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Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr.[2] (born August 24, 1952), is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a successful businessman prior to holding public office.
[edit] Early life and family Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina,[3] Corker moved to Tennessee at the age of 11.[4] He graduated from Chattanooga High School in 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1974. He and his wife Elizabeth, whom he married on May 18, 1987, have two daughters. The family's permanent residence is at the Anne Haven mansion built by Coca-Cola Bottling Company heirs Anne Lupton and Frank Harrison.[5] After working four years as a construction superintendent, he started his own construction company, Bencor, which he sold in 1990. In 1999, he purchased the two largest real estate companies in Chattanooga, Osborne Building Corporation and the Stone Fort Land Company, making him the largest private land owner in Hamilton County, Tennessee. He sold most of these holdings in 2006 to Henry Luken. His business successes have made Corker a multimillionaire.[6] Corker's assets were estimated at $19.19 million in 2008.[7] [edit] Early political careerCorker first ran for the United States Senate in 1994, losing the Republican primary to eventual winner Bill Frist.[6] In 1995, Corker was appointed Commissioner of Finance and Administration for the State of Tennessee, working for Governor Don Sundquist. As mayor of Chattanooga from 2001 to 2005, Corker oversaw a $120 million renovation project, including an expansion of the Hunter Museum, a renovation of the Creative Discovery Museum, an expansion of Chattanooga's River Walk, and the addition of a new salt water building to the Tennessee Aquarium. [edit] 2006 United States Senate raceMain article: Tennessee United States Senate election, 2006 In 2004, Corker announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat. Incumbent Republican Senator Bill Frist had said that he was not going to run for reelection in 2006. Corker won the Republican primary election in August 2006 with 48% of the vote, defeating two rivals, Ed Bryant (34% of the vote) and Van Hilleary (17% of the vote). For his primary campaign, Corker invested $4.2 million in television advertising, especially in the western portion of the state, where he was relatively unknown before the primary.[6] For the general election campaign, his Democratic opponent, Harold Ford, Jr., challenged Corker to seven televised debates across the state. In response, Corker said he would debate Ford, though he did not agree to seven debates.[8] Corker and Ford participated in a televised debate in Memphis on October 7,[9] in Chattanooga on October 10,[10] and in Nashville on October 28.[11] [edit] Senate career Corker was sworn in as Senator on January 4, 2007. At the ceremony he was accompanied by “two former Senate majority leaders from Tennessee, Howard Baker and Bill Frist”.[12] Corker has become a defender of the Iraqi war since taking his seat in the 110th Congress. Despite frustration by the public, any further reduction in U.S. forces in Iraq must be based on improved conditions in the country, Corker said. He urged ultimate success will be determined by the Iraqi government, over which the U.S. has limited control, and the withdrawal of some of the troops that were added in 2007 has created some pressure on the Iraqi government, but warned that further cuts now could destabilize the country.[13] Corker has voted against a cap-and-trade measure, but said he might accept a "rational" version of the legislation. Criticizing as “political stimulus” for electoral campaigns,[14] Corker became one of the only sixteen Senators who opposed the tax rebate stimulus plan.[15] Later, he had described the stimulus package that passed Congress as "silly".[16] Corker was one of the original members of the Gang of 10, now consisting of twenty members, which is a bipartisan coalition seeking comprehensive energy reform. The group is pushing for a bill that would encourage state-by-state decisions on offshore drilling and authorize billions of dollars for conservation and alternative energy.[17] On December 2008, Corker opposed a Democratic proposed federal bailout for the failing US automakers,[18] and expressed doubt that the companies would be salvaged.[19] Corker proposed that federal funds be provided for automakers only if accompanied by cuts in labor costs and other concessions from unions.[20] Negotiations regarding Corker's proposal broke down on the evening of December 11, 2008. The United Auto Workers, which had previously accepted a series of cuts in its current contract, sought to put off any further cuts until 2011, while Corker requested that cuts go into effect in 2009.[21] Republicans blamed the UAW for failure to reach an agreement, while the UAW claimed that Corker's proposal singled out "workers and retirees for different treatment and make[s] them shoulder the entire burden of restructuring."[22] On December 13, 2008, Businessweek reported that Corker was "one of those responsible for winning the new Volkswagen (VOWG) factory at a cost of $577 million in tax incentives" during his tenure as mayor of Chattanooga, raising questions about Corker's motivations during the bailout negotiations.[23] Economist Paul Krugman referred to him as “the Senator from Nissan.”[24] Nissan already has two plants and its North American headquarter near Nashville. [edit] Committee assignments
Sen. Corker's committee assignments [edit] Issue positions and ideology In the 2006 Senate race, Corker positioned himself as a conservative on most social and economic issues through television advertisements, his campaign website, and in debates. Corker supports broad Second Amendment rights, "appointing Federal judges who practice judicial restraint," making the 2001 tax cut and the 2003 tax cut permanent, and increasing security on U.S. borders by hiring more border agents and constructing barriers in high traffic areas.[25] Corker has expressed skepticism regarding the claims of human-caused global warming; supports continued U.S. involvement in Iraq; and has shown interest in replacing the federal progressive income tax with a flat tax.[26] He favors imposing a tax on carbon.[27] In the 2006 primary campaign, Corker's opponents pointed out that Corker has changed his view on abortion since his first Senate campaign in 1994.[28] Corker responded that he "was wrong in 1994" when he said that the government should not interfere with an individual's right to an abortion, stating that he now believes that life begins at conception.[28] Corker now says he opposes abortion rights except when the life of the mother is endangered or in cases of rape and incest.[28] In the 2006 general election, Corker received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, but the state branch of the group, Tennessee Right to Life, refused to endorse Corker, calling him a "pro-abortion" politician.[29] After the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Corker released a statement expressing his desire to “put partisanship aside as we try to solve the many challenges facing our country.[30] Corker scored 83% on American Conservative Union’s 2008 Ratings of Congress.[31] In one area of difference of political philosophy for the conservative, he voted in favor of the Wall Street bailout.[32] [edit] Electoral history
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] External links
Categories: United States Senators from Tennessee | Tennessee Republicans | State cabinet secretaries of Tennessee | American Presbyterians | American businesspeople | Businesspeople in real estate | University of Tennessee alumni | Mayors of Chattanooga, Tennessee | People from Chattanooga, Tennessee | People from Orangeburg, South Carolina | 1952 births | Living people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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