Chet Edwards
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 17th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Charlie Stenholm
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 11th district
In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Marvin Leath
Succeeded by	Mike Conaway
Member of the Texas State Senate from the 9th district
In office 1983 – 1990
Preceded by	Dee Travis
Succeeded by	David Sibley
Born	November 24, 1951 (1951-11-24) (age 56) Corpus Christi, Texas
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lea Ann Edwards
Residence	Waco, Texas
Alma mater	Texas A&M University Harvard Business School
Religion	Baptist
Website	edwards.house.gov

Thomas Chester "Chet" Edwards (born November 24, 1951) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1991, representing a district based in Waco, Texas. He represented Texas's 11th District from 1991 to 2005, and since 2005 has represented the 17th District. A resident of Waco, his district includes the town of Crawford,^[1] the home of President George W. Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch, meaning that Bush is technically represented in Congress by a Democrat. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... The current boundaries of Texas District 17. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rep. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... The current boundaries of Texas District 11. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... James Marvin Leath (May 6, 1931 - December 8, 2000) was a U.S. Representative from Texas. ... Mike Conaway is a Republican from Texas who represents the 11th Congressional district (map), which includes Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, and Brownwood. ... The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. ... District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Nueces, San Patricio Government  - Mayor Henry Garrett Area  - City 460. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... For the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, see Waco Siege. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Alma mater (disambiguation). ... Texas A&M University redirects here. ... Harvard Business School, officially named the Harvard Business School: George F. Baker Foundation, and also known as HBS, is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, see Waco Siege. ... The current boundaries of Texas District 11. ... The current boundaries of Texas District 17. ... Crawford is a Waco suburb located in western McLennan County, Texas. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... President Bush at his ranch Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1583 acre (6. ...

Early years

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1951, Edwards graduated magna cum laude^[2] from Texas A&M University in 1974, earning a bachelor's degree in economics. Upon graduation, he was given the Earl Rudder Award, which is only given to two outstanding seniors.^[3] After his graduation, he worked as an aide to Congressman Olin E. Teague for three years.^[3] Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Nueces, San Patricio Government  - Mayor Henry Garrett Area  - City 460. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. ... Texas A&M University redirects here. ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ... Olin E. Teague (7 August 1971) Olin Earl Teague (b. ...

When Teague announced his retirement in 1978, Edwards ran in the Democratic primary to succeed him. He lost by only 115 votes to future Senator Phil Gramm.^[4] Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... William Philip Phil Gramm (born July 8, 1942, in Fort Benning, Georgia) served as a Democratic Congressman (1978–1983), a Republican Congressman (1983–1985) and a Republican Senator from Texas (1985–2002). ...

In 1981, Edwards earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.^[5] Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a tertiary degree in business management. ... Harvard Business School, officially named the Harvard Business School: George F. Baker Foundation, and also known as HBS, is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ...

Political career

Texas Senate

Edwards was elected to the Texas Senate in 1983, and served until 1990, representing District 9.^[5] 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.^[3] The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... This article is about the year. ... District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. ... Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine published in Austin, Texas. ...

U.S. House

Currently, Edwards is a member of the House Budget and Appropriations Committees. He is one of only six House members to serve on both the Budget and Appropriations committees. He is also the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction. As the only Texan to chair an Appropriations subcommittee, it can be argued that Edwards is the most influential Texan in the House. Appropriations subcommittee chairmen are often known as "Cardinals" because of their control of the budget. The U.S. House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. ... The Committee on Appropriations, or Appropriations Committee (often referred to as simply Appropriations, as in Hes on Appropriations) is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. ...

The 11th District had been trending Republican for some time, but Edwards had been able to hold onto his seat, albeit with increasingly narrow margins.^[6] In the controversial 2003 Texas redistricting, however, 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 Fort Worth suburbs. Despite the heavily Republican nature of his redrawn district, Edwards still defeated conservative State Representative Arlene Wohlgemuth by 9,260 votes, or approximately a 3.8% margin. This came even as Bush carried the 17th with a staggering 70 percent of the vote. Edwards and Lloyd Doggett were the only Democrats targeted by the redistricting effort who retained their seats. 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. The 2003 Texas redistricting refers to a highly controversial congressional redistricting plan appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Fort Hood, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, is a U.S. Army post located halfway between Austin and Waco within the U.S. state of Texas. ... College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in Central Texas. ... Nickname: Motto: Where the West Begins Location of Fort Worth in Tarrant County, Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Tarrant, Denton Government  - Mayor Michael J. Moncrief Area  - City 298. ... Texas Senate in session The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. ... Arlene Wohlgemuth was the Republican nominee for the 17th Congressional District of Texas. ... Rep. ... The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex encompasses the metropolitan divisions of Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington, within the U.S. state of Texas. ... Rep. ...

Edwards ran for reelection against Republican Van Taylor, a former Marine Corps reservist and Iraq War veteran, in 2006, and was re-elected with 58% of the vote to Taylor's 40%. The other 2% of the votes went to Independent candidate Guillermo Acosta.^[7] Taylor with Congressman Peter Sessions after returning from Iraq. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rob Curnock (R) has challenged Edwards in the 2008 election.

Edwards endorsed Barack Obama during the March 4th primary. “Barack” redirects here. ...

House speaker Nancy Pelosi has publicy suggested that Edwards would be a great choice for Senator Obama's VP slot. Nancy Patricia DAlesandro Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is currently the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. ...

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Logo of The Battalion The Battalion is the student newspaper of Texas A&M University. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... NNDB, ostensibly standing for Notable Names Database, produced by Soylent Communications, is an online database of biographical details of notable people. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• U.S. Congressman Chet Edwards official House site
• Chet Edwards at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Federal Election Commission — Chet Edwards campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Chet Edwards issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Chet Edwards campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Thomas 'Chet' Edwards (TX) profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Chet Edwards voting record
• Chet Edwards for U.S. Congress official campaign site