Jeb Bradley

Infobox_Congressman
name =Jeb Bradley


date of birth= Birth date and age|1952|10|20|mf=y
place of birth= Rumford, Maine
occupation= small business owner
residence= Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
alma_mater= Tufts University
state = New Hampshire
district = 1st
term_start = January 3, 2003
term_end = January 3, 2007
preceded = John Sununu
succeeded = Carol Shea-Porter
party = Republican
religion = Episcopalian
spouse = Barbara Bradley

Joseph E. "Jeb" Bradley (born October 20, 1952) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for the ushr|New Hampshire|1| from 2003 to 2007.

Education and career prior to Congress

Bradley was born in Rumford, Maine to Joanne and Joseph Edmund Bradley, Jr. [ [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/reps/bradley.htm bradley ] ] He attended Tufts University, graduating in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts [http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/?id=6220 Congress.org Bio] ] with a major in sociology. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/pre-election/bios/1077.htm "Associated Press" profile] , accessed October 21, 2006] He once lived in Switzerland and worked as a street magician, returning in 1981 to New Hampshire, where he later opened an organic grocery called Evergrain Natural Foods.Ken Silverstein, [http://harpers.org/sb-jeb-bradley-invested-1156785610.html "Invested Interests: Analyzing Rep. Jeb Bradley's Portfolio"] , "Harper's Magazine", August 28, 2006] He and his wife sold the natural foods store in 1997. He also ran a painting business. Most recently, he managed real estate. He lost to Carol Shea-Porter in the 2006 elections.

New Hampshire legislature

Bradley was elected to the Wolfeboro Planning Board in 1986; three years later, he was named to the Budget Committee. He was a registered Democrat until that year, when he switched to the Republican party.

Bradley won a seat in the New Hampshire House in November 1990 and was re-elected five times. In the legislature, he sponsored the Clean Power Act, which set limits on power plant emissions. He was chairman of the Science, Technology and Energy Committee, as well as the Joint Committee on Ethics. [http://www.house.gov/bradley/bio.html Rep. Bradley's biography] ]

U.S. House of Representatives

2002 and 2004 elections

Bradley was first elected to Congress in 2002, winning the Republican nomination in a field of eight candidates,for the seat left vacant when Republican incumbent John E. Sununu ran for the Senate. He defeated Democrat Martha Fuller Clark in the general election, winning with 58% of the vote. In 2004, Bradley defeated political newcomer Justin Nadeau of Portsmouth to win a second term, receiving 67% of the vote. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/elections/2004/nh/ New Hampshire election results 2004] , "The Washington Post", November 24, 2004] Bradley outspent Nadeau 3 to 1. [Kevin Landrigan, [http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060827/COLUMNISTS12/108270080/-1/opinion "Following the money in N.H. races"] , "Nashua Telegraph", August 27, 2006]

Bradley's chief of staff, Debra J. Vanderbeek, ran his 2004 campaign. Tom Anfinson, the financial administrator in Bradley’s government office, said that Vanderbeek was paid 100 percent of her salary until the end of May 2004, 80 percent between June and September, and 50 percent between October and early November. Bradley’s re-election committee paid her $13,561 in salary for the campaign, which she failed to report as outside income to the Clerk of the House, plus $3,317 in reimbursements for un-itemized campaign expenses. [Joshua Zeitz, [http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2006/10/Vanderbeek.html "The Long Shadow of a Sex Scandal"] , "Mother Jones", October 16, 2006]

In that 2004 campaign, two of his children, Sebastian and Noel, were paid a total of almost $27,000 in salary and expenses. Both were recent high school graduates; their jobs were described as "field coordinators".Ken Silverstein, [http://www.harpers.org/sb-inward-bound-1156876163.html "Inward Bound: Rep. Jeb Bradley's kids found work with their dad"] , "Harper's Magazine", August 29, 2006]

Political positions

Members of the media, colleagues and opponents described Bradley as a moderate in the Republican Party when he was elected in 2002. [ [http://www.seacoastonline.com/2002news/08302002/opinion/21719.htm Portsmouth Herald editorial] , August 30, 2002] [ [http://www.nhpr.org/node/4103 Dante Scala, as quoted by New Hampshire Public Radio] , November 11, 2002] However, others point to areas and positions that might complicate this label. He supported the war in Iraq, Medicare Part D the prescription drug subsidy, reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act, overseas abortion legislation, $5 billion dollar subsidy for the Chinese nuclear program, yet opposed President Bush's energy bill. He has cosponsored bills to loosen regulations on embryonic stem cell research. Fact|date=February 2007

Bradley's current memberships include: Christine Todd Whitman's "It's My Party Too!", The Republican Main Street Partnership, The Republican Majority For Choice, Republicans For Choice and Republicans for Environmental Protection.

In 2004, Bradley said he opposed gay marriage, but was not sure he'd support amending the U.S. Constitution to bar it. [ [http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=16088&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm "NH Criticizes Gay Marriage Ruling] , "Union Leader", February 5, 2004] Despite this, Bradley voted in favor of the 2006 "Same Sex Marriage Resolution", [ [http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=BS023007&type=category&category=Social%2BIssues&go.x=5&go.y=7 Project Vote Smart] ] which would have amended the Constitutional requiring that marriage "shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman." [ [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:h.j.res.88: Library of Congress] , H. J. RES. 88 ]

Bradley opposed an increase in the national minimum wage during his time in Congress. [Matthew Tetrault, [http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/08282006/nhnews-ph-por-meetgreet.html "Dems meet, greet hopefuls"] , "Portsmounth Herald", August 28, 2006 ]

Bradley, who has visited Iraq three times, has been a supporter of the Iraq War. [ [http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060820/REPOSITORY/608200331/1027/OPINION01 "Backing Bush should be a liability at the polls"] , "Concord Monitor", August 20, 2006] In January 2006 he said "It is not possible to predict exactly when stability in Iraq will occur, but the progress is significant." [" [http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Rep.+Jeb+Bradley%3a+Despite+difficulties%2c+we+are+making+steady+progress+in+Iraq&articleId=a8cb2dcd-b1cc-45fc-a3a3-472b3f2f020d Rep. Jeb Bradley: Despite difficulties, we are making steady progress in Iraq"] , "Union Leader", January 31, 2006] In June 2006 he said that he did not support a specific timetable for withdrawing American troops from the country, but that he saw signs of progress that the United States would be able to leave "sooner rather than later". [Emily Aronson, [http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/06132006/news/107505.htm "U.S. Rep Jeb Bradley seeks third term"] , "Portsmounth Herald", June 13, 2006] In August 2006 he said that Iraq needed a stable government and more security forces before the United States could set a withdrawal date. [http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060822/REPOSITORY/608220307/1043/NEWS01 "Four Democrats vie for 1st District: Bradley could prove to be tough opponent"] , "Concord Monitor", August 22, 2006] In October 2006 he said "I look at the fact that Iraq has become central to the war on terror", and "We have got to achieve stability in Iraq and prevent it from becoming a launching pad for terrorists."Kevin Landrigan, [http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061010/NEWS02/61010001 "Bradley says finances not swaying his votes"] , "Nashua Telegraph", October 10, 2006]

Jeb Bradley's support for the war in Iraq is believed to have contributed to his loss in New Hampshire, a state where Democrats swept the state legislature and both U.S. House seats.

Committees

Bradley served on the Armed Services, Budget, Veterans' Affairs and Small Business committees.

2006 re-election campaign

Bradley sought a third term in 2006. He defeated Michael Callis in the Republican primary on September 12, 2006, winning 87% of the vote. [ [http://www.sos.nh.gov/stateprimary2006/rcongress1.htm Results, State Primary, September 12, 2006] , State of New Hampshire, Elections Division] Bradley faced Democrat Carol Shea-Porter and Libertarian party candidate Dan Belforti in the November 2006 general election. In what was considered an upset, Bradley lost his bid for re-election to Shea-Porter.

Bradley and Shea-Porter met October 24 for a debate sponsored by WMUR-TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader, [John Distaso, [http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Three+debates+should+give+NH+voters+an+earful&articleId=80296538-96ea-4d92-be7d-0fe5183c2b58 "Three debates should give NH voters an earful"] , "Union Leader", October 21, 2006] [ [http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/10/24/bradley_shea_porter_debate_iraq_spending/ "Bradley, Shea-Porter debate Iraq, spending"] , "Boston Globe", October 24, 2006] and debated again on October 31. [Beverley Wang, [http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/10/31/bradley_shea_porter_debate_higher_taxes/ "Candidates say other's policies are too costly"] , "Associated Press", October 31, 2006]

2008 election campaign

In January 2007 Bradley announced his intention to reclaim his former seat. He said he'd made up his mind a few days after his loss. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/01/28/bradley_to_run_for_his_congressional_seat_again/]

Personal

Bradley currently resides in Wolfeboro, NH. He and his wife Barbara have four children: Jan, Ramona, Urs and Sebastian. An avid hiker, Bradley has ascended all of New Hampshire's 48 4,000-foot peaks and is a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club's Four Thousand Footer Club.

Bradley has a portfolio of stocks and bonds worth over $5 million. In October 2006 he said putting his personal investments in a blind trust may be a "good idea", and that he was going to look into that option.

Election history

References

External links

* [http://www.jebforcongress.com/ Jeb Bradley for Congress] campaign website
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeb_Bradley Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia