| Chet Edwards | |
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| Incumbent | |
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Assumed office January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Charlie Stenholm |
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In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Marvin Leath |
| Succeeded by | Mike Conaway |
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In office 1983 – 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Dee Travis |
| Succeeded by | David Sibley |
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| Born | November 24, 1951 Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Lea Ann Edwards |
| Residence | Waco, Texas |
| Alma mater | Texas A&M University Harvard Business School |
| Profession | real estate agent, communications executive |
| Religion | Methodist[1] |
| Website | edwards.house.gov |
Thomas Chester "Chet" Edwards (born November 24, 1951) is a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from the 17th District of Texas, based about Waco, Edwards represented Texas's 11th District from 1991 to 2005 and has since been elected in the 17th District. The district includes the town of Crawford,[2] the home of former U.S. President George W. Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch. Edwards was on President Barack Obama's short-list as a potential running-mate.
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A Waco resident, Edwards was born in Corpus Christi. He graduated magna cum laude[3] from Texas A&M University in 1974, earning a bachelor's degree in economics. One of his professors was future U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator Phil Gramm. Upon graduation, he received the Earl Rudder Award, which is given to two outstanding seniors.[4] After graduation, he worked as an aide to Congressman Olin E. Teague for three years.[4]
When Teague announced his retirement in 1978, Edwards ran in the Democratic primary to succeed him. He lost by only 115 votes to his former professor, Phil Gramm,[5] who switched to Republican affiliation in 1983.[6]
In 1981, Edwards earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He then went to work for the Trammell Crow Company as a commercial real estate agent. Later, Edwards purchased several rural radio stations in South Texas.[7]
Edwards was elected to the Texas Senate in 1983, and served until 1990, representing District 9.[7] In the Texas Senate, Edwards was a member of the Senate Education Committee, and helped reduce class sizes in public schools. He was named by Texas Monthly as one of the "Ten Outstanding Legislators" during his tenure.[4]
Edwards was elected to the U.S. House in 1990 with 54 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Hugh Shine. He was re-elected in 1992 with 67 percent of the vote, defeating Republican James Broyles. He defeated Broyles again in 1994 with 59 percent of the vote.[8]
During the 1990s, the 11th District trended more and more Republican. Edwards was able to hold onto his seat, though with increasingly narrow margins.[9] In 1996, he was re-elected with 57 percent of the vote against Republican Jay Mathis. He won in 1998 without any Republican opponent. In 2000 he won with 55 percent of the vote; in 2002, he won with 52 percent of the vote.[8]
In the controversial 2003 Texas redistricting, Edwards' district was renumbered as the 17th District, and the U.S. Army post Fort Hood was removed from the district. His district absorbed College Station, home of Texas A&M, a longtime bastion of conservatism. It also absorbed several heavily Republican areas west of Fort Worth. Despite the redistricting, Edwards defeated conservative State Representative Arlene Wohlgemuth in November 2004 by 9,260 votes, or approximately a 3.8% margin. By comparison, Bush carried the 17th with a staggering 70 percent of the vote--the most of any Democratic-held district, and Bush's 17th-best district in the entire country. Edwards and Lloyd Doggett were the only Democrats targeted by the redistricting effort who retained their seats. In much of this district, Edwards is the only elected Democrat above the county level.
As a result of the redistricting, Edwards is one of two Democrats to represent a significant portion of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, along with Eddie Bernice Johnson.
In 2006, Edwards ran for reelection against Republican Van Taylor, a former Marine Corps reservist and Iraq War veteran, and was re-elected with 58% of the vote to Taylor's 40%.[10]
In mid-February 2008, Edwards endorsed Barack Obama in the Texas March 4 Democratic primary.[11]
In late June 2008, House speaker Nancy Pelosi publicly suggested that Edwards would be a great choice as Obama's vice-presidential running mate.[12] Edwards stated that he would accept such an offer from Obama.[13] On August 22, the Associated Press reported that Edwards was on Obama's short-list as a potential running-mate.[14] Obama eventually selected Delaware senator Joe Biden as his running mate.[15]
In November 2008, Edwards was reelected by defeating Republican Rob Curnock, a Waco video business owner, with 53 percent of the vote.[16]
H.R.3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act.
Edwards broke ranks with Democrats by voting against the healthcare bill, "After listening to thousands of my constituents and carefully reviewing the legislation, I have made a decision to vote no on the House healthcare reform bill."[17]
Edwards is married to Lea Ann Wood from Paducah, Kentucky. They have two sons, J.T. and Garrison.
| Texas Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dee Travis |
Texas State
Senator from District 9 (Duncanville) 1983–1991 |
Succeeded by David Sibley |
| United States House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by Marvin Leath |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 11th congressional district January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2005 |
Succeeded by Mike Conaway |
| Preceded by Charles Stenholm |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 17th congressional district January 3, 2005 – present |
Incumbent |
   | Congressman Chet Edwards Official Site - Congressman Chet Edwards |
| | Project Vote Smart - Representative Edwards - Project Vote Smart - Representative Thomas 'Chet' Edwards - Biography |
| | Voting record maintained by the Washington Post - Chet Edwards | Congress votes database | washingtonpost.com |
| | Edwards runs for new district slot - Edwards runs for new district slot - News |
| | U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / TEXAS 17 - CNN.com - Elections 2006 |
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