Larry Kissell
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Webb "Larry" Kissell (born January 31, 1951) is 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 2009. 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 stretches from Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...

 to Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....

.

Early life, education, and early career

Kissell is a lifelong resident of Biscoe
Biscoe, North Carolina
Biscoe is a town in Montgomery County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,700 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Henry Biscoe, an important customer of the local lumber business.- History :...

, a small town roughly halfway between Charlotte and Fayetteville. He graduated from Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...

 in 1973 with a degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

.

After a brief stint as a manager at Union Carbide
Union Carbide
Union Carbide Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. It currently employs more than 2,400 people. Union Carbide primarily produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more further conversions by customers before reaching consumers. Some are high-volume...

, Kissell worked at a hosiery factory for 27 years, rising to production manager. After growing concerned about the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...

 on the textile industry, he resigned his job at the hosiery plant in 2001 and took a job as a social studies teacher at his former high school, East Montgomery High School. As it turned out, the plant closed in 2003.

Elections

2006

In October 2006, Kissell ran for the Democratic
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...

 nomination in the 8th District and won a four-way primary with 53 percent of the vote.

In the 2006 elections, Kissell faced four-term 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...

 Robin Hayes
Robin Hayes
Robert Cannon "Robin" Hayes is the current chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. For five terms from 1999 to 2009, he represented North Carolina's 8th congressional district in the House of Representatives.-Early life:...

, who had surprised many pundits with his ability to hold onto what was thought to be a marginally Democratic district. The outcome of the November 2006 general election was in doubt for several weeks, as recounts had to be conducted due to the close margin. Kissell officially wound up losing by 329 votes. He won six of the district's nine counties, but ultimately could not overcome a 6,100-vote deficit in Cabarrus County, home to Hayes. Kissell conceded the race on November 29, 2006 and immediately announced plans to run again in 2008.

2008

In the November election, Kissell defeated Hayes by a larger-than-expected margin, according to unofficial results. He won 55 percent of the vote to Hayes' 45 percent. This victory returned the seat to the Democrats; Bill Hefner
Bill Hefner
Willie Gathrel "Bill" Hefner , was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina, serving between 1975 and 1999....

 had held the seat for 24 years before Hayes won it in 1998.

2010

Kissell faced Republican challenger Harold Johnson
Harold Johnson (sportscaster)
Harold Johnson, known as "The Big Guy", was sports director for WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina for 26 years, during which time he won four Emmy Awards and was nominated for two others. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for ....

, a longtime sportscaster at WSOC-TV
WSOC-TV
WSOC-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. The station's studio is located at North Tryon and 23rd Streets, just north of Uptown Charlotte, and is shared with sister station WAXN-TV . The transmitter is located just outside...

 in Charlotte. Although some polls showed the race within a point, Kissell ultimately took 53 percent of the vote to Johnson's 44 percent.

Tenure

In March 2010, Kissell voted against 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...

, saying, "I kept my word." In January 2011, Kissell voted against repealing the law.

Committee assignments

  • Committee on Agriculture
    United States House Committee on Agriculture
    The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...

    • Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture
  • Committee on Armed Services
    United States House Committee on Armed Services
    thumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...

    • Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
      United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
      House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:...

    • Subcommittee on Readiness
      United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness
      House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...


External links

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