Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint (b. September 2, 1951, in Greenville, SC) was a Republican member of the U.S. Senate from the state of South Carolina. DeMint served in the Senate from 2005-2013. On December 6, 2012, DeMint announced he would leave the U.S. Senate to become president of the Heritage Foundation, starting in January 2013. Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley (R) appointed Tim Scott to fill the remainder of DeMint's term.[1][2] DeMint left the Heritage Foundation in early 2017. In June 2017, he joined Citizens for Self-Governance as a senior advisor.
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, DeMint was a "far-right Republican."[3]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of DeMint's academic, professional, and political career:[4]
- 1973: Received his B.S. from University of Tennessee
- 1981: Received his M.B.A. from Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
- 1999-2005: Served as a Republican in the U.S. Congress
- 2005-2013: U.S. Senator from South Carolina
- 2013-2017: Heritage Foundation
- 2017-present: Citizens for Self-Governance
Committee assignments
U.S. Senate
2011-2012
- Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
- Commerce, Science and Transportation
- Foreign Relations
- Economic Committee
Issues
Fiscal Cliff
DeMint did not cast a vote regarding the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[5]
Elections
2010
On November 2, 2010, DeMint won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Alvin M. Greene and Tom Clements in the general election.[6]
| U.S. Senate, South Carolina General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Jim DeMint Incumbent |
62.5% | 810,771 | |
| Democratic | Alvin M. Greene | 28.1% | 364,598 | |
| Green | Tom Clements | 9.4% | 121,472 | |
| Total Votes | 1,296,841 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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Analysis
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. DeMint paid his congressional staff a total of $2,672,275 in 2011. He ranked 10th on the list of the highest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 64th overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, South Carolina ranked 29th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[7]
Net worth
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, DeMint's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $16,002 and $65,000. That averages to $40,501, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2010 of $7,054,258.[8]
National Journal vote ratings
2011
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. DeMint ranked 10th in the conservative rankings in 2011.[9]
Political positions
Voting with party
Jim DeMint voted with the Republican Party 80.0 of the time, which ranked 42 among the 47 Senate Republican members as of November 2011.[10]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
DeMint and his wife, Debbie, have four children.
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial (federal level):
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
- Collected news and commentary at Fox News
- Collected news and commentary at Politico
Footnotes
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Sen. Jim DeMint to Head Heritage Foundation," December 6, 2012
- ↑ Washington Post, "Jim DeMint leaving the Senate," December 6, 2012
- ↑ GovTrack, "Jim DeMint," accessed March 3, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Jim DeMint," accessed November 4, 2011
- ↑ U.S. Senate, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm, "Jim DeMint"
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "DeMint, (R-SC), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: Senate," accessed February 23, 2012
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ernest Hollings |
U.S. Senate - South Carolina 2005-2013 |
Succeeded by Tim Scott |
