Timothy Lee Walberg (born April 12, 1951) is an American politician serving as the
U.S. representative from since 2023. A member of the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
* Republican Party (Liberia)
*Republican Party ...
, he previously represented the from 2007 to 2009 and from 2011 to 2023.
Early life, education, and early career
Walberg was born and raised in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, Illinois, the son of Alice Ann and John A. Walberg. His paternal grandparents were Swedish. Walberg graduated from
Thornton Fractional North High School in 1969.
Michigan legislature
Walberg was a member of the
Michigan House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 201 ...
from 1983 to 1998. He also spent time as a pastor and as a division manager for the
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college founded in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, US by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
while continuing to live in Michigan.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
;2004
After six years out of politics, Walberg ran in a field of six candidates in the 2004 Republican primary for the 7th District after six-term incumbent
Nick Smith retired. Walberg finished third in the primary.
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of ...
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz (born November 15, 1937), is an American physician and independent politician from Michigan, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican. He represented Michigan's 7th ...
won the primary and the general election.
;2006
Walberg defeated Schwarz in the Republican primary. In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Sharon Renier, 50%–46%.
In 2007, there was a failed recall effort against Walberg.
;2008
Entering the 2008 race, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman
Chris Van Hollen
Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (born January 10, 1959) is an American attorney and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Maryland since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Van Hollen served as the U.S. representative ...
identified Walberg as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in Congress. On August 23, 2007, State Senate Minority Leader
Mark Schauer announced he would challenge Walberg. The previous occupant of the seat,
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz (born November 15, 1937), is an American physician and independent politician from Michigan, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican. He represented Michigan's 7th ...
, who lost to Walberg in the 2006 Republican primary, declined to run but on September 30 endorsed Schauer.
Schauer narrowly defeated Walberg in the November election, 49% to 47%. Between the two candidates, around $3.5 million was spent on the campaign, making it one of the most expensive House races in the 2008 election. Schauer outspent Walberg by nearly $300,000.
;2010
On July 14, 2009, Walberg announced that he would challenge incumbent
Mark Schauer. He defeated Marvin Carlson and Brian Rooney in the Republican primary.
Polling showed the race as a dead heat. Walberg defeated Schauer, 50%–45%.
;2012
Wahlberg defeated Democratic nominee Kurt Haskell, 53%–43%.
;2014
Walberg defeated former Democratic State Representative
Pam Byrnes with 54% of the vote.
;2016
Walberg defeated Doug North in the August 2 Republican primary and Democratic nominee State Representative
Gretchen Driskell in the general election, with 55% of the vote.
;2018
Walberg defeated Driskell again, with 53.8% of the vote.
;2020
Walberg defeated Driskell a third time, with 58.7% of the vote.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Education and the Workforce
**
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions The House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and Labor. It was formerly known as the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
Jurisdiction
Fro ...
(Ranking Member)
*
Committee on Energy and Commerce
**
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
**
Subcommittee on Energy
Caucus memberships
*
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana.
Although the prima ...
*
House Baltic Caucus
*
Congressional Constitution Caucus
Political positions
Environment
Walberg rejects the
scientific consensus on climate change
There is a strong scientific consensus that the Earth is warming and that this warming is mainly caused by human activities. This consensus is supported by various studies of scientists' opinions and by position statements of scientific org ...
.
On the subject, he said in May 2017, "I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us. And I’m confident that, if there’s a real problem, he can take care of it."
Healthcare
Walberg has repeatedly voted to repeal the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
. Walberg shares an office with
Jackson Right to Life, which was vandalized by
abortion rights activists in June 2022, just before the ''
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
''Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization'', , is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the court held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion. The court's decision overruled both ''Ro ...
'' decision.
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...
attributed the attack to the group
Jane's Revenge
Jane's Revenge is the name of a militant, extremist, abortion rights group that encourages and claims responsibility for acts of firebombing, vandalism, and arson in the United States, targeting crisis pregnancy centers, a church, and a Congress ...
.
Marriage
In 2015, Walberg cosponsored a resolution to
amend the US constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Walberg also cosponsored a resolution disagreeing with the Supreme Court decision in
Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violated the constitution.
Walberg voted against the "
Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA; ) is a landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal gover ...
" codifying
Loving v. Virginia and
Obergefell v. Hodges, recognizing marriages across state lines regardless of "sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals."
2008 presidential election
Walberg has repeatedly invoked
birther
During Barack Obama's campaign for president in 2008, throughout his presidency and afterwards, there was extensive news coverage of Obama's religious preference, birthplace, and of the individuals questioning his religious belief and citi ...
conspiracy theories about President
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 (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, arguing that Obama should have been impeached over his birth certificate.
2020 presidential election
In December 2020, Walberg was one of 126 Republican members of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
to sign an
amicus brief
An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...
in support of ''
Texas v. Pennsylvania'', a lawsuit filed at the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
contesting the results of the
2020 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*5 January:
** ...
, in which
Joe Biden defeated incumbent
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked
standing
Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an ''erect'' ("orthostatic") position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the s ...
under
Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.
Electoral history
;2004 election for the U.S. House of Representatives – 7th District Republican primary
*
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz (born November 15, 1937), is an American physician and independent politician from Michigan, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican. He represented Michigan's 7th ...
(R), 28%
* Brad Smith (R), 22%
* Tim Walberg (R), 18%
*
Clark Bisbee (R), 14%
* Gene DeRossett (R), 11%
* Paul DeWeese (R), 7%
;2006 election for the U.S. House of Representatives – 7th District Republican primary
* Tim Walberg (R), 33,144, 53%
*
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz (born November 15, 1937), is an American physician and independent politician from Michigan, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican. He represented Michigan's 7th ...
(R) (inc.), 29,349, 47%
;2006 election for the U.S. House of Representatives – 7th District
* Tim Walberg (R), 49.93%
* Sharon Renier (D), 45.98%
* Robert Hutchinson (L), 1.55%
* David Horn (UST), 1.47%
*
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz (born November 15, 1937), is an American physician and independent politician from Michigan, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican. He represented Michigan's 7th ...
(write-in), 1.07%
;2008 election for the U.S. House of Representatives – 7th District
* Mark Schauer (D), 48.79%
* Tim Walberg (R), 46.49%
* Lynn Meadows (G), 2.96%
* Ken Proctor (L), 1.76%
;2010 election for the U.S. House of Representatives – 7th District
* Tim Walberg (R), 50.1%
* Mark Schauer (D), 45.4%
* Other, 4.5%
;2012 election for the U.S. House of Representatives – 7th District
* Tim Walberg (R), 55.4%
* Kurt Haskell (D), 44.6%
Personal life
Walberg is an ordained pastor. Ordained as a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
, he currently identifies as
nondenominational and attends a church affiliated with the
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination with churches in 17 countries. It is Protestant, with an episcopal structure and Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communitie ...
.
Tim Walberg Becomes Second UB Congressman
/ref>
References
External links
Congressman Tim Walberg
official U.S. House website
Campaign website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Walberg, Tim
1951 births
20th-century American politicians
21st-century American politicians
American people of German descent
American people of Norwegian descent
American people of Swedish descent
Christians from Michigan
Living people
Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Moody Bible Institute alumni
People from Lenawee County, Michigan
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan
Taylor University alumni
Tea Party movement activists
Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni