John A. Sullivan

Infobox_Congressman
name = John Sullivan


date of birth = birth date and age |mf=yes| 1965|01|01
place of birth = Tulsa, Oklahoma
state = Oklahoma
district = 1st
term_start = February 15, 2002
preceded = Steve Largent
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Republican
spouse = Judy Sullivan
religion = Roman Catholic
occupation= real estate broker
alma_mater= Northeastern State University
residence= Tulsa

John A. Sullivan (born January 1, 1965) is an American politician. He has represented Oklahoma's ushr|Oklahoma|1|first congressional district ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/ok01_109.gifmap] ) in the United States House of Representatives, based in Tulsa, since 2002.

Sullivan was born in Tulsa and graduated from Bishop Kelley High School. He subsequently entered Northeastern State University, where he received a B.B.A. in marketing in 1992. Sullivan is Catholic. He and his wife, Judy Beck, have four children. His oldest, Tommy, plays football for his old high school. In his career, Sullivan was a former realtor who sold 6 houses before entering politics on a platform of tax cuts and less government spending. (see Tulsa World)

Sullivan was a Republican member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1995 to 2002. In 2002, when seven-year incumbent Steve Largent resigned from Congress to focus on his campaign for governor, Sullivan entered the Republican primary for his seat. Incumbent governor Frank Keating's wife, Cathy, was widely expected to win the Republican primary, which was thought to be tantamount to election in the heavily Republican district. Hiring an out of town manager for the Keating campaign set the stage for a few fumbles, which allowed Sullivan to score a surprise upset in the February special election. Later, he won the seat in his own right in the regular election in November and was reelected in 2004 and 2006, each time by an overwhelming majority voters.

Political Views

According to the American Conservative Union, Sullivan is among the most conservative members of Congress, [cite news
title=Associated Press election coverage
publisher=Tulsa World
url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/pre-election/bios/1394.html?SITE=OKTULELN&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT] expressing views on most issues that place him on the right wing of the Republican Party. He is opposed to all legalized abortion, believes that life begins at conception, and opposes stem cell research on embryonic cells. He has been rated 100% by the Christian Coalition for his views. [cite news
title=Project Vote Smart|url=http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=003480M|accessdate=2007-03-09] He is opposed to gun control and has been commended by the National Rifle Association for his position. [cite news|title=John Sullian For Congress official website, Second Amendment section|url=http://www.johnsullivanforcongress.com/second_amendment.html|accessdate=2007-03-09]

Regarding immigration, he is on record as supporting a fence or other permanent barrier along the U.S.-Mexican border. Prior to the 2006 Congressional election his campaign staff distributed small placards that explicitly linked immigration from Mexico with threats to U.S. national security. The same campaign literature featured the figure of "20 million illegal aliens in America" and warned that "thousands more [are] coming everyday". During that same campaign Sullivan repeatedly characterized the issue of (illegal) immigration from Mexico as one relating to "national security" and the "war on terror", stating, "Border security is national security...Our way of life in America is precious and must always be protected." [cite news|title=John Sullian For Congress official website, War on Terror section|url=http://www.johnsullivanforcongress.com/war_on_terror.html|accessdate=2007-03-09]

Sullivan voted to make the PATRIOT Act permanent, without any future option for Congressional review or revocation. [cite news|title=American Library Association|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/washevents/nlld/patnfund.htm|accessdate=2007-03-09] He supports a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning [cite news|title=First Amendment Center|url=http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/Speech/flagburning/news.aspx?id=11558|accessdate=2007-03-09] and wishes to strip the independent judiciary of the ability to decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance. He has been rated as 0% by the ACLU on civil rights issues. [cite news|title=American Civil Liberties Union National Scorecard |url=http://action.aclu.org/site/VoteCenter?page=congScorecard |accessdate=2008-01-17] He also supports continued U.S. military involvement in Iraq and opposed any "rapid troop pullout". [cite news|title=U. S. Congressman John Sullivan official website|url=http://sullivan.house.gov/press06/12.5.06.shtml|accessdate=2007-03-09]

During his first term in Congress, Sullivan voted for President George W. Bush's proposals 100% of the time. Subsequently, he has voted independently of the president only 5% of the time, primarily on immigration issues, where Sullivan is considerably more conservative than the president. [cite news
title=Associated Press election coverage
publisher=Tulsa World
url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/pre-election/bios/1394.html?SITE=OKTULELN&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]

Committee Membership

As of the 110th Congress, John Sullivan is a member of the following committees:
*United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
** Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials
** Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
** Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality

Controversy

A point of contention during Sullivan's re-election campaign in 2004 was his police record. According to opponent Doug Dodd, Sullivan had been arrested four times in the Tulsa area. Sullivan claimed to have only been arrested once. A review by local media concluded he had at least three arrests: [cite news
title=Truth Test: Sullivan's Arrest Record In Ads
publisher=KOTV.com
date=October 21, 2004
url=http://www.kotv.com/main/home/storiesPrint.asp?id=71021&type=tp] [cite news
title=Sullivan ad claims only one arrest on his record
publisher=Tulsa World
last=Myers
first=Jim
date=October 22|access year=2004
url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/ArchiveSearch/search/ArchiveArticle.asp?ArticleID=041022_Ne_A1_Sulli9207
accessdate=2006-12-22] for assault and battery of an off-duty police officer in 1982 [cite news
url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/ArchiveSearch/search/ArchiveArticle.asp?ArticleID=041024_Ne_A27_Detai3253
publisher=Tulsa World
last=Myers|first=Jim
title=Details emerge about hopeful's arrest record
date=October 24, 2004
accessdate=2006-12-22] and for public intoxication and disturbing the peace in 1985, while still under-age. His last arrest, at age 27, was due to an outstanding bench warrant issued after he failed to appear in court for a traffic violation.

In July 2004, Dave Pearson, a former GOP communications consultant, claimed he was owed $20,000 for work he did on Sullivan's 2002 special election. Pearson put out a press release attacking his former candidate, and sent a letter to all of Sullivan's campaign contributors: "Sullivan is the most dishonest, disingenuous and crooked politician I have ever known. He is a liar because he repeatedly lied to me and others about his business background, his arrest records and many other things." Sullivan responded by saying that Pearson was fired for "not doing his job" and "owes me money probably." [cite news
title=Handling the Curves?
last=Friedman
first=Barry
publisher=Urban Tulsa
date=October 7, 2004
url=http://archives.urbantulsa.com/article.asp?id=2238]

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
+ ushr|Oklahoma|1|: Results 2000–2006cite web |url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |title=Election Statistics |accessdate=2008-01-10 |publisher=Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives ] [cite web |url=http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G02/OK.phtml |title=Oklahoma 2002 Midterm election |accessdate=2008-01-16 |publisher=The Green Papers ] !|Year!!|Democrat!|Votes!|Pct!!|Republican!|Votes!|Pct!!|3rd Party!|Party!|Votes!|Pct!
-
2000|
Party shading/Democratic |Dan Lowe
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |58,493
Party shading/Democratic |29%|
Party shading/Republican |Steve Largent *
Party shading/Republican align="right" |138,528
Party shading/Republican |69%|
Party shading/Libertarian |Michael A. Clem
Party shading/Libertarian |Libertarian
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |2,984
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |1%|
-
2002|
Party shading/Democratic |Doug Dodd
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |50,850
Party shading/Democratic |44%|
Party shading/Republican |John Sullivan
Party shading/Republican align="right" |61,694
Party shading/Republican |54%|
Party shading/Independent |Neil Mavis
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1,758
Party shading/Independent align="right" |2%
|*
-
2002|
Party shading/Democratic |Doug Dodd
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |90,649
Party shading/Democratic |42%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|John Sullivan
Party shading/Republican align="right" |119,566
Party shading/Republican |56%|
Party shading/Independent |Joe Cristiano
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |4,740
Party shading/Independent align="right" |2%|
-
2004|
Party shading/Democratic |Doug Dodd
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |116,731
Party shading/Democratic |38%|
Party shading/Republican |John Sullivan
Party shading/Republican align="right" |187,145
Party shading/Republican |60%|
Party shading/Independent |John Krymski
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |7,058
Party shading/Independent align="right" |2%|
-
2006|
Party shading/Democratic |Alan Gentges
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |56,724
Party shading/Democratic |31%|
Party shading/Republican |John Sullivan
Party shading/Republican align="right" |116,920
Party shading/Republican |64%|
Party shading/Independent |Bill Wortman
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |10,085
Party shading/Independent align="right" |5%|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

*The first 2002 election was the special election on January 8 to fill the remainder of Steve Largent's term upon his retirement. Write-in and minor candidate notes: David Fares received 388 votes in the 2002 special election.

References

External links

* [http://sullivan.house.gov/ Congressman John Sullivan] official U.S. House website
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Sullivan Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031205-8.html Remarks by the Vice President at a Reception for Congressman John Sullivan] , Adam's Mark Hotel, Tulsa, Oklahoma, December 5, 2003