Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and attorney serving as the
since 2019. A
, Hoyer was first elected in a special election on May 19, 1981. As of 2022, he is in his 21st term as a member of the House. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C. Hoyer is the dean of the
.
Since 2003, Hoyer has been the second-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives behind
. He is a two-time
Pelosi.
During two periods of Republican House control (2003–2007 and 2011–2019), Hoyer served as
, both times under Minority Leader Pelosi. Following the
in which the Democrats took control of the House, Hoyer was re-elected majority leader in January 2019 upon the opening of the
; he remains the number two House Democrat behind Speaker Pelosi. He announced on November 17, 2022, that he, along with Pelosi, would not seek a leadership position in the 118th Congress, although he would remain a member of the House of Representatives.
, the son of Jean (née Baldwin) and Steen Theilgaard Høyer. His father was Danish and a native of
; "Steny" is a variant of his father's name, "Steen". His mother was an American, with Scottish, German, and English ancestry, and a descendant of
. He graduated from
.
In his early years at the University of Maryland College Park, Hoyer held a 1.9 grade point average. His attitude towards school and politics changed after hearing a speech from then Senator
before his election in 1960. In 1963, Hoyer received his B.A. degree ''
. He was also a member of the
fraternity.
in Washington, D.C., in 1966.
For four years, from 1962 to 1966, Hoyer was a member of the staff of United States Senator
, who would later become a leadership colleague of Hoyer's.
In 1966, Hoyer won a newly created seat in the
–based Senate district 4C. The district, created in the aftermath of ''
, the youngest in state history.
37%–34%. In the same year, Hoyer was appointed to the Maryland Board of Higher Education, a position he served in until 1981.
U.S. House of Representatives
fell into a coma shortly before the 1980 election. She was reelected, but it soon became apparent that she would never regain consciousness, and Congress declared her seat vacant by resolution in February 1981. Hoyer narrowly won a crowded seven-way Democratic
, beating Spellman's husband Reuben by only 1,600 votes. He then defeated a better-funded
by 56%–44%, earning himself the nickname of "boy wonder".
In the 1982 general election, Hoyer won reelection to his first full term with 80% of the vote. He has faced only one relatively close contest since then, when he defeated future
with just 53% of the vote in 1992. His second lowest margin of victory was his 1996 bid against Republican State Delegate
, when he won reelection with 57% of the vote. Hoyer has been reelected 14 times with no substantive opposition, and is the longest-serving House member ever from southern Maryland.
Hoyer supports and has led on the ''Make It In America'' plan linking domestic manufacturing industry and overall US economic success.
Hoyer is
. He voted against the
in 2003. (However, at the height of national polarization after the
, Hoyer controversially endorsed an anti-abortion incumbent House member over his pro-choice
. Hoyer is rated F by the
, indicating a pro-gun-control voting record.
In 2008, Hoyer said he opposed providing immunity to telecom companies, but then negotiated a bill, described by Senators
as a "capitulation", that would provide immunity to any telecom company that had been told by the Bush administration that their actions were legal. "No matter how they spin it, this is still immunity," said
's wiretapping program. "It's not compromise, it's pure theater."
In a 2009 ''
owning out opposing views is simply un-American."
In June 2010, Hoyer brought up the idea that Congress would extend only temporarily middle-class tax cuts that were set to expire at the end of the year, suggesting that making them permanent would cost too much. President Obama wanted to extend them permanently for individuals making less than $200,000 a year and families making less than $250,000.
Hoyer voted against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1999. In 2019, Hoyer voted for the impeachment of President Trump. In 2021, Hoyer voted for the second impeachment of President Trump.
In February 2021, Hoyer made a passionate speech in Congress which has been viewed online more than two million times, criticising an incendiary Facebook post by new Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The post featured a gun-toting Greene next to three members of the "Squad"—congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, with the caption "Democrats' Worst Nightmare".
In his speech he compared Greene's words with those of Republican Congressman Steve King, who was removed from the Judiciary and Agriculture Committees in 2019 after comments he made to the New York Times questioning why white supremacy was considered offensive. Hoyer made the point that Taylor Greene's words both in that post and other posts she had made promoting baseless conspiracy theories, were far more offensive and incendiary than the comment which led Republicans to strip King of his committee roles. He asked his colleagues to on both sides of the aisle to "do the decent thing" and strip Taylor Greene of her committee roles. The eventual vote succeeded, but only eleven Republicans joined Democrats to pass the motion by 230–199 to remove.
Hoyer supports civilian nuclear cooperation with India.
Hoyer initially supported the
and was even recognized by the DLC for his vocal leadership on this issue. After the war became publicly unpopular, Hoyer said he favored a "responsible redeployment". However, he has repeatedly supported legislation to continue funding for the war without deadlines for troop withdrawal, most recently in return for increased funding of domestic projects.
Hoyer is a supporter of Israel, and has often been allied with
(AIPAC). In September 2007, he criticized Rep.
for suggesting that AIPAC "has pushed (the Iraq) war from the beginning", calling the comment "factually inaccurate". In January 2017, Hoyer voted for a House resolution condemning the
a flagrant violation of international law and a major obstacle to peace. Hoyer supported President
.
Hoyer has stated that a nuclear Iran is "unacceptable" and that the use of force remains an option.
In January 2019, Hoyer opposed President
as "impulsive, irresponsible, and dangerous". Hoyer supports former President
's call for authorizing limited but decisive military action in response to the Assad regime's alleged use of chemical weapons.
Hoyer is a former chairman of the
.
.
The bill would extend until November 9, 2016, the authority of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization, to construct a museum on federal lands within the
honoring law enforcement officers.
Hoyer is a prolific fundraiser for House Democrats. He has been the top giver to fellow party members in the House. In the 2008 election cycle, he contributed more than $1 million to the party and individual candidates as of July 14, 2008.
, the fourth-ranking position among House Democrats, from 1989 to 1994; the former co-chair (and a current member) of the Democratic Steering Committee; and as the chief candidate recruiter for House Democrats from 1995 to 2000. He also served as Deputy Majority
from 1987 to 1989.
. After the 2002 midterm elections, Pelosi ran to succeed
as Minority Leader, leaving the Minority Whip post open again. On November 14, 2002, Hoyer was unanimously elected by his colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to serve as the Minority Whip, the second-highest-ranking position among House Democrats.
in January 2007. Hoyer was elected by his colleagues to be House Majority Leader for the 110th Congress, defeating
, despite Pelosi endorsing Murtha.
Hoyer is the first Marylander to become Majority Leader. and became the highest-ranking federal lawmaker in Maryland history.
In this post, Hoyer was the floor leader of the House Democrats and ranked second in the leadership after the Speaker who is the actual head of the majority party in the house.
The day after the 2010 midterm elections in which the Democrats lost control of the House, Hoyer had a private conversation with Pelosi and stated that he would not challenge her bid for Minority Leader (for Pelosi to remain Democratic House Leader). He ran for minority whip, but was challenged by outgoing Majority Whip
(the top House Democrats wanted to remain in the leadership, but the minority party in the House has one less position). Hoyer is moderate while Pelosi and Clyburn are more liberal, and a significant number of Hoyer's would-be supporters in the House who were moderate and conservative Democrats had been defeated for reelection. The
backed Clyburn, while 30 House Democrats have supported Hoyer, and Hoyer has also raised money and campaigned for many candidates. Hoyer received further support from outgoing Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman
Pelosi intervened in the contest by supporting Hoyer as Minority Whip, while creating an "Assistant Leader" position for Clyburn which would keep him as the third-ranking Democrat in the House behind Pelosi and Hoyer (the existing "Assistant to the Leader" post formerly held by
is not officially part of the House leadership and was directly appointed by the Minority Leader).
Hoyer and the DCCC have been criticized for picking their preferred candidates through an undemocratic process. In 2018, it was reported that Hoyer sought to influence the primary race in
. Hoyer was recorded urging progressive candidate
to drop out of the race. Hoyer acknowledged that the DCCC had already identified its choice candidate and discouraged a candid discussion about his weaknesses.
On November 28, 2018, Hoyer was selected to return as House Majority Leader.
Congress, 5th district
, Special
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 42,573
, , 55.81
,
, , Audrey Scott
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 33,708
, , 44.19
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1982
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 83,937
, , 79.58
,
, , William Guthrie
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 21,533
, , 20.42
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 116,310
, , 72.18
,
, , John Ritchie
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 44,839
, , 27.82
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
**Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal enter ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 82,098
, , 81.93
,
, , John Sellner
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 18,102
, , 18.07
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 128,437
, , 78.63
,
, , John Sellner
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 34,909
, , 21.37
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 84,747
, , 80.66
,
, , Lee Breuer
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 20,314
, , 19.34
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1992
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 113,280
, , 55.0
,
, ,
Larry J. Hogan, Jr.
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 92,636
, , 45.0
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
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 sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 98,821
, , 58.81
,
, , Donald Devine
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 69,211
, , 41.19
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1996
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 121,288
, , 56.92
,
, ,
John S. Morgan
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 91,806
, , 43.08
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 126,792
, , 65.37
,
, , Robert Ostrom
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 67,176
, , 34.36
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
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 S ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 166,231
, , 65.09
,
, , Thomas Hutchins
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 89,019
, , 34.86
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2002
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 137,903
, , 69.27
,
, , Joseph Crawford
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 60,758
, , 30.52
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2004
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 204,867
, , 68.67
,
, , Brad Jewitt
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 87,189
, , 29.93
,
, , Bob Auerbach
, ,
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
, , 4,224
, , 1.42
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2006
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 168,114
, , 82.69
,
, , Steve Warner
, ,
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
, , 33,464
, , 16.46
,
, Write Ins: P.Kuhnert and Other
, , 635
, , 1,110
, , 0.86
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 253,854
, , 73.6
,
, , Collins Bailey
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 82,631
, , 24.0
,
, , Darlene Nicholas
, ,
Libertarian
, , 7,829
, , 2.3
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2010
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 143,620
, , 64.3
,
, , Charles Lollar
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 79,122
, , 35.6
,
, , H. Gavin Shickle
, ,
Libertarian
, , 2,399
, , 1.1
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 238,618
, , 69.4
,
, ,
Tony O'Donnell
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 95,271
, , 27.7
,
, , Bob Auerbach
, ,
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
, , 5,040
, , 1.5
,
, , Arvin Vohra
, ,
Libertarian
, , 4,503
, , 1.3
, -
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 144,725
, , 64.0
,
, , Chris Chafee
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 80,752
, , 35.7
,
, Write-ins
,
, 563
, 0.2
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 242,989
, , 67.4
,
, , Mark Arness
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 105,931
, , 29.4
,
, , Jason Summers
, ,
Libertarian
, , 11,078
, , 3.1
,
, Write-ins
,
, 606
, 0.2
, -
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 213,796
, , 70.3
,
, , William Devine III
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 82,361
, , 27.1
,
, , Patrick Elder
, ,
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
, , 4,082
, , 1.3
,
, Write-ins
,
, 279
, 0.1
, -
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 274,210
, , 68.8
,
, , Chris Palombi
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 123,525
, , 31.0
,
, write-ins
,
, 1,104
, 0.3
,
,
,
,
,
, -
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
,
Congress, 5th district
, General
, ,
, , Steny Hoyer
, ,
Democratic
, , 182,478
, , 65.9
,
, , Chris Palombi
, ,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, , 94,000
, , 33.9
,
, write-ins
,
, 442
, 0.2
,
,
,
,
,
Hoyer has three daughters, Anne, Susan, and Stefany, from his marriage to Judy Pickett Hoyer, who died of cancer in February 1997.
, his daughter Stefany Hoyer Hemmer came out as a lesbian in an interview with the ''
, and child development learning centers in Maryland have been named in her honor ("Judy Centers"). She also suffered from
sponsors an annual public lecture in her name. Hoyer, too, has been an advocate for research in this area, and the Epilepsy Foundation presented him in 2002 with their Congressional Leadership Award.
Hoyer serves on the board of trustees for
, a nonprofit that supports international elections.
. He is a member of a Baptist church.
official U.S. House website
Steny Hoyer
*
*
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoyer, Steny