Curt Clawson

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Curt Clawson

|image =File:Curt Clawson.jpg

|state = Florida

|district = {{ushr|Florida|19|19th}}

|term_start = June 25, 2014

|term_end = January 3, 2017

|predecessor = Trey Radel

|successor = Francis Rooney

|birth_name = Curtis Jay Clawson

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|9|28}}

|birth_place = Tacoma, Washington, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|nationality =

|party = Republican

|education = {{ubl | Purdue University (BA, BS) | Harvard University (MBA)}}

| module = {{Infobox basketball biography

| embed = yes

| team = Purdue Boilermakers

| league = Big Ten Conference

| high_school = Batesville High School, Indiana

| college = {{ubl |University of Utah (1978–1979) | Purdue University (1981–1984) }}

| highlights = {{ubl | 1× Big Ten Conference Champion (1984) | 2× All–Academic Big Ten (1983, 1984) }}

| number = 33

| position = Point guard / shooting guard

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 5

| weight_lbs =

}}}}

Curtis Jay Clawson (born September 28, 1959) is an American politician who served as the United States representative for Florida's 19th congressional district from 2014 to 2017. He is the former chief executive of Hayes Lemmerz, a Michigan-based automobile wheel and brakes supplier.{{cite news | url=http://www.naplesnews.com/business/exclusive-curt-clawson-business-record-congress-19 | title=NDN exclusive: Curt Clawson touts business acumen, but record is marred | work=Naples Daily News | date=March 12, 2014 | access-date=July 27, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406171558/http://www.naplesnews.com/business/exclusive-curt-clawson-business-record-congress-19 | archive-date=April 6, 2015 | url-status=dead }}{{cite news |date=April 22, 2014 |title=Ex-C.E.O. Wins Florida Primary for House Seat |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/us/politics/ex-ceo-wins-florida-primary-for-house-seat.html |newspaper=New York Times |location=New York City |access-date=April 23, 2014}}

Early life and education

Clawson attended Batesville High School in Batesville, Indiana. A high school basketball star, he was recruited by Gene Keady. At Purdue, he was a 2× All-Academic Big Ten selection (1982–83 and 1983–84). He was a team captain for the 1983–84 Big Ten Champions, was a member of 2× NCAA teams (1982–83 and 1983–84) and an NIT Finalist team (1981–82). He graduated in 1984 with a BA in Spanish and a BS from the Krannert School of Management. He was named a "Purdue Old Master" in 2010 and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/awards/distinguishedalumni/Recipients/Clawson.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140425081616/http://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/awards/distinguishedalumni/Recipients/Clawson.html|url-status=dead|title=Curtis J. Clawson : College of Liberal Arts : Purdue University|archivedate=April 25, 2014}}

In 1990, he earned an MBA from Harvard University.

U.S. House of Representatives

=Elections=

;2014 special

{{main|2014 Florida's 19th congressional district special election}}

Clawson was the Republican Party nominee in a special election to fill the seat being vacated by Trey Radel.Sullivan, Sean. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/22/curt-clawson-wins-republican-nomination-in-florida-special-election/ Curt Clawson wins Republican nomination in Florida special election], Washington Post, April 23, 2014. and won the election on June 24, 2014. In the April 22, 2014 Republican primary—the real contest in this heavily Republican district—Clawson defeated State Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto and former State Representative Paige Kreegel with 38% of the vote to Benacquisto's 26% and Kreegel's 25%. Clawson was endorsed in the primary by the Tea Party Express.{{cite news |last=Leary |first=Alex |date=April 22, 2014 |title=Tea party candidate Curt Clawson wins Republican primary to replace former Rep. Trey Radel |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/tea-party-candidate-curt-clawson-wins-republican-primary-to-replace-former/2176397/ |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |location=Tampa |publisher=Times Publishing Company |access-date=April 23, 2014 }} He spent $2 million on advertising and in one of his ads he challenged U.S. President Barack Obama to a game of one on one basketball.

;2014 general

{{main|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida#District 19}}

Clawson won a full term in November 2014 with 64 percent of the vote.

=Tenure=

Clawson delivered the Tea Party response to President Obama's State of the Union Address in 2015.Topaz, Jonathan (January 20, 2015) – [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/state-of-the-union-2015-tea-party-response-114427.html?ml=m_ms "Tea Party Response to Obama Hits Soft Tones"]. POLITICO. Retrieved January 21, 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/20/curt-clawson-response_n_6489060.html|title=Curt Clawson Pushes Personal Liberty, Teamwork In Tea Party Response To State Of The Union|last=Bondioli|first=Sara|date=2015-01-20|website=HuffPost|language=en|access-date=2020-02-25}}

On May 20, 2016, Clawson announced that he would not seek re-election that year, citing his desire to support his father in the aftermath of his mother's death the previous year.{{cite web|last=King|first=Ledyard|title=U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson won't seek re-election|url=http://www.news-press.com/story/news/2016/05/19/us-rep-curt-clawson-wont-seek-re-election/84625998/|work=The News-Press|date=May 20, 2016|access-date=June 17, 2016}}

Clawson was a member of the Congressional Constitution Caucus.{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|publisher=Congressional Constitution Caucus|access-date=May 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614044928/https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|archive-date=June 14, 2018|url-status=dead}}

Electoral history

=2014 (special)=

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Republican primary results{{cite news |title=Florida – County Vote Results |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2014/by_county/FL_Page_0422.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS |agency = Associated Press | access-date = July 21, 2014}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Curt Clawson

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 26,857

| percentage = 38

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Lizbeth Benacquisto

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 18,032

| percentage = 26

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Paige Kreegel

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 17,762

| percentage = 25

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Michael Dreikorn

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 7,560

| percentage = 11

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 70,211

| percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Florida's 19th Congressional District special election, 2014{{cite web|title=Florida Department of State – Election Results: June 24, 2014 Special General Congressional 19 |url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Specials.asp?ElectionDate=6/24/2014&DATAMODE=

|publisher=Florida Department of State Department of Elections|access-date=June 18, 2016}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Curt Clawson

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 66,922

| percentage = 66.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = April Freeman

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 29,314

| percentage = 29.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Ray Netherwood

| party = Libertarian Party (United States)

| votes = 3,729

| percentage = 3.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Timothy J. Rossano

| party = Write-in candidate

| votes = 24

| percentage = 0.0

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 99,989

| percentage = 100.0

}}

=2014=

{{Election box begin no change

| title=Florida's 19th Congressional District Election (2014){{cite web|title=Florida Department of State – Election Results: November 4, 2014 General Election |url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/4/2014&DATAMODE=

|publisher=Florida Department of State Department of Elections|access-date=June 18, 2016}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Curt Clawson*

|votes = 159,354

|percentage = 64.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = April Freeman

|votes = 80,824