Suzanne Bonamici
Suzanne Marie Bonamici (/ˌbɒnəˈmiːtʃi/ BONN-ə-MEE-chee; born October 14, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon's 1st congressional district, a seat she was first elected to in a 2012 special election. The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington counties.
Suzanne Bonamici | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 1st district | |
| Assumed office January 31, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | David Wu |
| Member of the Oregon Senate from the 17th district | |
| In office May 19, 2008 – November 21, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Brad Avakian |
| Succeeded by | Elizabeth Steiner Hayward |
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 34th district | |
| In office January 2, 2007 – May 19, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Brad Avakian |
| Succeeded by | Chris Harker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Suzanne Marie Bonamici October 14, 1954 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Michael Simon |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Neil Simon (through marriage) |
| Education | Lane Community College University of Oregon (BA, JD) |
| Website | House website |
A Democrat, Bonamici represented the 17th district in the Oregon State Senate from 2008 to 2011.[1] She was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2006.
Early life, education, and legal career
Bonamici was born in Detroit and raised in a small Michigan town. She earned an associate degree from Lane Community College in 1978, and a bachelor's degree in 1980 and J.D. in 1983, both from the University of Oregon.[2] After college, she became a legal assistant at Lane County Legal Aid in Eugene. After law school, she became a consumer protection attorney for the Federal Trade Commission in the nation's capital. She went into private practice in Portland and represented small businesses.[3]
Oregon legislature
Elections
In 2006, incumbent Democratic State Representative Brad Avakian decided to retire to run for the Oregon Senate. Bonamici ran for the open seat in Oregon's 34th House district and defeated Republican Joan Draper, 62%-36%.[4]
On April 30, 2008, commissioners from Washington and Multnomah Counties appointed Bonamici to represent Oregon's 17th Senate district. The seat became vacant when Avakian was appointed Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.[5] She was sworn in on May 19, 2008.
Bonamici was unopposed in the November 2008 special election for the balance of Avakian's four-year term, and was elected with 97% of the vote.[6] In 2010, she was reelected with 64% of the vote.[7]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
- Special election
In early 2011, Bonamici was mentioned as a possible successor to Representative David Wu after The Oregonian and Willamette Week reported that Wu exhibited odd behavior and clashed with his staff amid apparent mental illness during the 2010 election cycle.[8] After Wu resigned from Congress, Bonamici announced her candidacy for the special election to replace him,[9] touting endorsements from former Governor Barbara Roberts, former Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, and incumbent Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, among others.[10]
On November 8, 2011, Bonamici won the Democratic Party of Oregon's nomination, with a majority of the vote in every county in the district and 66% of the vote overall, a 44-point margin over second-place finisher Brad Avakian. She defeated Republican nominee Rob Cornilles in the January 31, 2012, special election[11] by a 14-point margin.[12]
Before her election to Congress, Bonamici resigned from the Oregon Senate on November 21,[13] and was replaced by Elizabeth Steiner Hayward in December.[14]
- 2012 regular election
In November 2012, Bonamici was reelected to her first full term with over 60% of the vote.[15]
Legislation
On July 31, 2014, Bonamici introduced the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2014 (H.R. 5309; 113th Congress) into the House.[16] The bill would authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to spend $27 million a year for three years on their ongoing tsunami warning and research programs.[17]
Bonamici said, "the coastlines of the United States already play an integral role in the economic prosperity of this country and we must strengthen their preparedness and resiliency so they can continue to play that role going forward."[17] She added that the bill "will improve the country's understanding of the threat posed by tsunami events" because it will "improve forecasting and notification systems, support local community outreach and preparedness and response plans, and develop supportive technologies."[18]
Committee assignments
- Committee on Science, Space and Technology
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
Caucuses memberships
Electoral history
| Year | Democratic | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 (Special) | Suzanne Bonamici | 113,404 | 53.8% | Rob Cornilles | 83,396 | 39.6% | Steve Reynolds | Progressive | 6,798 | 3.2% | James Foster | Libertarian | 6,618 | 3.1% | Write-ins | 547 | 0.3% | |||||||
| 2012 | 197,845 | 59.6% | Delinda Morgan | 109,699 | 33.0% | 15,009 | 4.5% | * | Bob Ekstrom | Constitution | 8,918 | 2.7% | 509 | 0.2% | ||||||||||
| 2014 | 160,038 | 57.3% | Jason Yates | 96,245 | 34.5% | James Foster | Libertarian | 11,213 | 4.0% | Steve Reynolds | Pacific Green | 11,163 | 4.0% | 597 | 0.2% | |||||||||
| 2016 | 225,391 | 59.6% | Brian Heinrich | 139,756 | 37.0% | Kyle Sheahan | 12,257 | 3.2% | Write-ins | 691 | 0.2% | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | 231,198 | 63.6% | John Verbeek | 116,446 | 32.1% | Drew Layda | 15,121 | 4.2% | 484 | 0.1% | ||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 297,071 | 64.6% | Christopher Christensen | 161,928 | 35.2% | Write-ins | 900 | 0.2% |
* In the 2012 election, Steve Reynolds was co-nominated by the Libertarian and Pacific Green parties.[25]
Personal life
Bonamici is married to Michael H. Simon, a federal judge.[26] They have two children. Bonamici was raised Episcopalian and Unitarian, and subsequently converted to Judaism.[27][28] She attends Congregation Beth Israel with her husband (who was born Jewish), and their children.[29][30]
See also
References
- ^ "Suzanne Bonamici makes legislative resignation official". The Oregonian. November 21, 2011.
- ^ "Legislator Information Database". ddcapp.oklegislature.gov. Oklahoma Legislature. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^ "About Suzanne | Suzanne Bonamici for Congress". Bonamiciforcongress.com. 2012-01-31. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ^ "OR State House 34 Race - Nov 07, 2006". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ^ "Bonamici named to replace Avakian in state Senate". Beaverton Valley Times. May 1, 2008.
- ^ "OR State Senate 17 - Special Election Race - Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ^ "OR State Senate 17 Race - Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ^ "Oregon Democratic leaders say they hope Wu gets help, put off talk of his political future". The Oregonian. OregonLive. February 19, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ "Bonamici announces bid for Wu's seat in Congress". Statesman Journal. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
- ^ "Endorsements". Bonamici for Congress. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
- ^ "Oregon - County Vote Results". Associated Press. November 9, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
- ^ "January 31, 2012, Special Election Abstracts of Votes Representative in Congress, 1st District Official Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ^ "Physician to sit in state seat". The Hillsboro Argus. December 22, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ Mapes, Jeff (December 21, 2011). "A Washington County commissioner at sea casts decisive vote to fill Oregon Senate seat". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ Brown, Kate. "2012 election results". OR STATE SEC OF STATE. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ "H.R. 5309 - All Actions". United States Congress. 9 September 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Marcos, Cristina (September 8, 2014). "House passes bill to authorize tsunami forecasting programs". The Hill. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ "Representative Bonamici Introduces Bipartisan Tsunami Warning Bill". Safer Coastlines. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ . Congressional Progressive Caucus. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ "90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members". Citizen´s Climate Lobby. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ "January 31, 2012, Special Election Official Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ "Election Statistics, 1920 to Present". History, Art and Archives United States House of Representatives. United States House of Representatives Office of the Historian. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ "Voters' Pamphlet, Oregon General Election, November 6, 2012". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ Duin, Steve (August 6, 2011). "In the wake of David Wu case, accusations fly in Oregon's First District". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ Kampeas, Ron (16 October 2018). "A guide to the Jewish Democratic House candidates in the 2018 midterm elections". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ Kampeas, Ron. Twitter https://twitter.com/kampeas/status/1503436261796761602.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Suzanne Bonamici". The Oregonian. Oregon Special Election voter guide. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ (PDF) https://www.bethisrael-pdx.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Robust-annual-meeting-resave-5.26.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)
External links
- Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici official U.S. House website
- Suzanne Bonamici for Congress
- Suzanne Bonamici at Curlie
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN