Mike DeWine

Richard Michael "Mike" DeWine was a senator from Ohio. He served from 1995 to 2007 and was a Republican. He was defeated in the 2006 congressional elections by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Bio
DeWine was born January 5, 1947 in Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Miami University in Ohio in 1969 and a J.D. from Ohio Northern University Law School (1972). He was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Greene Coutnty and was elected Prosecuter in 1976. He served a term in the Ohio State Senate before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 1982. He was re-elected three times, serving for a total of eight years. In 1990 he left the House and was elected Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, and served in that position from 1991 to 1995.

Congressional career
After a failed bid to unseat Senator John Glenn in 1992, DeWine was later elected to the U.S. Senate in the election of 1994, defeating prominent attorney Joel Hyatt, and was reelected in 2000, defeating former U.S. Rep. Frank Cremeans in the primary and Ted Celeste in the general election.

DeWine is a supporter of gun control laws and in 2004 co-sponsored an amendment to renew the ban on semi-automatic weapons. On July 29, 2005, he was one of only two Republican senators to vote against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which banned lawsuits from being filed against gun manufacturers, distributors, and dealers for the misuse of their products. DeWine has also broken with his party on issues such as funding for Headstart programs, the federal minimum wage, and drilling in ANWR. DeWine is strongly pro-life and voted in favor of the "Defense of Marriage" Amendment.

Iraq War
DeWine voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Democrats nominated Sherrod Brown to face DeWine in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)  Brown defeated DeWine 56% to 44% to take possession of the seat. 

Gang of 14
On May 23, 2005, DeWine was one of 14 senators (see Gang of 14) to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster, thus blocking the Republican leadership's attempt to implement the so-called "nuclear option." Under the agreement, the Democrats would retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in "extraordinary circumstances", and the three of Bush's appellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor) would receive a vote by the full Senate.

Paul Weyrich of the right wing Free Congress Foundation has expressed the intent of "pro family groups" to seek revenge against DeWine and the six other Republican senators for their involvement with the filibuster compromise. In Dewine's case, Weyrich intimated that his son, Pat DeWine, will run into trouble as he seeks a a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Weyrich stated, "Even though Pat DeWine is far more conservative than his father, some voters say that they must teach his father a lesson by working against his son." Weyrich called the seven Republican senators that were part of the Gang of 14, "traitors to the cause of constitutional government." 

Abramoff Scandal
DeWine, who received $1,000 from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe" in 2002, "plans to divest $1,000 in campaign contributions that might have come from a client of fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff."

Committees in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * Senate Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on the District of Columbia
 * Subcommittee on State Foreign Operations and Related Programs
 * Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services Education and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
 * Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Transportation Treasury the Judiciary and Housing and Urban Development
 * Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
 * Senate Committee on the Judiciary
 * Subcommittee on Antitrust Competition Policy and Consumer Rights - Chair
 * Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs
 * Subcommittee on Immigration Border Security and Citizenship
 * Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
 * Subcommittee on Technology Terrorism and Homeland Security
 * Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 * Subcommittee on Retirement Security and Aging - Chair
 * Subcommittee on Bioterrorism Preparendess and Public Health
 * Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development

Affiliations

 * Former member, Independent Task Force on Columbia

Resources

 * Official website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * Compare where Mike DeWine stands on the issues - whereIstand.com

Articles

 * Jessica Wehrman, "DeWine to release $1,000 in possible Abramoff funds. Contributions came from Saginaw Chippewa Tribe," Dayton Daily News, January 6, 2006.
 * Charles Babington, "Bill Would Allow Warrantless Spying. GOP Plan Would Bring Surveillance Under Review of Congress, FISA Court," Washington Post, March 17, 2006. re George W. Bush's domestic spying
 * Brad Dicken, "Bush, Giuliani to aid DeWine," The Chronicle-Telegram, June 23, 2006.
 * Jim Tankersley, "DeWine joins GOP attack on his opponent's record," Toledo Blade, June 24, 2006.
 * Shayana Kadidal, "Spying Comes Home to Roost," The Huffington Post, June 27, 2006.
 * "Stop Senator DeWine’s Spying Proposal!" Center for Constitutional Rights, June 27, 2006.
 * Jack Torry, "DeWine uses 9/11 images to attack Brown on terrorism," The Columbus Dispatch, July 15, 2006.
 * Bret Schulte, "DeWine blunder adds fuel to controversial September 11 ad," U.S. News & World Report, July 19, 2006.
 * "DeWine Changes Images in Controversial Ad," Associated Press (New York Times), July 19, 2006: Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm "also produced the controversial Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads in 2004, which accused Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry of lying about his decorated Vietnam War record."
 * Michael Abramowitz, "GOP Candidates Claim Degrees Of Separation From President," Washington Post, September 5, 2006.
 * Phil Singer, "Mike DeWine Needs A Civics Lesson On What A Senator Does," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, September 7, 2006.
 * Massimo Calabresi, "The G.O.P.'s Firewall Strategy. With the Foley scandal increasing the likelihood of a Democratic win in the House, Republicans are turning their attention — and money — to the Senate," TIME Magazine, October 13, 2006. GOP giving up on DeWine.
 * Jamie Holly, "DeWine’s Failed Answer On His Attendance Record," Crooks and Liars, October 14, 2006.
 * Joe Sudbay, "GOP is pulling out of Ohio; DeWine is tanking," AMERICAblog, October 17, 2006.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Franklin County Young Democrats
 * As Ohio Goes
 * Buckeye Senate Blog
 * Writes Like She Talks
 * Snakes on a Senate, a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee website.
 * Pho's Akron Pages
 * Callahan's Cleveland Diary

Contact
DC Office: 140 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-3503 Phone: 202-224-2315 Fax: 202-224-6519 Web Email Website

District Office- Xenia: 100 West Main Street, 2nd Floor Xenia, OH 45385 Phone: 937-376-3080 Fax: 937-376-3387

District Office- Columbus: 37 West Broad Street, Suite 300 Columbus, OH 43215-4102 Phone: 614-469-5186 Fax: 614-469-2982

District Office- Cleveland: 600 East Superior Avenue, Suite 2450 Cleveland, OH 44114-2692 Phone: 216-522-7272 Fax: 216-522-2239

District Office- Cincinnati: 312 Walnut Street, Suite 2030 Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513-763-8260 Fax: 513-763-8268

District Office- Toledo: 121 Putnam Street, Suite 102 Marietta, OH 45750-3005 Phone: 740-373-2317 Fax: 740-373-8689

District Office- Toledo: 420 Madison Avenue, Room 1225 Toledo, OH 43604-1217 Phone: 419-259-7536 Fax: 419-259-7575