| Jay Nixon |
Article Index for Jay |
Website Links For Jay |
Information AboutJay Nixon |
Jeremiah W. "Jay" Nixon (born February 13 , 1956 ) is an American politician from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party . He has served as Missouri's Attorney General since 1993, and is the only person in Missouri history to have been elected to this position for four terms. EDUCATION, EARLY CAREER, AND PERSONAL LIFE Nixon is a native of De Soto, Missouri . He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and his Juris Doctor from the University Of Missouri-Columbia in 1978 and 1981, respectively. He is married to Georganne W. Nixon; they have two children, Jeremiah, Jr., and Will. After earning his J.D. , he became an attorney in private practice. POLITICAL CAREER Nixon was elected to the Missouri Senate in 1986. Two years later, he made his first bid for statewide office, an unsuccessful effort to oust incumbent U.S. Senator John Danforth . Nixon was defeated by Danforth, winning 32% of the vote compared to Danforth's 68%. Nixon was first elected as Missouri's Attorney General on November 3 , 1992 , on a platform of fighting crime, cleaning up government corruption, and protecting consumers and the environment. Nixon followed William L. Webster as Attorney General, whose term had been plagued by scandal. The 1992 race for Attorney General between Nixon and former State House Minority Leader David Steelman was remarkably nasty and memorable for biting personal attacks, however Nixon beat Steelman 51% to 45%, with an unusually high 4% of the votes going to the Libertarian candidate. Nixon was re-elected as Attorney General by a wide margin in 1996, and in 1998 he again made an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate, this time losing to incumbent Republican Kit Bond . In 2000 and 2004 Nixon was again re-elected as Attorney General, both times by similarly wide margins. Accomplishments as Attorney General One of the most popular programs Nixon has implemented is the state’s No Call program. More than 3.5 million Missourians are a part of the No Call List , which reduces unwanted Telemarketing calls. Nixon also has recovered more than $1.2 million from telemarketers who violated the No Call law. Nixon’s victory in the U.S. Supreme Court in '' Nixon V. Shrink '' reinstated Missouri’s campaign contribution limits and cleared the way nationally for Campaign Finance Reform . In two other cases of significance, Nixon’s work in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Health Midwest cases have resulted in the formation of the state’s two largest Health Care foundations, which will use more than $1.5 billion to help provide health care services to underserved populations of the state. Litigation by Nixon against tobacco companies for illegally marketing cigarettes to young people resulted in the largest settlement in the history of the state. As Attorney General, Nixon has created the Environmental Protection Division to enforce Missouri’s environmental laws. Attorneys in this division take legal action to stop the Pollution of the state’s air, water and soil and to look after Missouri’s agricultural interests. Successful litigation by the division has resulted in the cleanup of polluted sites and millions of dollars awarded to the state. Nixon also has led the fight to protect the state’s interests in the management of the Missouri River as well as to preserve some of the state’s most valuable natural resources, such as Church Mountain and the waterways of the White River Basin . Personal Achievements Nixon’s aggressive actions in the Attorney General’s Office have earned him national recognition. Barrister magazine named him one of the 20 outstanding young lawyers in the nation, and the Missouri Jaycees selected him one of Ten Outstanding Young Missourians. Prior to becoming Attorney General, was recognized by the Conservation Federation of Missouri for his environmental work as a state senator. Controversies As Attorney General, Nixon has also been heavily involved in controversial decisions regarding school Desegregation , Capital Punishment , and Abortion . Nixon has overseen the state's involvement in the court settlements that ended mandatory urban busing in St. Louis and Kansas City 's public schools. His role in the desegregation cases has caused friction with some African American leaders. Nixon is also a supporter of Capital Punishment , which has caused him some political difficulties with opponents of the death penalty. In addition, Missouri Republicans have criticized Nixon for his campaign soliciting campaign contributions from utility companies, including Ameren during an ongoing criminal investigation by his office of the company, which were immediately returned when Nixon was made aware of the matter. {Link without Title} Future political plans Nixon has continued to win re-election as Attorney General by large margins during a time when other Democrats have had increasing difficulty winning elections in Missouri. This has led many political observers to speculate that Nixon may decide to challenge Governor Matt Blunt in 2008. On November 10 , 2005 , Nixon filed the necessary paperwork with the Missouri Ethics Commission to launch a 2008 campaign for governor. A November 2006 poll showed Nixon with a 13 point lead over Blunt (52% to 39%) for the governor's race. [http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=21379 Though Blunt's job approval ratings have improved from the low 30's in 2006 to the low 40's in May 2007, [http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=c50d9fb8-a517-477f-a9d7-88a3523a70e8] Nixon increased his lead in a July 2007 Survey USA poll to a 19 point lead (57% to 38%). {Link without Title} ELECTORAL HISTORY
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|