David Keith McCurdy (born March 30, 1950) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, and former politician who was the
Democratic U.S. Representative from
Oklahoma's 4th congressional district
Oklahoma's 4th congressional district is located in south-central Oklahoma and covers (in whole or in part) a total of 15 counties. Its principal cities include Midwest City, Norman, Moore, Ada, Duncan, Lawton/Ft. Sill, and Ardmore. The dist ...
, in office from 1981 to 1995. Described as a moderate or conservative Democrat, McCurdy was a chair the centrist
Democratic Leadership Council. In
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, he ran for the U.S. Senate, but lost to fellow Representative
Jim Inhofe.
After leaving Congress, McCurdy became a lobbyist. He is a former president of the
American Gas Association.
Early life and education
McCurdy was born in the town of
Canadian, Texas
Canadian is a city in, and the county seat of, Hemphill County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,649 at the 2010 census, up from 2,233 in 2000. It is named for the nearby Canadian River, a tributary of the Arkansas River. Incorporated i ...
. He received an undergraduate degree from the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
in 1972 and a
JD there three years later. He studied
international economics at
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
's
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
as a
Rotary International Graduate Fellow.
[McCurdy profile](_blank)
, aga.org; accessed November 21, 2014.
Military service and entry into politics
McCurdy served in the
United States Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...
, attaining the rank of
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
and serving as a
Judge Advocate General (JAG). He was an Assistant
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
for the State of Oklahoma from 1975-77.
Congressional career
Congressional campaigns
McCurdy served for seven terms, from 1981-95.
[ In 1980 he ran for ]Oklahoma's 4th congressional district
Oklahoma's 4th congressional district is located in south-central Oklahoma and covers (in whole or in part) a total of 15 counties. Its principal cities include Midwest City, Norman, Moore, Ada, Duncan, Lawton/Ft. Sill, and Ardmore. The dist ...
seat in Congress, succeeding sixteen-term congressman Tom Steed
Thomas Jefferson Steed (March 2, 1904 – June 8, 1983) was an American politician and a U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma.
Early life
Steed was born on a farm near in Eastland County, Texas (near Rising Star, Texas) on March 2, 1904. His family ...
from Shawnee
The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...
. He trailed Oklahoma House Majority Leader James B. Townsend, also from Shawnee
The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...
, in the Democratic primary 40% to 34%, then won 51.2% of the vote in the runoff election. McCurdy defeated Townsend with campaign commercials espousing prayer in public and support for a statue of Jesus Christ in the Wichita mountains, near Lawton.
He defeated Republican Howard Rutledge 74,245 to 71,339 in the general election, and again in 1982 by a vote of 84,205 to 44,351. He won a third term in 1984 by defeating Jerry Smith 109,447 to 60,844, with Libertarian Gordon Mobley picking up 1% of the vote. After winning 81.9% of the Democratic primary vote in 1986, McCurdy coasted to a fourth term with 94,984 votes (76.1%) over Republican Larry Humphreys. McCurdy had no Republican opponent in 1988, and won in 1990 with 73.6% of the vote in the general election. In 1992 he received 70.7% of the final tally.
Leadership positions
Specializing in national security
National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...
and intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...
issues, McCurdy was appointed to leadership positions in the field including chairmanships of the House Intelligence Committee, Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee and the Transportation Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the Science and Space Committee.
Other work in Congress
McCurdy founded and chaired a group of moderate and conservative House Democrats called the Mainstreet Forum. At its height in 1994, it counted seventy-two members.
In Congress, McCurdy played a major role in the following pieces of legislation: the 1988 National Superconductivity Competitiveness Act, the 1985 Goldwater-Nichols Act, which re-organized the U.S. Department of Defense, the Nunn-McCurdy Amendment of 1982, requiring congressional notification of Defense cost overruns of 15% or more, and the 1993 National Service Legislation, which originated in a bill introduced by Congressman McCurdy and former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn.
DLC co-founder and 1992 presidential election
In the 1990s, McCurdy was a national chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a group that sought to moderate the Democratic Party.[ McCurdy was seen as a "rising national star."][Kornacki, Steve (2011-05-09]
"Rick Santorum and the problem with the 'loser' label"
, Salon.com; accessed November 21, 2014. According to George Stephanopoulos
George Robert Stephanopoulos ( el, Γεώργιος Στεφανόπουλος ; born February 10, 1961) is an American television host, political commentator, and former Democratic advisor. Stephanopoulos currently is a coanchor with Robin Robe ...
in his political memoir, ''All Too Human'', McCurdy at one point considered his own presidential campaign in 1992, although he eventually supported fellow DLC member Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, and delivered a speech seconding his nomination at the Democratic Party National Convention. During the speech, "'McCurdy 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
' signs could be seen in the crowd."[
Following Clinton's election, McCurdy was considered for ]United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...
, a job which ultimately went to Les Aspin
Leslie Aspin Jr. (July 21, 1938 – May 21, 1995) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district from 1971 to 1993 and as the 18th United States Secretary of Defens ...
. McCurdy was offered the role of Director of Central Intelligence
The director of central intelligence (DCI) was the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency from 1946 to 2005, acting as the principal intelligence advisor to the president of the United States and the United States National Security C ...
, but turned it down.
1994 run for the U.S. Senate
In 1994, when U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
David L. Boren
David Lyle Boren (born April 21, 1941) is a retired American lawyer and politician from the state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and three terms in the United States Senat ...
decided to leave the U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
before the expiration of his term, McCurdy decided not to seek re-election to the House of Representatives; instead, he ran for the Senate. He campaigned on military preparedness and family values. He lost the general election to fellow congressman Jim Inhofe, whose campaign ads played clips of McCurdy's speech seconding Clinton's nomination for president. McCurdy took only 39 percent of the vote, and even lost his own congressional district. He sent his congressional records and papers to the Carl Albert Center for Congressional Studies at the University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
.[Dave McCurdy profile](_blank)
bioguide.congress.gov; accessed November 21, 2014.
Career after Congress
McCurdy was chairman and chief executive officer of the McCurdy Group LLC. In 1998 he was elected President of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) a national trade organization representing the electronics industry, even though House Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are ele ...
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale DeLay (; born April 8, 1947) is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006. He was Republic ...
held up legislation of benefit to the EIA and threatened it with a loss of access if it did not hire a Republican instead. DeLay was later rebuked by the House Ethics Committee.
He is chairman of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and has served on the Defense Policy Board under presidents George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
.
On February 12, 2007, McCurdy became president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
The Auto Alliance (AAM) is a defunct trade group of automobile manufacturers that operated in the United States. It was the leading advocacy group for the auto industry, representing 77% of all car and light truck sales in the United States. The ...
(AAM). Under McCurdy's leadership, AAM supported Obama's National Program to reduce carbon emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and larg ...
and increase fuel economy standards and a federal ban on texting while driving
Texting while driving, also called texting and driving, is the act of composing, sending, or reading text messages on a mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle. Texting while driving is considered extremely dangerous by many people, includi ...
.
In February 2011, McCurdy became president and CEO of the American Gas Association. In August 2011, McCurdy began service as a member of th
Board of Directors of LMI
a not-for-profit studies and analysis consulting firm headquartered in McLean, Virginia
McLean ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. McLean is home to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its proxim ...
. He also serves on the board of directors of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) is a non-profit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. that addresses federal budget and fiscal issues. It was founded in 1981 by former United States Representatives Robert Gia ...
.
Personal
McCurdy lives with his wife, Dr. Pam McCurdy in McLean, Virginia
McLean ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. McLean is home to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its proxim ...
; the couple has three children.
References
External links
McCurdy official bio at Auto Alliance
Dave McCurdy Collection
an
Photograph Series
at the Carl Albert Center
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McCurdy, Dave
1950 births
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
American Lutherans
American lobbyists
Candidates in the 1994 United States elections
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma
Living people
Military personnel from Texas
Oklahoma lawyers
People from Hemphill County, Texas
United States Air Force officers
University of Oklahoma alumni
United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps
Members of Congress who became lobbyists