Jerry McNerney
Encyclopedia
Gerald "Jerry" McNerney is an engineer
, energy
specialist, and the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. The district includes parts of San Joaquin County
in the Central Valley as well as parts of Contra Costa
, Alameda
and Santa Clara
counties in the Bay Area.
McNerney holds a Ph.D
in mathematics.
. He attended St. Joseph's Military Academy in Hays, Kansas
, and, for two years, the United States Military Academy
at West Point. After leaving West Point in 1971 in protest of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico
in Albuquerque, where he received Bachelor's and Master's degrees and, in 1981, a Ph.D. in Mathematics, with a doctoral dissertation in differential geometry.
McNerney served several years as a contractor to Sandia National Laboratories
at Kirtland Air Force Base
, on national security programs. In 1985, he accepted a senior engineering position with U.S. Windpower (Kenetech); and, in 1994, he began working as an energy consultant for PG&E, FloWind, The Electric Power Research Institute, and other utility companies. Before being elected to Congress, Jerry served as the CEO of a 2004 start-up company manufacturing wind turbine
s, named HAWT Power (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Power). A 1992 article that he co-authored in an IEEE journal is a good example of his writings during this period.
McNerney was inspired to run for Congress by his son Michael, who in response to the attacks of September 11, sought and received a commission in the Air Force. Michael suggested that his father serve his country by running for Congress. McNerney first ran for Congress against Richard Pombo
in California's 11th congressional district in the 2004 House elections. He entered the race two weeks before the primary election as a write-in candidate. He qualified to be a write-in candidate
for the March 2004 primary by one signature. Having no primary opponent, he won the primary and qualified for the November general election ballot as the Democratic nominee. He lost the November general election, 61%-39%.
2006
McNerney launched his 2006 campaign early in the fall of 2005. In June 2006 he won the Democratic primary with 52.8% of the vote, defeating Steve Filson and Stevan Thomas.
In late July, Republicans Pete McCloskey
and Tom Benigno (both of whom ran in the Republican primary against Pombo) endorsed McNerney. In September, analysis of the campaign was changed from "Republican safe" to "Republican favored" due to the emergence of McNerney's campaign. The report noted "a [GOP] party spokesman says it's because they want to win decisively but others speculate that internal polling has delivered bad news for the incumbent." On October 3, 2006, a poll commissioned by Defenders of Wildlife
Action Fund was released with McNerney leading Pombo 48 percent to 46 percent. Based on these events, in early October, CQPolitics.com changed their rating of this race from Republican Favored to Leans Republican
On November 7, 2006, McNerney defeated Pombo 53%-47%.
2008
McNerney won re-election 55% to 45% over Republican
nominee Dean Andal
.
2010
McNerney won re-election 48%-47%, defeating Republican nominee David Harmer
.
2012
McNerney announced in late July 2011 that he would move to San Joaquin County in order to run in the newly drawn 9th Congressional District
, comprising parts of San Joaquin County, East Contra Costa County, and southern Sacramento County.
Jerry McNerney voted for 2008’s $700 billion rescue package for the financial markets, acknowledging that “his district opposed the bailout but he felt it was best for the economy.” McNerney authored a provision of the bill permanently raising the lending limit for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans.
He voted for the September 2008 jobs and energy stimulus package and to regulate the subprime mortgage market, modify bankruptcy rules with the aim of reducing foreclosure rates, and to ban abusive credit practices and enhance consumer disclosure.
McNerney voted in favor of legislation allowing employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.
In 2009, McNerney voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
and voted against its repeal the next year.
McNerney has frequently opposed free trade agreements, voting against CAFTA, GATT, and the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement.
Energy
McNerney is a proponent of renewable energy. He voted to carbon emissions. He has voted for tax incentives for renewable energy and for allowing states to impose stricter emissions standards. He opposes drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf.
Social issues
McNerney voted against legislation that would have prevented the DEA from enforcing prohibition in the twelve states (including California) which allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
. Their older son, Michael, is a reserve officer in the U.S. Air Force
, joining soon after the September 11 attacks. His daughter Windy is a graduate student in Psychology
at the University of Notre Dame
. His younger son, Greg, is a Biophysics Ph.D working for Intel Corporation as an Engineer in Oregon.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
specialist, and the U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The district includes parts of San Joaquin County
San Joaquin County, California
San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 685,306. The county seat is Stockton.-History:...
in the Central Valley as well as parts of Contra Costa
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
, Alameda
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
and Santa Clara
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
counties in the Bay Area.
McNerney holds a Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in mathematics.
Early life, education, and business career
Jerry McNerney was born in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. He attended St. Joseph's Military Academy in Hays, Kansas
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
, and, for two years, the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point. After leaving West Point in 1971 in protest of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
in Albuquerque, where he received Bachelor's and Master's degrees and, in 1981, a Ph.D. in Mathematics, with a doctoral dissertation in differential geometry.
McNerney served several years as a contractor to Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories
The Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation , are two major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratories....
at Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
, on national security programs. In 1985, he accepted a senior engineering position with U.S. Windpower (Kenetech); and, in 1994, he began working as an energy consultant for PG&E, FloWind, The Electric Power Research Institute, and other utility companies. Before being elected to Congress, Jerry served as the CEO of a 2004 start-up company manufacturing wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s, named HAWT Power (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Power). A 1992 article that he co-authored in an IEEE journal is a good example of his writings during this period.
Elections
2004McNerney was inspired to run for Congress by his son Michael, who in response to the attacks of September 11, sought and received a commission in the Air Force. Michael suggested that his father serve his country by running for Congress. McNerney first ran for Congress against Richard Pombo
Richard Pombo
Richard William Pombo is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having represented California's 11th congressional district from 1993 to 2007...
in California's 11th congressional district in the 2004 House elections. He entered the race two weeks before the primary election as a write-in candidate. He qualified to be a write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
for the March 2004 primary by one signature. Having no primary opponent, he won the primary and qualified for the November general election ballot as the Democratic nominee. He lost the November general election, 61%-39%.
2006
McNerney launched his 2006 campaign early in the fall of 2005. In June 2006 he won the Democratic primary with 52.8% of the vote, defeating Steve Filson and Stevan Thomas.
In late July, Republicans Pete McCloskey
Pete McCloskey
Paul Norton "Pete" McCloskey Jr. is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of California who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1983. He ran on an anti-war platform for the Republican nomination for President in 1972 but was defeated by incumbent President...
and Tom Benigno (both of whom ran in the Republican primary against Pombo) endorsed McNerney. In September, analysis of the campaign was changed from "Republican safe" to "Republican favored" due to the emergence of McNerney's campaign. The report noted "a [GOP] party spokesman says it's because they want to win decisively but others speculate that internal polling has delivered bad news for the incumbent." On October 3, 2006, a poll commissioned by Defenders of Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife is a United States-based, 501 non-profit organization founded in 1947, "dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities." The organization is active in political interventions and lobbying aimed at protection of wildlife, and...
Action Fund was released with McNerney leading Pombo 48 percent to 46 percent. Based on these events, in early October, CQPolitics.com changed their rating of this race from Republican Favored to Leans Republican
On November 7, 2006, McNerney defeated Pombo 53%-47%.
2008
McNerney won re-election 55% to 45% over Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee Dean Andal
Dean Andal
Dean F. Andal is a Republican public official and businessman from Stockton, California.-2008 Congressional run:Andal ran for Congress in 2008 in California's 11th district against incumbent Jerry McNerney....
.
2010
McNerney won re-election 48%-47%, defeating Republican nominee David Harmer
David Harmer
David Harmer is an American attorney from San Ramon, California. In 2010 Harmer ran for election to the United States House of Representatives from California's 11th Congressional District...
.
2012
McNerney announced in late July 2011 that he would move to San Joaquin County in order to run in the newly drawn 9th Congressional District
California's 9th congressional district
California's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers a significant portion of the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, comprising parts of San Joaquin County, East Contra Costa County, and southern Sacramento County.
Tenure
Fiscal issuesJerry McNerney voted for 2008’s $700 billion rescue package for the financial markets, acknowledging that “his district opposed the bailout but he felt it was best for the economy.” McNerney authored a provision of the bill permanently raising the lending limit for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans.
He voted for the September 2008 jobs and energy stimulus package and to regulate the subprime mortgage market, modify bankruptcy rules with the aim of reducing foreclosure rates, and to ban abusive credit practices and enhance consumer disclosure.
McNerney voted in favor of legislation allowing employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.
In 2009, McNerney voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
and voted against its repeal the next year.
McNerney has frequently opposed free trade agreements, voting against CAFTA, GATT, and the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement.
Energy
McNerney is a proponent of renewable energy. He voted to carbon emissions. He has voted for tax incentives for renewable energy and for allowing states to impose stricter emissions standards. He opposes drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf.
Social issues
McNerney voted against legislation that would have prevented the DEA from enforcing prohibition in the twelve states (including California) which allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Science, Space and Technology
- Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
- Subcommittee on Investigations and OversightUnited States House Science Subcommittee on Investigations and OversightThe Science Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight is one of five subcommittees of the United States House Committee on Science and Technology...
- Committee on Veterans' AffairsUnited States House Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning veterans. Jurisdiction includes retiring and disability pensions, life insurance, education , vocational...
- Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial AffairsUnited States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial AffairsThe United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...
- Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Arthritis Caucus
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Veteran's Mental Health Caucus
Electoral history
Personal life
Since 1990, McNerney and Mary, his wife of 29 years, have lived and raised their children in Pleasanton, CaliforniaPleasanton, California
Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894. It is a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area located about east of Oakland, and west of Livermore. The population was 70,285 at the 2010 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in...
. Their older son, Michael, is a reserve officer in the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, joining soon after the September 11 attacks. His daughter Windy is a graduate student in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. His younger son, Greg, is a Biophysics Ph.D working for Intel Corporation as an Engineer in Oregon.
External links
- U.S. Representative Jerry McNerney official U.S. House site
- Jerry McNerney for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...