February 17, 1952) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Virginia's 4th congressional district, serving from 2001 to 2017.
Randy Forbes | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 4th district | |
| In office June 19, 2001 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Norman Sisisky |
| Succeeded by | Donald McEachin |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 14th district | |
| In office January 6, 1998 – June 19, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Earley |
| Succeeded by | Harry Blevins |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 78th district | |
| In office January 10, 1990 – January 5, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Frederick Creekmore |
| Succeeded by | Harry Blevins |
| Chair of the Virginia Republican Party | |
| In office June 1996 – December 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick McSweeney |
| Succeeded by | Gary R. Thomson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Randy Forbes February 17, 1952 Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Shirley Forbes |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Randolph-Macon College (B.A.) University of Virginia (J.D.) |
Prior to joining the United States Congress, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Virginia State Senate, and Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. Forbes formerly served as Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.
During the Donald Trump administration, Forbes was reviewed as a prospective choice for Secretary of the Navy.[1] Forbes campaigned for Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Forbes was passed over twice for the first-round and second round nominations of Secretary of the Navy.[2][3]
Forbes served as a senior distinguished fellow at the U.S. Naval War College from February through December 2017.[4]
Early life, education and career edit
Forbes was born in Chesapeake, Virginia, the son of Thelma and Malcolm J. Forbes.[5] Forbes graduated first in his class from Randolph-Macon College in 1974.
He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1977. Forbes worked in private practice for Kaufman & Canoles PC.[6]
Political career edit
Forbes served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1989 to 1997 and the Virginia State Senate from 1997 to 2001. He also served as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia from 1996 to 2001.
He was first elected to the House in 2001 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of ten-term Democratic Congressman Norman Sisisky; defeating Democratic State Senator Louise Lucas 52–48%.[7] After the 4th district was reconfigured as part of redistricting, he ran unopposed by Democrats in 2002 and 2006. In 2004, he faced Jonathan R. Menefee, and won with 65% of the vote.[8] He faced Wynne LeGrow in the 2010 election, and was easily re-elected with 62% of the vote. In 2012, he defeated Chesapeake City Councilwoman Ella Ward with 57% of the vote.[9]
Forbes was the founder and chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and the Congressional China Caucus. He championed a plan to rebuild the Navy to 350 ships as chairman of the House Seapower Subcommittee.
On February 8, 2016, he announced that he would run for election to Virginia's 2nd Congressional District in November 2016 after a court-ordered redistricting saw the 4th absorb most of the majority-black areas around Richmond. The new map turned the 4th from a Republican-leaning swing district into a strongly Democratic district. He did so while at the same time announcing that he would continue to live in Chesapeake, which remained in the 4th; members of the House are only constitutionally required to live in the state they represent. Forbes stated that his seniority gave him a chance to become the first Virginian to chair the House Armed Services Committee. The 2nd District was being vacated by fellow Republican Scott Rigell.[10]
Forbes accused state Delegate and former U.S. Navy SEAL, Scott Taylor, of criminal activity for speeding violations and missing a court appearance, including a scheduled hearing when Taylor was deployed with the Navy.[11] On June 14, 2016, Forbes was defeated in the Republican primary by Scott Taylor by a margin of 52.5% to 40.6%, with a third candidate, C. Pat Cardwell IV, receiving 6.8% of the vote. Taylor went on to win the general election on November 8, 2016.[12]
Forbes received $801,606 in campaign financing from donors in the defense industry during his tenure in Congress.[13] The largest donors to Forbes over his Congressional career have been defense contractors serving the U.S. Navy for aviation and ship construction, including Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Leidos and Huntington Ingalls.[14]
After leaving Congress in 2017, Forbes joined the Government Law & Policy Practice’s Federal team at Greenberg Traurig as a Senior Director.[15]
U.S. House of Representatives edit
Elections edit
Committee assignments edit
- Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Readiness (Ex-Chairman)
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Committee on the Judiciary
Memberships edit
Forbes founded the Congressional Prayer Caucus in 2005 and co-chaired the caucus with Senator James Lankford.[16][17]
Political positions edit
Defense edit
Forbes was formerly Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee.
In 2013, Forbes publicly opposed military action in both Libya and Syria.[18] In 2014, he promised to promote President Obama's call for funds for action in Syria.[19]
In 2014, Forbes voted to address cuts imposed by sequestration with a $1.4 billion cut to operations, maintenance, and training funds, rather than mothballing 11 cruisers and three amphibious warships.[20]
China edit
Forbes was founder and chairman of the Congressional China Caucus.[21] Forbes spoke a panel discussion at Harvard University in the April 2012 on U.S. strategy to China's world power emergence.[22] Forbes has voiced concern for Chinese military ambition, cyber threats, contaminated exports, and human rights violations. His reputation has come under scrutiny with the recent acquisition of America's largest pork company, Smithfield Foods, by a Chinese competitor – a company headquartered within his district. This $4.7 billion deal is the biggest Chinese acquisition of a U.S. company to date.[23]
Energy edit
On June 12, 2008, Forbes introduced H.R. 6260, titled "New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence". The bill was offered as a substitute for the entire energy bill and outlined a series of prizes, similar to the X-PRIZE, which would be awarded to a private entity, which completed one of seven tasks related to achieving energy independence.
The bill included $14 billion in prizes and $10 billion in grants ($10 billion of which would have supported nuclear fusion research); provisions to establish a summit to discuss the challenge of energy independence; and creation of a commission to offer recommendations to fulfill the goal of becoming energy independent within 20 years. On June 26, 2009, the bill was offered as an amendment in the nature of a substitute for the Waxman/Markey-sponsored American Clean Energy and Security Act. The amendment was rejected by the House of Representatives 255–172.[24]
LGBT rights edit
In 2015, Forbes cosponsored a resolution to amend the US constitution to ban same-sex marriage.[25]
Electoral history edit
| Year | Democratic | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Norman Sisisky ** | 189,787 | 99% | (no candidate) | Write-ins | 2,108 | 1% | ||||||
| 2001 | Louise Lucas | 65,190 | 48% | J. Randy Forbes | 70,917 | 52% | |||||||
| 2002 | (no candidate) | J. Randy Forbes | 108,733 | 98% | Write-ins | 2,308 | 2% | ||||||
| 2004 | Jonathan R. Menefee | 100,413 | 35% | J. Randy Forbes | 182,444 | 64% | |||||||
| 2006 | (no candidate) | J. Randy Forbes | 150,967 | 76% | Albert P. Burckard, Jr. | Independent Green | 46,487 | 23% | |||||
| 2008 | Andrea Miller | 135,041 | 40% | J. Randy Forbes | 199,075 | 60% | |||||||
| 2010 | Wynne LeGrow | 74,298 | 38% | J. Randy Forbes | 122,659 | 62% | |||||||
| 2012 | Ella Ward | 150,190 | 43% | J. Randy Forbes | 199,292 | 57% | |||||||
| 2014 | Elliot Fausz | 75,270 | 38% | J. Randy Forbes | 120,684 | 60% | Bo Brown | Libertarian | 4,427 | 2% | |||
| 2016 | Scott Taylor | 21,406 | 53% | J. Randy Forbes | 16,552 | 41% | Pat Cardwell | Republican | 2,773 | 7% |
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2004, write-ins received 170 votes. In 2006, write-ins received 886 votes. In 2008, write-ins received 405 votes. In 2010, write-ins received 432 votes. In 2014, write-ins received 257 votes.
** Sisisky died on March 29, 2001; Forbes won the 2001 special election to fill out the remainder of his term.
References edit
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Why So Many National Security Experts Want Randy Forbes as Secretary of the Navy, The National Interest, November 10, 2016
- Interview: US Rep. Joe Wilson, Defense News, December 13, 2016
- Why there's only one choice for Trump's Navy secretary, The Hill, January 16, 2017
- Why Trump, and Asia, need Randy Forbes as US Navy secretary, Asia Times, January 16, 2017
- Trump's Navy Choice: A Secretary who knows Congress would help get to a 350-ship fleet., The Wall Street Journal, February 28, 2017
- Randy Forbes Still A Long Shot For Navy Secretary After Bilden's Withdrawal, Breaking Defense, March 1, 2017
- ^ Bilden was formally nominated as Navy Secretary on Jan. 25 after back-and-forth reports in the media as to whether he or former congressman Randy Forbes would get the job.
- ^ Byrnes, Jesse (June 2, 2017). "Trump to nominate Richard Spencer for Navy secretary". TheHill. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ Former Representative Randy Forbes joins Naval War College faculty, U.S. Naval War College, February 14, 2017
- ^ "forbes". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Stamper, Megan (October 12, 2012). "Meet the Candidates: Rep. Randy Forbes". Inside Business. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ^ [1] March 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Virginia election results 2004". The Washington Post.
- ^ August 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ . The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016.
- ^ "Randy Forbes tells half the story about Scott Taylor's court record". @politifact. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ . The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ "gop-backers-defense-budget-hike-got-millions-donations". Military Times. February 22, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ "Rep. Randy Forbes: Campaign Finance/Money - Top Donors - Representative Career | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ "Former U.S. Representative J. Randy Forbes Joins Greenberg Traurig in Washington, D.C." PRWeb. August 9, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ What happens in Room 219, Washington Times, November 29, 2015
- ^ "Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation". Prayercaucus.com. August 3, 1923. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ "Forbes Releases Statement Opposing Intervention in Syria - Congressman J. Randy Forbes". Forbes.house.gov. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Stevens, Connie (September 15, 2014). "Military Strikes Against ISIS". wvtf.org. Virginia Tech. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ Freedberg Jr., Sydney J. "HASC Debates Sequestration's 'Terrible Dilemma': A Ready Force Or A Large One". breakingdefense.com. Breaking Media, Inc. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ "About the Caucus". forbes.house.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Forbes to Speak Tomorrow at Harvard on U.S.-China Relations". forbes.house.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Who's behind the Chinese takeover of world's biggest pork producer?". PBS NewsHour. September 12, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ Bartel, Bill (June 27, 2009). "Forbes' GOP alternative to climate bill shot down". The Virginian-Pilot.
- ^ Huelskamp, Tim (February 12, 2015). "Cosponsors - H.J.Res.32 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Marriage Protection Amendment". www.congress.gov. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved January 10, 2008.
- ^ "VA District 4 - Special Race - Jun 19, 2001". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ . Virginia State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013.
External links edit
- J. Randy Forbes at Curlie
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- "U.S. House approves Forbes' bill reaffirming 'In God We Trust'" November 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Hampton Roads, November 2, 2011