| Sue Myrick | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Alex McMillan |
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| Born | August 1, 1941 Tiffin, Ohio |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ed Myrick |
| Residence | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | HS diploma |
| Occupation | advertising executive |
| Religion | Evangelical Methodist |
Sue Wilkins Myrick (born August 1, 1941) is a North Carolina Congresswoman. She has represented North Carolina's 9th Congressional district (map) in the United States House of Representatives since 1995, the first Republican woman to represent North Carolina in the United States Congress.
From 1987 to 1991, Myrick served as the first and so far only female Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1989, while running for re-election as mayor of Charlotte, N.C., she admitted having a relationship with her husband while he was still married to another woman in 1973.[1] She was previously a member of the Charlotte City Council from 1983 to 1985, and is the former president of an advertising and public relations firm. In 1992, she ran for the nomination for a US Senate seat, but lost in the primary to Lauch Faircloth.
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Congressional career
In 1994, Myrick was elected to the House, succeeding five-term incumbent Alex McMillan. Myrick is one of the most conservative members of the House. She chaired the Republican Study Committee, a group of House conservatives, in the 108th Congress.
Myrick was overwhelmingly elected to her sixth consecutive term in the 2004 Congressional elections, earning 70% of the popular vote and defeating Democrat Jack Flynn. Similarly, she defeated Democrat William Glass in 2006 with almost 67% of the vote.[2]
Two Charlotte-area Democrats announced challenges to Myrick in 2008: Harry Taylor and Ross Overby.[3]
Myrick was one of the leading Republican opponents of an abortive 2006 sale of operations at six major American ports along the East Coast to Dubai Ports World, a state-owned company from the United Arab Emirates. In a February 22, 2006, letter to President Bush, Myrick wrote: "In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab Emirates, not just NO — but HELL NO!".[4]
Some American Muslims expressed anger against Myrick for describing the Islamic Society of North America as a group of "radical jihadists" in an open letter objecting to the United States Justice Department sending envoys to the Islamic Society's annual convention.[5] [6] Myrick has also expressed concern about the number of Muslims running convenience stores throughout the US.[7]
In April 2008, Myrick called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to revoke former President Jimmy Carter's passport for defying U.S. policy and meeting with the leaders of the militant group Hamas, including the exiled Khaled Mashaal, on his visit to Syria.[8]
Myrick voted against the $700 billion bailout package on September 29, 2008. Myrick then voted in support of the subsequent Senate bailout package on October 3, 2008.
Muslim Mafia controversy
In 2009 she wrote the foreword to the book Muslim Mafia.[9]
On October 14, 2009, Myrick joined three fellow Representatives—Trent Franks (R-AZ), John Shadegg (R-AZ), and Paul Broun (R-GA)—in calling for the investigation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) over allegations that CAIR was trying to plant "spies," based on a CAIR memo indicating that it "will develop national initiatives such as ... placing Muslim interns in Congressional offices."[10][11][12] CAIR countered that these types of initiatives are extensively used by all advocacy groups, and accused Myrick and her colleagues of trying to intimidate American Muslims who "take part in the political process and exercise their rights."[13][14] The four Congressmen then wrote Attorney General Eric Holder on October 21, 2009, saying that in light of the book's claims of CAIR attempting to influence national security policy within Congress, they are very concerned about CAIR's relationships with terrorist groups, and requesting that the DOJ provide each Congressman a summary of DOJ's evidence and findings that led DOJ to name CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism trial.[15][16] The four Congressmen also wrote House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms Wilson Livingood a letter the same day—also prompted by the book's allegations—asking that he work with members of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Intellegence Committees to determine if CAIR was successful in placing interns in the committees' offices, to review FBI and DOJ evidence regarding CAIR's Hamas ties, and to determine whether CAIR is a security threat.[17]
Myrick's action was criticized by national Muslim organizations, such as MAS, MPAC and ISNA, and Muslim Republican activists. Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) described the actions by Wilkins and her colleagues as a "witch hunt."[18][19] House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) issued a statement reminding his "colleagues that patriotic Americans of all races, religions, and beliefs have the right - and the responsibility - to participate in our political process." Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), the chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, stated: “These fallacious allegations implicate the existence of a society still struggling with anti-Muslim sentiment."[20][21][22][23] The book and its endorsement from the four Congressmen were denounced on the House floor by Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, in a speech that included a statement by the House's Tri-Caucus (consisting of about 87 House members), officially entered into the Congressional Record[24] on October 26, 2009.[25]
The four Congressmen, joined by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC), then sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman on November 16, 2009, asking that CAIR be investigated for excessive lobbying and failing to register as a lobbying organization.[26][27]
Committee assignments
Leadership positions and caucus memberships
- Deputy Whip
- Founder of the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus
- Co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus
Seat history
The Charlotte-based district represented by Myrick has been continuously represented since 1943, when North Carolina gained a district as a result of the 1940 United States Census. It was formed as the 10th District in 1943, renumbered as the 8th District in 1963, and has been numbered as the 9th District since 1969. Republicans have represented the district since 1953. The district was one of North Carolina's first Republican areas, though it is not considered to be as heavily Republican as the neighboring 10th District, or even the 5th District.
The district has always included all or most of Charlotte. It currently includes more than half of Mecklenburg County, two-thirds of Union County, and almost all of Gaston County. 63% of the District's residents voted for George Bush in 2004.
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Party | District Residence |
| Cameron Morrison | 1943 | 1945 | Democratic | Charlotte |
| Joseph Ervin | 1945 | 1945* | Democratic | Morganton |
| Sam Ervin | 1945 | 1947 | Democratic | Morganton |
| Alexander Hamilton Jones | 1947 | 1953 | Democratic | Charlotte |
| Charles Raper Jonas | 1953 | 1973 | Republican | Lincolnton |
| Jim Martin | 1973 | 1985 | Republican | Davidson |
| Alex McMillan | 1985 | 1995 | Republican | Matthews |
| Sue Myrick | 1995 | present | Republican | Charlotte |
* Joseph Ervin died in office and was succeeded by his brother Sam in a special election.
Source: Political Graveyard database of North Carolina congressmen
References
- ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/22/why-powerful-women-mostly_n_92921.html
- ^ Our Campaigns - NC - District 09 Race - Nov 07, 2006
- ^ Bush critic challenging Myrick | newsobserver.com projects
- ^ Letter to the President
- ^ Interview with Investors Business Daily
- ^ http://www.aaiusa.org/press-room/1903/mustread010602
- ^ "Congresswoman wants Carter’s passport pulled" by Mickey McLean, Word on the Web, 2008-04-18
- ^ Johnson, Mark, Niolet, Benjamin, and Christensen, Rob, "Myrick sees plot in Muslim group", News & Observer, October 18, 2009, accessed November 18, 2009
- ^ Weigel, David, "Rep. Sue Myrick’s Foreword to ‘Muslim Mafia’", Washington Independent, October 16, 2009, accessed November 15, 2009
- ^ Greenwald, Glenn, "GOP House members call for investigation of Muslim political activity: This foul witch hunt may be the most despicable domestic political event of the year", Salon.com, October 15, 2009, accessed November 15, 2009
- ^ Clark, Stephen, "Muslim Activist Group Appears to Lack Clout to 'Plant' Interns on Capitol Hill," Fox News, October 16, 2009, November 16, 2009
- ^ Glenn Greenwald (October 15, 2009). "GOP House members call for investigation of Muslim political activity". Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/10/15/investigation/index.html.
- ^ Jordy Yager (October 14, 2009). "House Republicans accuse Muslim group of trying to plant spies". Capitol Hill Publishing Corp.. http://thehill.com/homenews/house/63023-republicans-accuse-muslim-advocacy-group-of-trying-to-plant-spies.
- ^ "Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder from Representatives Sue Myrick, Trent Franks, John Shadegg, and Paul Broun," October 21, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- ^ Yager, Jordy, "House Republicans accuse Muslim group of trying to plant spies," The Hill, October 14, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- ^ "Letter to U.S. House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms Wilson "Bill" Livingood from Representatives Sue Myrick, Trent Franks, John Shadegg, and Paul Broun," October 21, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- ^ Sherman, Jake, and Kady II, Martin, "Islam group ridicules Muslim 'spies' claim", The Politico October 14, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- ^ "Report: GOP Reps Accuse Group Of Planting "Spies", CBS4, October 14, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- ^ MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show
- ^ Conyers blasts GOP lawmakers' accusations of Muslim 'spies', by Michael O'Brien - 10/15/09, The Hill
- ^ Muslim Ex-Bush Official: 'Intern Spy' Hunt Threatens Careers Of Good Americans, by Justin Elliott, October 16, 2009, TPM
- ^ Sanchez On 'Muslim Intern Spy' Hunt: 'I Am Appalled', by Justin Elliott, October 15, 2009, TPM
- ^ Congressional Record -- House, H11767, October 26, 2009, accessed November 15, 2009]
- ^ Ellison, Keith M., "Speech Title: Tri-Caucus Welcomes All Interns And Staff", Location: Washington, D.C. House of Representatives, October 26, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- ^ "Letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, from Senator Tom Coburn and Representatives Sue Myrick, Trent Franks, John Shadegg, Paul Broun, and Patrick McHenry," November 16, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- ^ Elliot, Justin, "Tom Coburn Joins Campaign Against Muslim Group," TPMMuckraker, November 18, 2009, accessed November 18, 2009
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sue Wilkins Myrick |
- Representative Sue Myrick official U.S. House site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harvey Gantt (D) |
Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina 1987–1991 |
Succeeded by Richard Vinroot (R) |
| United States House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by Alex McMillan |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 9th congressional district 1995–Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Shadegg Arizona |
Chairman of the Republican Study Committee 2003–2005 |
Succeeded by Mike Pence Indiana |
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