E. Clay Shaw, Jr.

Infobox_Congressman
name=E. Clay Shaw


date of birth=Birth date and age|1939|4|19|mf=y
place of birth=Miami, Florida
state=Florida
district=22nd
term=1981–2007
preceded=None (District Created After 1990 Census)
succeeded=Ron Klein
party=Republican
religion=Roman Catholic
spouse=Emilie Shaw
occupation= accountant, judge
alma_mater= Stetson University, University of Alabama
residence= Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Eugene Clay Shaw Jr. (born April 19 1939) is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until 2007. He represented the 22nd District of Florida until he was defeated by Ron Klein in the 2006 midterm election.

Years prior to Congress

Shaw was born in Miami, Florida. He graduated in 1957 from Miami Edison Senior High School. He received a bachelor's degree in business in 1961 from Stetson University in Florida, where he joined Sigma Nu Fraternity, a master's degree in accounting in 1963 from the University of Alabama, and a law degree in 1966 from Stetson University School of Law.

After graduation, Shaw practiced law and worked as a certified public accountant. In 1968, he became assistant city attorney in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was chief city prosecutor from 1968 to 1969, then became an associate municipal judge and, later, city commissioner from 1971 to 1973. After two years as vice mayor, he served as mayor of Fort Lauderdale from 1975 to 1981. Shaw earned notoriety during his tenor as mayor for his patently anti-gay stance. He demanded a grand jury investigation in 1976 because he feared that the Marlin Beach Hotel's active courting of gay tourism would cause the industry to spread to other areas of the city. The investigation was dropped when the city's attorney decided there was nothing to investigate. ["Fort Lauderdale News/Sun-Sentinel Metro"; Sunday, Dec. 21, 1980; 2B]

Shaw is a member of The Florida Bar and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Congress

Shaw said in 1994, "The inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty was written before welfare. People come to this country to work. Now the question becomes, Are these handouts a magnet that is bringing people into this country? To some degree, they are."cite news |first=Richard| last=Lacayo| title= Down on the Downtrodden |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982006,00.html |publisher="Time Magazine" |date=December 19, 1994 |accessdate=2007-07-22 ]

2000, 2002, and 2004 campaigns

Shaw faced a tough challenge in November 2000 from State Representative Elaine Bloom, who lost by only 599 votes. It was only the second difficult re-election contest for Shaw. The district, once a Republican-leaning swing district, shifted heavily to the Democrats in the early 1990s along with most of South Florida. Al Gore defeated George W. Bush in the district by 52% to 48%.

The Florida Legislature responded by cutting out a heavily Democratic section of Miami-Dade County in the 2000s round of redistricting, pushing it further into Palm Beach County. This district was only slightly less Democratic than its predecessor (even though Republicans have a small plurality of registered voters), but Shaw scored easier re-elections in 2002 and 2004.

In 2002, Shaw was re-elected with 61% of the vote against Democrat Carol Roberts, a former Palm Beach County Commissioner.

In 2004, Shaw won re-election with 63% of the vote against a last-minute replacement Democratic candidate, Robin Rorapaugh. His original opponent, Jim Stork, dropped out before the election for medical reasons, but his name remained on the ballot. [ [http://www.sptimes.com/2004/10/13/news_pf/State/Rorapaugh_replaces_St.shtml St. Petersburg Times: October 13, 2004-Rorapaugh replaces Stork on congressional ticket] ] John Kerry defeated George W. Bush in the district by a margin of 50% to 48%. [ [http://www.ourcongress.org/race/fl22 Our Congress.org: Florida 22nd District-Kerry defeats Bush 50%-48%] ]

2006 re-election

Shaw ran for re-election in 2006 against Democratic challenger Ron Klein, a three term state senator from Boca Raton. This time he lost, 51%-48%.After his 2006 loss, Shaw decided to donate his official Congressional papers (totaling more than 100 linear feet) and memorabilia to his alma mater, Stetson University. The Shaw Collection includes policy notebooks, plaques, awards, videos, letters from U.S. presidents, a number of signed framed bills with the presidential signing pens, and more than 2,500 photos.

Committees and caucuses

Shaw was the second most senior Republican on the House Ways and Means committee at the time he left Congress haven taken that position after Phil Crane lost reelection.

From 2005 to 2007, Shaw chaired the Ways and Means Trade subcommittee. From 1999 to 2005, he was as Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee. From 1995 to 1998, Shaw chaired the Human Resources subcommittee.

He also was chairman of the Florida delegation from 1996 until leaving office. He was also on the Congressional Arts Caucus, Congressional Fire Services Caucus, Congressional Narcotics Abuse and Control Caucus, Congressional Social Security Caucus, Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, Friends of Ireland, Law Enforcement Caucus, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. He is also the co-chair of the following Congressional Boating Caucus, Congressional Coastal Caucus, and International Conservation Caucus.

Great Floridian

For 2008, Clay Shaw was named a Great Floridian by the Florida Department of State, an honor extended to individuals who made major contributions to the progress and welfare of the state of Florida. [ [http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0267/SEC0731.HTM&Title=-%3E2001-%3ECh0267-%3ESection%200731 Florida Legislature website: The 2007 Florida Statutes-Title XVIII] ]

References

External links

*CongBio|S000303
* [http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/s000303/ Voting record maintained by the Washington Post]
* [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/campaign_diary/florida/archive/2006/10/the_foley_scandal_affects_the.htm/ US News & World Report on Shaw's 2006 Re-Election Campaign]