Jim Cooper

James Hayes Shofner "Jim Cooper, a Democrat, has represented the Fifth Congressional District of Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2002.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Bio
Cooper was born July 19, 1954 in Shelbyville, Tennessee. He is the son of former governor of Tennessee Prentice Cooper. He graduated from the University of North Carolina, University of Oxford and the Harvard University Law School.

In 1982, he won the Democratic primary for the new 4th Congressional District, which had been created when Tennessee gained a district after the 1980 census.

In 1994, Cooper left the U.S. House and ran unsuccessfully for the Senate for the seat left open when Al Gore was elected Vice President. He lost to Republican attorney and actor Fred Thompson in an overwhelming landslide, receiving well under 40% of the vote.

Cooper got another opportunity to run for the U.S. House in 2002 when Fifth District Congressman Bob Clement decided to run for Thompson's Senate seat in 2002 after Thompson opted not to run for a second full term. Cooper entered the Democratic primary along with several other prominent local Democrats. Cooper won the primary with 44 percent of the vote, all but assuring him of a return to Congress after an eight-year absence. He won handily in November and was reelected almost as easily in 2004 against a Republican who ran only a token campaign and disavowed his party's national ticket. Given the heavy Democratic tilt of the 5th, it is very unlikely that Cooper will face a serious or well-funded Republican opponent in the forseeable future.

2006 elections
No major candidates announced their intentions to contest Cooper’s seat in the November 2006 election. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities
 * Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
 * House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
 * Subcommittee on National Security and International Relations
 * House Committee on Budget

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * House Defense Review Threat Panel
 * Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
 * Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
 * Subcommittee on Terrorism Unconventional Threats and Capabilities
 * House Committee on Budget

Articles and resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database