Vern Buchanan
Encyclopedia
Vernon G. "Vern" Buchanan (born May 8, 1951) is the Congressman
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party
.
, in Michigan, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Detroit.
made Buchanan a $15.4 million loan, guaranteed by his ownership in the company. In 1992, the company filed for bankruptcy, three days after Buchanan resigned; at the time, he owned all the company's stock.
Buchanan and American Speedy were defendants in a string of lawsuits during the late 1980s and early 1990s by franchisees and master franchisees, who said they were not making the money that Buchanan had said they could expect. After the bankruptcy, he was accused by a creditors committee of taking excessive compensation and actions that resulted in overstated earnings for American Speedy. In a 1995 deposition, he said that he had no personal obligation to repay the loan from Merrill Lynch; a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service over taxes on the money Buchanan received from Merrill Lynch stretched through the 1990s and ended with him paying $1.5 million for "excessive compensation."
. In late 1999, he bought two more dealerships. He continued to acquire dealerships after that, but in 2006 he sold five dealerships, plus his interest a clothing store and a spa, to concentrate on his House campaign, his spokesman said. His dealership group had $756 million in sales in 2005.
companies — Jamat Reinsurance Co. and Buchanan Reinsurance Co., in Turks and Caicos, and part of the Bermuda
reinsurance company Greater Atlantic Insurance Co. The three companies offer extended warranty
policies to car buyers. Buchanan invests some of the proceeds from his reinsurance companies in real estate developments in the Bahamas.
The Internal Revenue Service
has stepped up efforts in recent years to investigate offshore reinsurance companies, and has urged Congress to change laws that help people benefit from these offshore tax haven
s.
Buchanan has defended his record saying, "I have always paid my taxes and it is a substantial amount, but I don't think anyone should pay more taxes than they owe." His campaign spokeswoman added that his use of offshore reinsurance companies is normal. She noted, "This is a widely accepted practice offered by hundreds of businesses and enjoyed by thousands of consumers."
. But Buchanan was cut out of the Ritz deal, because the developers, Robert Buford and Kevin Daves, said he lied about his financial worth. Buchanan sued, and the parties settled in 2001.
The settlement was unusual: Buchanan bought a penthouse apartment from a nephew of Buford's for $5 million; the nephew had purchased it the day before for $2.368 million. Buchanan owned the unit for slightly more than a year, until January 2003, and then sold it to another member of Buford's family for $6.35 million, using a deed dated a year earlier. The arrangement resulted in Buchanan paying about $260,000 less in federal taxes, because his profit of $1.35 million was taxed at 20% (capital gains) instead of 39.6% (regular income). Buford benefited because potential buyers checking property records would see that a penthouse had been sold to a wealthy car dealer for nearly $2 million more than any other condo in the building and then resold for a large profit a year later.
In the year he owned the penthouse, Buchanan used it for a number of charity benefits. That also benefited the developers: they got to show the Ritz experience to hundreds of the richest people in Southwest Florida and beyond.
His Venice Dodge was one of the dealerships informed by Chrysler that it would not get its franchise renewed.
's successful 2004 campaign. He was also co-chair of the Republican National Finance Committee.
Buchanan secured federal funding of $2 million for reimbursement for cleanup efforts in Anna Maria Island
and $4 million dollars for cleaning up Wares Creek in Manatee County
.
Buchanan introduced a constitutional amendment in January 2007 which would require Congress to pass a balanced budget if ratified. He introduced legislation to create a US Postage stamp honoring and assisting disabled veterans, as well as secured funding for the construction of a national veterans' cemetery in Sarasota County. Additionally, Buchanan introduced a bill to increase federal assistance for fighting gang crime and secured grant funding for local anti-gang efforts in Manatee County.
As of July 2008, Buchanan had voted to override five of President Bush's vetoes of legislation passed by the 110th Congress. These override votes included a vote in support of expanding the coverage range of the SCHIP program, the 2008 farm bill, and the Water Resources Development Act.
On September 29, 2008, Buchanan voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
, but changed his vote to support the bill on the October 3, 2008 second House vote
.
Congressman Buchanan is currently serving his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 13th District of Florida. Buchanan has listed his top legislative priorities for this session as getting the economy moving again, stopping irresponsible spending and changing the way Washington works by ending partisanship and gridlock and working instead in a bipartisan effort to get things done for the American people.
Buchanan has sponsored several bills in the 111th Congress, including H.R. 1839, a Bill to Amend the Small Business Act to Improve SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), which was introduced on April 1, 2009. HR 1839 will require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that SCORE increases the proportion of small business mentors from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, establish benchmarks for evaluating its activities and volunteers, and establishes a mentoring program of one-on-one advice to small businesses from qualified counselors.
During the 111th Congress, Mr. Buchanan also introduced H.J. Res 43, which proposes a balanced budget amendment to the constitution of the United States. This bill, which was introduced on April 22, prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.
Another bill introduced by Congressman Buchanan is H.Con.Res. 114, which expresses the sense of the Congress that a commemorative postage stamp should be issued to honor our Nation's disabled veterans. This bill which was introduced on April 29, 2009, notes that more than 3,000,000 of the Nation's veterans are currently classified as disabled, and that disabled veterans are returning home each day from honorably defending our country and honors their service to our country with the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp.
.
CREW's 5-page report on Buchanan cited evidence of pressuring and paying employees to make donations to his congressional campaign. On June 20, 2009, the St. Petersburg Times
published an article alleging that Terry Keith Howell, a former business partner of Buchanan's, had been likewise pressured into donating the maximum allowable contribution of $8800 to Buchanan, despite being a registered Democrat, and in bankruptcy proceedings at the time.
In August 2011, CREW asked the FBI
and the Office of Congressional Ethics
to investigate Buchanan on charges of witness tampering, obstruction of justice and bribery, based mostly upon a deposition of one of his former business partners, Sam Kazran.
“I need to raise $1 million by end of quarter, it’s not going to have the same impact if it came from me,” Buchanan told the group, according to Kazran’s court filing.
In October 2011, it was reported that Buchanan was under investigation by the Department of Justice
for campaign finance violations.
, who was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. Buchanan won the Republican primary with 32% of the vote, against four opponents. His closest challengers were Nancy Detert, with 25% of the vote, and Tramm Hudson
, with 24%.
In the November general election, Buchanan faced Democrat
Christine Jennings
, a banking executive. There were 216,000 registered Republicans and about 155,000 registered Democrats in the district, but Jennings polled ahead of Buchanan up to election day. Buchanan put more than $5 million of his own money into his campaign.
In October, Vice President Dick Cheney held a fund raising luncheon for Buchanan; later that month, President Bush held a fund raising reception for him. Between the two events, Governor Jeb Bush
, Senator Martinez, and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
came to the district to campaign for Buchanan.
, a recount was ordered. Voters in Sarasota County had given more votes to a hospital board than they had to their Congressional representative—with 13% of voters not voting, compared to an average of 2% in neighboring counties. The touch-screen voting machines used provided no paper record. On November 20, 2006, the Florida Department of State certified the results of the recount, which showed Buchanan winning by 369 votes.
(GAO).
On 25 February 2008, the committee and the House accepted the GAO's findings that no machine error was demonstrated as sufficient to have altered the outcome of the election. The House passed HR 989 affirming the findings of the committee, accepting the results of the 2006 race and formally dismissing Jennings' challenge of the election's results. Jennings formally dropped her challenge shortly thereafter to focus on her 2008 rematch against Buchanan.
In May 2009, Buchanan announced that he would be a candidate for re-election to Congress. He won against Don Baldauf in the Republican primary.
Congressman Buchanan has given both time and money to various community causes, including the Boys and Girls Club, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes, the American Heart Walk, the Mote Marine Laboratory and the Ringling Museum.
Mr. Buchanan also received an award by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which honored the Congressman by presenting him with their Legislative Achievement Award for his work on legislation improving the quality of life of active and reserve service members, military retirees, veterans and their families.
Buchanan was chairman of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and is now the chairman of the board of the Florida state chamber of commerce. He is also a member of the board and the executive committee of United States Chamber of Commerce
.
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 Republican Party
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...
.
Early life and education
Buchanan grew up in Michigan, the son of a factory foreman in a family of six children. When he graduated from high school in 1969, he joined the Michigan Air National Guard, serving there for six years. Buchanan got a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Cleary UniversityCleary University
Cleary University is a Michigan based business university with two campuses; the Washtenaw Campus is located in Ann Arbor and the Livingston Campus is located near Howell. Both campus offer certificate, ABA, BBA, and MBA programs.- History :...
, in Michigan, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Detroit.
Business career
After graduating with a BA, Buchanan went to work for Burroughs, a Detroit-based computer company. Next, in 1975, he became the Michigan distributor for an SMI, a firm that specialized in sales and marketing training materials.American Speedy Printing
In May 1976, Buchanan convinced the owner of a Michigan printing company that he could help the business grow. The two founded American Speedy Printing, which grew through franchising to more than 730 stores in 44 states. In 1989, a subsidiary of Merrill LynchMerrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
made Buchanan a $15.4 million loan, guaranteed by his ownership in the company. In 1992, the company filed for bankruptcy, three days after Buchanan resigned; at the time, he owned all the company's stock.
Buchanan and American Speedy were defendants in a string of lawsuits during the late 1980s and early 1990s by franchisees and master franchisees, who said they were not making the money that Buchanan had said they could expect. After the bankruptcy, he was accused by a creditors committee of taking excessive compensation and actions that resulted in overstated earnings for American Speedy. In a 1995 deposition, he said that he had no personal obligation to repay the loan from Merrill Lynch; a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service over taxes on the money Buchanan received from Merrill Lynch stretched through the 1990s and ended with him paying $1.5 million for "excessive compensation."
Florida businesses
In 1992, Buchanan bought a Honda and Acura dealership in Ocala, FloridaOcala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
. In late 1999, he bought two more dealerships. He continued to acquire dealerships after that, but in 2006 he sold five dealerships, plus his interest a clothing store and a spa, to concentrate on his House campaign, his spokesman said. His dealership group had $756 million in sales in 2005.
Off-shore reinsurance companies
Buchanan owns two reinsuranceReinsurance
Reinsurance is insurance that is purchased by an insurance company from another insurance company as a means of risk management...
companies — Jamat Reinsurance Co. and Buchanan Reinsurance Co., in Turks and Caicos, and part of the Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
reinsurance company Greater Atlantic Insurance Co. The three companies offer extended warranty
Extended warranty
An extended warranty, sometimes called a service agreement, a service contract, or a maintenance agreement, is a prolonged warranty offered to consumers. The extended warranty may be offered by the warranty administrator, the retailer or the manufacturer. Extended warranties cost extra and for a...
policies to car buyers. Buchanan invests some of the proceeds from his reinsurance companies in real estate developments in the Bahamas.
The Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
has stepped up efforts in recent years to investigate offshore reinsurance companies, and has urged Congress to change laws that help people benefit from these offshore tax haven
Tax haven
A tax haven is a state or a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all while offering due process, good governance and a low corruption rate....
s.
Buchanan has defended his record saying, "I have always paid my taxes and it is a substantial amount, but I don't think anyone should pay more taxes than they owe." His campaign spokeswoman added that his use of offshore reinsurance companies is normal. She noted, "This is a widely accepted practice offered by hundreds of businesses and enjoyed by thousands of consumers."
Ritz-Carlton
In 1999, Buchanan was approached to help to finance a very large project — the Ritz-Carlton condo-hotel development in SarasotaSarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
. But Buchanan was cut out of the Ritz deal, because the developers, Robert Buford and Kevin Daves, said he lied about his financial worth. Buchanan sued, and the parties settled in 2001.
The settlement was unusual: Buchanan bought a penthouse apartment from a nephew of Buford's for $5 million; the nephew had purchased it the day before for $2.368 million. Buchanan owned the unit for slightly more than a year, until January 2003, and then sold it to another member of Buford's family for $6.35 million, using a deed dated a year earlier. The arrangement resulted in Buchanan paying about $260,000 less in federal taxes, because his profit of $1.35 million was taxed at 20% (capital gains) instead of 39.6% (regular income). Buford benefited because potential buyers checking property records would see that a penthouse had been sold to a wealthy car dealer for nearly $2 million more than any other condo in the building and then resold for a large profit a year later.
In the year he owned the penthouse, Buchanan used it for a number of charity benefits. That also benefited the developers: they got to show the Ritz experience to hundreds of the richest people in Southwest Florida and beyond.
Current holdings
In June 2007, Buchanan, in his financial disclosure filing, reported having over $100 million in assets, making him among the five wealthiest members of Congress. Most of his wealth is from his automotive empire, which includes several dealerships in Florida. He also reported ownership interests in about fifty other businesses, including offshore reinsurance companies, and a charter-jet business. He reported receiving at least $19.5 million in income from these businesses in 2006.His Venice Dodge was one of the dealerships informed by Chrysler that it would not get its franchise renewed.
Early political career
Buchanan served as state finance chair for Senator Mel MartinezMel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
's successful 2004 campaign. He was also co-chair of the Republican National Finance Committee.
110th Congress (2007-2009)
Buchanan was sworn in as Representative for Florida's 13th Congressional District on 3 January 2007. Congressional Quarterly noted that Buchanan voted in support of President Bush's legislative agenda 66 percent of the time in 2007, the third lowest rate of the 16 members of Florida's Republican congressional delegation. OnTheIssues.org positions Buchanan as a "Populist Conservative", while GovTrack.us labels him a "Moderate Republican".Buchanan secured federal funding of $2 million for reimbursement for cleanup efforts in Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island, sometimes called Anna Maria Key, is a barrier island on the coast of Manatee County, Florida in the United States. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by Longboat Pass , on the east by Anna Maria Sound, and on the north by Tampa Bay. Anna Maria Island...
and $4 million dollars for cleaning up Wares Creek in Manatee County
Manatee County, Florida
Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Buchanan introduced a constitutional amendment in January 2007 which would require Congress to pass a balanced budget if ratified. He introduced legislation to create a US Postage stamp honoring and assisting disabled veterans, as well as secured funding for the construction of a national veterans' cemetery in Sarasota County. Additionally, Buchanan introduced a bill to increase federal assistance for fighting gang crime and secured grant funding for local anti-gang efforts in Manatee County.
As of July 2008, Buchanan had voted to override five of President Bush's vetoes of legislation passed by the 110th Congress. These override votes included a vote in support of expanding the coverage range of the SCHIP program, the 2008 farm bill, and the Water Resources Development Act.
On September 29, 2008, Buchanan voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...
, but changed his vote to support the bill on the October 3, 2008 second House vote
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Small BusinessUnited States House Committee on Small BusinessThe United States House Committee on Small Business is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.-History:On December 4, 1941, the U. S...
- Subcommittee on Finance and TaxUnited States House Small Business Subcommittee on Finance and TaxThe House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access is one of five subcommittees of the House Small Business Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:**House Small Business Committee...
(Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and TradeUnited States House Small Business Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and TradeThe House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade is one of five subcommittees of the House Small Business Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:**House Small Business Committee...
- Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
- Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureUnited States House Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
- Subcommittee on AviationUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on AviationThe Subcommittee on Aviation is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over civil aviation, including most aspects of the Federal Aviation Administration , the Transportation Security Administration, and the National...
- Subcommittee on Highways and TransitUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and TransitThe House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The subcommittee oversees highway, transit, and highway safety programs in the United States, as well as policy governing how highway and transit projects...
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous MaterialsUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous MaterialsThe Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee...
- Subcommittee on Aviation
- 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 HealthUnited States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on HealthThe United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.The Subcommittee on Health has legislative and oversight jurisdiction for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care system, programs and research...
- Subcommittee on Health
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
Caucus memberships
- Friends of Panama Caucus (Co-Chair)
- 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...
- Sportsmen's Caucus
Congressman Buchanan is currently serving his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 13th District of Florida. Buchanan has listed his top legislative priorities for this session as getting the economy moving again, stopping irresponsible spending and changing the way Washington works by ending partisanship and gridlock and working instead in a bipartisan effort to get things done for the American people.
Buchanan has sponsored several bills in the 111th Congress, including H.R. 1839, a Bill to Amend the Small Business Act to Improve SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), which was introduced on April 1, 2009. HR 1839 will require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that SCORE increases the proportion of small business mentors from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, establish benchmarks for evaluating its activities and volunteers, and establishes a mentoring program of one-on-one advice to small businesses from qualified counselors.
During the 111th Congress, Mr. Buchanan also introduced H.J. Res 43, which proposes a balanced budget amendment to the constitution of the United States. This bill, which was introduced on April 22, prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.
Another bill introduced by Congressman Buchanan is H.Con.Res. 114, which expresses the sense of the Congress that a commemorative postage stamp should be issued to honor our Nation's disabled veterans. This bill which was introduced on April 29, 2009, notes that more than 3,000,000 of the Nation's veterans are currently classified as disabled, and that disabled veterans are returning home each day from honorably defending our country and honors their service to our country with the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp.
Ethics and Campaign Finance Law violations
In 2008 and 2009 Buchanan was named one of the "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
.
CREW's 5-page report on Buchanan cited evidence of pressuring and paying employees to make donations to his congressional campaign. On June 20, 2009, the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
published an article alleging that Terry Keith Howell, a former business partner of Buchanan's, had been likewise pressured into donating the maximum allowable contribution of $8800 to Buchanan, despite being a registered Democrat, and in bankruptcy proceedings at the time.
In August 2011, CREW asked the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and the Office of Congressional Ethics
Office of Congressional Ethics
The Office of Congressional Ethics , established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2008, is an independent, non-partisan entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of the House of Representatives and their staff and, when appropriate, referring matters to...
to investigate Buchanan on charges of witness tampering, obstruction of justice and bribery, based mostly upon a deposition of one of his former business partners, Sam Kazran.
“I need to raise $1 million by end of quarter, it’s not going to have the same impact if it came from me,” Buchanan told the group, according to Kazran’s court filing.
In October 2011, it was reported that Buchanan was under investigation by the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
for campaign finance violations.
Primary
Buchanan ran in the 13th congressional district in Florida to replace incumbent Republican Katherine HarrisKatherine Harris
Katherine Harris is an American Republican politician, former Secretary of State of Florida, and former member of the United States House of Representatives. Harris won the 2002 election to represent Florida's 13th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She held that post...
, who was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. Buchanan won the Republican primary with 32% of the vote, against four opponents. His closest challengers were Nancy Detert, with 25% of the vote, and Tramm Hudson
Tramm Hudson
Tramm Hudson was a Republican candidate for Florida's 13th congressional district, to succeed former Congresswoman and U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris.-Background:...
, with 24%.
In the November general election, Buchanan faced Democrat
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...
Christine Jennings
Christine Jennings
Christine Jennings is a self-made banker and businessperson, and a Democratic politician in Florida.In 2006, Jennings was the Democratic nominee for the United States Congress to represent Florida's 13th congressional district. The seat was left open when incumbent Katherine Harris ran for the U.S...
, a banking executive. There were 216,000 registered Republicans and about 155,000 registered Democrats in the district, but Jennings polled ahead of Buchanan up to election day. Buchanan put more than $5 million of his own money into his campaign.
In October, Vice President Dick Cheney held a fund raising luncheon for Buchanan; later that month, President Bush held a fund raising reception for him. Between the two events, Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
, Senator Martinez, and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
came to the district to campaign for Buchanan.
Election
Initial results of the November election showed Buchanan leading by less than 350 votes. Due to the closeness of the race, and a high undervote of 18,000 in Sarasota CountySarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
, a recount was ordered. Voters in Sarasota County had given more votes to a hospital board than they had to their Congressional representative—with 13% of voters not voting, compared to an average of 2% in neighboring counties. The touch-screen voting machines used provided no paper record. On November 20, 2006, the Florida Department of State certified the results of the recount, which showed Buchanan winning by 369 votes.
Court challenge
Although Buchanan took office January 4, 2007, the matter was not settled. Jennings challenged the results of the election in court, citing "pervasive malfunctioning of electronic voting machines." In December 2006, a Florida circuit judge ruled that her claim that voting machines in Sarasota County lost up to 18,000 votes was "conjecture" and didn't warrant overriding the trade secrets of the voting machine company. In June 2007, a Florida state appellate court ruled that Jennings did not meet the "extraordinary burden" of proving the lower court judge was wrong.Review by Congress
The U.S. House of Representatives had the right to make the final determination as to whether Buchanan will hold the seat for the remainder of the term or be replaced by Jennings. In April, a three-person House task force was created to evaluate the election. In early May, the task force voted along party lines to refer an investigation into Florida’s 13th district House race to the Government Accountability OfficeGovernment Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
(GAO).
On 25 February 2008, the committee and the House accepted the GAO's findings that no machine error was demonstrated as sufficient to have altered the outcome of the election. The House passed HR 989 affirming the findings of the committee, accepting the results of the 2006 race and formally dismissing Jennings' challenge of the election's results. Jennings formally dropped her challenge shortly thereafter to focus on her 2008 rematch against Buchanan.
2008 Election Results
Buchanan, who won a razor thin victory in 2006, was easily re-elected in 2008, receiving 55% of the vote to his Democratic opponent's 38%. Congressman Buchanan, on election night, 2008 made the comment "What a difference two years makes." Buchanan received 66,372 more votes than his Democratic opponent in the 13th Congressional District of Florida - for a total of 55 percent. Congressman Buchanan got more votes in Sarasota County than John McCain received in the presidential race—a sign that the Republican Congressman got thousands of votes from people who voted for Obama. Buchanan said that he was humbled by the huge margin of victory and that he would focus his next term on "jobs, the economy, taxes, energy prices, national security and we've got to change the broken system in Washington."2010
Buchanan was unsuccessfully challenged by Democratic nominee The Reverend James T. Golden.In May 2009, Buchanan announced that he would be a candidate for re-election to Congress. He won against Don Baldauf in the Republican primary.
Personal life
Congressman Buchanan lives in Longboat Key, Florida with his wife of 31 years, Sandy, whom he met while in college. The Buchanans have two grown sons, James and Matt.Congressman Buchanan has given both time and money to various community causes, including the Boys and Girls Club, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes, the American Heart Walk, the Mote Marine Laboratory and the Ringling Museum.
Awards
Congressman Buchanan has received many awards for his dedicated service. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave Buchanan its "Spirit of Enterprise" award recently for his support of pro-business legislation. Buchanan is a former board member of the chamber which endorsed him in the 2006 and 2008 races for the 13th Congressional District seat. the U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents more than 3 million businesses.Mr. Buchanan also received an award by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which honored the Congressman by presenting him with their Legislative Achievement Award for his work on legislation improving the quality of life of active and reserve service members, military retirees, veterans and their families.
Buchanan was chairman of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and is now the chairman of the board of the Florida state chamber of commerce. He is also a member of the board and the executive committee of United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce is an American lobbying group representing the interests of many businesses and trade associations. It is not an agency of the United States government....
.
External links
- Congressman Vern Buchanan official U.S. House site
- Vern Buchanan for U.S. 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...
- Buchanan Automotive Group official business site