Pamela Gorman
Encyclopedia
Pamela Diane Gorman is a conservative Republican
politician. She was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2004 and most recently served as Arizona State Senator for District 6 from her election in 2006 (and reelection in 2008) until she vacated her seat on January 25, 2010 in order to run for Congress to replace the retiring John Shadegg
. While running to be the Republican nominee for U.S. Representative from Arizona's District 3, she gained national attention for a campaign ad showing her firing a Thompson submachine gun
, and for her cosponsorship of Arizona's anti-illegal immigration bill. She lost to Ben Quayle
, the son of former Vice President, Dan Quayle
.
In June 2010, Gorman's Congressional campaign released a volunteer-produced campaign video that featured Gorman shooting firearms in the desert. Upon release of the video on YouTube, it drew criticism from the media and immediately became a favorite of the political right and went up over 200,000 views. It was featured prominently on MSNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel and in Huffington Post, Washington Post and called one of the top ten political ads of the year by NBC online.
Gorman is a free market fiscal conservative who supports lower taxes and less government spending. She supports a conservative interpretation of the Second Amendment, is pro-life, and has advocated for dramatic expansion of domestic energy production.
In addition to serving in both Houses of the Arizona Legislature, Gorman has served in the following capacities: Chair of the Standing Committees, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL); Executive Committee of Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force with American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); National Legislative Advisory Board of the Heartland Institute; selected by State Legislative Leaders Foundation for the Program for Emerging Political Leaders at University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration; American Council of Young Political Leaders; Participant in Hans Seidel Foundation Exchange and also participated as part of American legislative delegations (for various groups) to Taiwan, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Romania and South Africa.
, a think tank that has raised doubts about anthropogenic climate change.
Also in 2005, Gorman was one of several Arizona legislators who supported parental rights legislation which was also supported by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights
. One piece of CCHR-sponsored legislation, which required parental consent for any mental health evaluations of students by schools, would have required parents to read through "paragraph after paragraph of negative information about psychiatric practices." She attended the grand opening of the Church of Scientology's "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" exhibition in Los Angeles in December 2005 at the request of Robin Read, President of the National Federation for Women Legislators, with her round-trip airfare paid for by CCHR.
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...
politician. She was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2004 and most recently served as Arizona State Senator for District 6 from her election in 2006 (and reelection in 2008) until she vacated her seat on January 25, 2010 in order to run for Congress to replace the retiring John Shadegg
John Shadegg
John Barden Shadegg is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district, numbered as the 4th District before the 2000 Census, includes much of northern Phoenix....
. While running to be the Republican nominee for U.S. Representative from Arizona's District 3, she gained national attention for a campaign ad showing her firing a Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
, and for her cosponsorship of Arizona's anti-illegal immigration bill. She lost to Ben Quayle
Ben Quayle
Benjamin Eugene "Ben" Quayle is an American politician and U.S. Representative for Arizona's 3rd congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party. Ben Quayle is son of former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle and former U. S...
, the son of former Vice President, Dan Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
.
Early life and education
Gorman was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa and has lived in Arizona since 1986. She holds a degree in Communication from Arizona State University and is an avid pistol shooter. Her teenage son is an avid marksman and a member of the Arizona long-range rifle program, administered through the youth National Rifle Association program.Career
Gorman served as Majority Whip of the Arizona Senate and led opposition to the Republican Governor's proposed $3 billion tax increase. Ultimately, Gorman resigned her post as Majority Whip, rather than support a tax increase that she opposed in the middle of a recession. Gorman has also pushed for spending cuts in an effort to balance the state budget. She filibustered legislation that would have increased public financial support for political campaigns, the "Clean Elections" Program. The successful filibuster defeated of the legislation. Simultaneously, federal courts in Arizona have ruled some of the state's public financing law to be unconstitutional.In June 2010, Gorman's Congressional campaign released a volunteer-produced campaign video that featured Gorman shooting firearms in the desert. Upon release of the video on YouTube, it drew criticism from the media and immediately became a favorite of the political right and went up over 200,000 views. It was featured prominently on MSNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel and in Huffington Post, Washington Post and called one of the top ten political ads of the year by NBC online.
Gorman is a free market fiscal conservative who supports lower taxes and less government spending. She supports a conservative interpretation of the Second Amendment, is pro-life, and has advocated for dramatic expansion of domestic energy production.
In addition to serving in both Houses of the Arizona Legislature, Gorman has served in the following capacities: Chair of the Standing Committees, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL); Executive Committee of Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force with American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); National Legislative Advisory Board of the Heartland Institute; selected by State Legislative Leaders Foundation for the Program for Emerging Political Leaders at University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration; American Council of Young Political Leaders; Participant in Hans Seidel Foundation Exchange and also participated as part of American legislative delegations (for various groups) to Taiwan, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Romania and South Africa.
Controversies
In 2005, Gorman joined the Legislative Advisory Board of the Heartland InstituteHeartland Institute
The Heartland Institute is a libertarian, American public policy think tank based in Chicago, Illinois which advocates free market policies. The Institute is designated as a 501 non-profit by the Internal Revenue Service and advised by a 15 member board of directors, which meets quarterly. As of...
, a think tank that has raised doubts about anthropogenic climate change.
Also in 2005, Gorman was one of several Arizona legislators who supported parental rights legislation which was also supported by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights
Citizens Commission on Human Rights
The Citizens Commission on Human Rights is an advocacy group established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz. The group promotes several video campaigns which support views against psychiatry...
. One piece of CCHR-sponsored legislation, which required parental consent for any mental health evaluations of students by schools, would have required parents to read through "paragraph after paragraph of negative information about psychiatric practices." She attended the grand opening of the Church of Scientology's "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" exhibition in Los Angeles in December 2005 at the request of Robin Read, President of the National Federation for Women Legislators, with her round-trip airfare paid for by CCHR.
External links
- Senator Pamela Gorman at the Arizona State Legislature
- Pamela Gorman for Congress official campaign website
- U.S. House campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...