Mary Bono
Mary Bono Mack | |
|---|---|
| File:MaryBonoNew.jpg | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 45th district | |
| Assumed office April 7, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Sonny Bono |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sonny Bono (1986–1998) (deceased) Glenn Baxley (2001–2005) (divorced) Connie Mack IV (2007–present) |
| Residence | Palm Springs, California |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | small business owner |
| Website | Congresswoman Mary Bono |
Mary Bono Mack (born October 24, 1961) is an American politician, and since 1998 has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 45th District of California (map), which includes most of central and eastern Riverside County. The district was previously the 44th District before redistricting occurred in 2000.
Personal life
She was born in Cleveland, Ohio but has lived in Southern California since 1963. She worked her way through the University of Southern California, graduating in 1984. Two years later, she married singer and actor Sonny Bono and moved to Palm Springs. Soon after, Sonny Bono became interested in politics, serving as mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992 and being elected to Congress in 1994.
Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident on 5 January 1998. Mary easily won the Republican nomination for the special election to succeed him, and breezed to victory in the special election. 7 April 1998. She won a full term in November and has been re-elected three times with no serious opposition. As of 2007, Bono was one of five representatives to be elected to their seats following the deaths of their husbands, along with Lindy Boggs (D-LA), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Lois Capps (D-CA), and Doris Matsui (D-CA).
Sonny Bono was a member of the Church of Scientology (although he continued to state that he was a Roman Catholic on most official documents). The church has its large Gold Base headquarters in her district. Mary Bono took courses in Scientology in 1989 and 1990, but she has since distanced herself from the organization and said that she does not believe in their tenets.[1]
She has a son, Chesare Elan Bono (born 1988), and a daughter, Chianna Maria Bono (born 1991) from her marriage to Sonny Bono.
She was also married to Palm Springs businessman Glenn Baxley from 2001 to 2005. Mary Bono was then romantically linked to married Congressman Connie Mack IV from Florida for two years, and on September 7, 2007, Bono and Mack announced their engagement. Their wedding took place on December 15, 2007, in Asheville, North Carolina.[2]
Congressional career
Unlike Sonny Bono, who was a loyal supporter of Newt Gingrich, Bono Mack has a moderate voting record. The 45th had long been a Republican stronghold, but has become much more Democratic in recent years; it currently has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+3. While Moreno Valley and Palm Springs have a slight Democratic tilt, the Temecula Valley is strongly conservative. She chose not to attend the 2004 Republican National Convention because she felt her district and state were not in strong contention and her objection to the platform's opposition to any legal benefits for same-sex couples as well as opposition to gays in the military. Her district includes the highest percentage of gays and lesbians of any district represented by a Republican. [3]. She is a member of The Republican Main Street Partnership, The Republican Majority For Choice, Republicans For Choice, The Wish List, and Christine Todd Whitman's It's My Party, Too. However, her voting records show that she has a pro-life voting record.[4]
Bono Mack follows the Republican Party 89% of the time and President Bush 79% of the time, according to Congressional Quarterly. She has an 84% approval rating from the Christian Coalition.[5] In 1999, she voted in favor of the Largent amendment,[6] to ban adoption by same-sex couples in Washington, DC.[7] Bono has, however, voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment twice.
Bono Mack was a leading proponent of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, the so-called "Mickey Mouse Law", which extended the terms of copyright. Giving a speech on the floor of Congress in favor of the bill, Bono said:
Actually, Sonny wanted the term of copyright protection to last forever. I am informed by staff that such a change would violate the Constitution. . . . As you know, there is also [Motion Picture Association of America president] Jack Valenti's proposal for the term to last forever less one day. Perhaps the Committee may look at that next Congress.[8]
Led by her campaign team, Bono Mack was reelected with 60.7% of the vote in 2006.[9][10]
Committee assignments
References
- ^ Proud Mary Bono, George, August 1999
- ^ The News-Press, news-press.com, Local & State, Congressman Mack weds Congresswoman Bono
- ^ http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/SameSexCouplesandGLBpopACS.pdf Same-sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the American Community Survey]|2.07 MiB}}. The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law October, 2006. Retrieved February 15, 2007
- ^ Mary Bono on the Issues
- ^ http://www.cc.org/2004scorecard.pdf
- ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1999/roll346.xml
- ^ Human Rights Campaign
- ^ 144 Congressional Record H9952.
- ^ Bono Election Day Schedule
- ^ CA Secretary of State - Statement of Vote - 2006 General Election
External links
- U.S. Congresswoman Mary Bono official House site
- United States Congress. "Mary Bono (id: b001228)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Federal Election Commission — Mary Bono campaign finance reports and data
- On the Issues — Mary Bono issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Mary Bono campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart — Representative Mary Whitaker Bono (CA) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Mary Bono profile
- Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Mary Bono-Mack voting record
- Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack official campaign site