| Jim Marshall | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Saxby Chambliss |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | March 31 1948 Ithaca, New York |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Camille Hope |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
James Creel "Jim" Marshall (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing the 8th District (formerly numbered as the 3rd District) of Georgia (map). The district is based in Macon and includes much of rural Middle Georgia.
Background
The son and grandson of army generals, Marshall was born in Ithaca, New York, but moved frequently during his childhood and graduated from high school in Mobile, Alabama. He entered Princeton University in 1966, but left college in 1968 to enlist in the United States Army. He served in Vietnam as an Airborne Ranger reconnaissance platoon sergeant and earned two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. (Marshall was recently inducted into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame.) He returned to Princeton in 1970 and graduated in 1972. Marshall worked various jobs for two years before entering law school at Boston University, where he earned his J.D. in 1977. He practiced law, taught at Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, and from 1995 to 1999 served as mayor of Macon before running for Congress.
Marshall lives in Macon with his wife Camille Hope and his two children Mary and Robert.
Career in the U.S. House of Representatives
2000, 2002, and 2004 campaigns
Marshall first ran for Congress in 2000 as the Democratic candidate for the 8th District, giving now-Senator Saxby Chambliss his closest contest ever. After the 2000 Census, the state legislature carved away much of the southern portion of the old 8th (including Chambliss' home in Moultrie). They replaced it with some more rural, Democratic leaning territory around Macon and renumbered it the 3rd District.
Despite this, Marshall barely defeated Republican Calder Clay in 2002 due to the Republican wave that swept through Georgia. Another factor was voter anger at Warner Robins being drawn of the district; a map of the redrawn 3rd showed a long gash in the middle of Houston County where Warner Robins and the surrounding area had been cut out. Marshall thus became the first white Democrat to represent Georgia in the House since Nathan Deal switched parties in 1995. Marshall handily defeated Clay in their 2004 rematch, winning 63% of the vote.
2006 campaign
In 2006, Marshall faced a tougher reelection fight. Early in 2005, the Georgia state legislature--now controlled by Republicans--approved a new map of congressional districts. The Macon-based district, renumbered once again as the 8th, was reconfigured to be somewhat more Republican. Less than 60 percent of the population in Marshall’s present 3rd District was retained in the new 8th District. The new district closely resembles the area Chambliss represented for eight years.
Marshall's Republican opponent was former Congressman Mac Collins. The 8th District includes Collins' birthplace in Butts County (Collins represented a district in the Atlanta suburbs during his first stint in Congress) but also includes all of Macon. [1]
Marshall won a close election 51%-49%, although Collins benefited from two visits by President George W. Bush and massive amounts of national party and PAC funding. It was the second-closest any Democratic incumbent came to losing his seat to a Republican.
Positions
Marshall is a social conservative. He opposes abortion, gay marriage and gun control, and supports a constitutional amendment to ban flag-burning. He has cited the concerns of people who have ethical objections to embryonic stem-cell research as influencing his votes on federal funds for such research: he supports allowing cell extraction only if embryos are not destroyed. He is a member of Blue Dog Coalition, a group of conservative congressional Democrats.
However, Marshall leans pro-labor and pro-environment. He opposed repealing the estate tax and opposed reducing environmental regulations on the construction of new oil refineries ("Gasoline for America's Security Act"). He voted against bankruptcy reform, for American withdrawal from the World Trade Organization, and against tort reform.
Marshall has consistently been a vocal advocate of larger benefits for military servicemen and veterans. In December 2005, Marshall was the sole Democrat to vote against HR 2863. This defense appropriations bill, which passed 308-122, included language supporting increased protections for detainees held in U.S. custody.[2] In February 2007, along with Gene Taylor from Mississippi, he was one of two Democrats to vote against H CON RES 63, which expressed opposition to a troop surge in the Iraq War. [3]
Future
Marshall is a possible candidate for
References
- Jim Marshall, Macon Telegraph, 11 June 2005 Sat., "The reality of stem cell research".
- Linda S. Morris, Macon Telegraph,12 March 2005 Sat., "Marshall vows to fight ag cuts".
External links
- U.S. Representative Jim Marshall official House site
- Jim Marshall (U.S. politician) at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission — Jim Marshall campaign finance reports and data
- On the Issues — Jim Marshall issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Jim Marshall campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart — Representative James 'Jim' Marshall (GA) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Jim Marshall profile
- Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Jim Marshall voting record
- Jim Marshall for Congress official campaign site
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tommy Olmstead |
Mayor of
Macon 1996–2000 |
Succeeded by Hakim Mansour Ellis |
| Preceded by Mac Collins |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 3rd congressional district 2003-2007 |
Succeeded by Lynn Westmoreland |
| Preceded by Lynn Westmoreland |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 8th congressional district 2007-Present |
Incumbent |
| Mayors of Macon, Georgia | |
|---|---|
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Booth • Rogers • Tracy • Poe • Birdsong • Washburn • Dannelly • Rowland • Eckley • Seymour • Beall • Seymour • Poe • Sims • Gresham • Nisbet • Holmes • Gresham • Logan • Washington • Strohecker • Ross • Adams • Sparks • Thompson • Sparks • Collins • Obear • Huff • Corput • Price • Horne • Price • Smith • Miller • Moore • Smith • Toole • Williams • Miller • Williams • Toole Smart • Bowden • Wilson • Merritt • Wilson • Merritt • Thompson • Melton • Israel • Robinson • Olmstead • Carter • Marshall • Ellis |
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