Timothy Lee Walberg (born April 12, 1951) is an American politician serving as the

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from since 2023. A member of the 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 , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois, the son of Alice Ann and John A. Walberg. His paternal grandparents were Swedish. Walberg graduated from

Thornton Fractional North High School Thornton Fractional North High School (T.F. North, TF North, TFN; formerly Thornton Fractional Township High School) is a Public Secondary school in Calumet City, Illinois. It first opened its doors in March 1926. The school serves Calumet C ...

in 1969.

Michigan legislature

Walberg was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives 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 i ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

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 Joe Schwarz 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 for ...

identified Walberg as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in Congress. On August 23, 2007, State Senate Minority Leader

Mark Schauer Mark Hamilton Schauer (born October 2, 1961) is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011. Schauer was previously a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1997 to 2002 and a member of the Mi ...

announced he would challenge Walberg. The previous occupant of the seat, Joe Schwarz, 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

. 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 Pam Byrnes (born June 25, 1947) is a former Democratic State Representative in the Michigan State House of Representatives, representing the 52nd District, which covers parts of Washtenaw County. On July 18, 2013, Pam Byrnes announced that sh ...

with 54% of the vote. ;2016 Walberg defeated Doug North in the August 2 Republican primary and Democratic nominee State Representative

Gretchen Driskell Gretchen Demarest Driskell (born October 1, 1958) is an American politician, accountant, and real estate agent from the state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives, representing the 5 ...

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 The Committee on Education and Labor is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. There are 50 members in this committee. Since 2019, the chair of the Education and Labor committee is Robert Cortez Scott of Virginia. Hi ...

** Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (Ranking Member) *

Committee on Energy and Commerce A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

** 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 prim ...

* House Baltic Caucus *

Congressional Constitution Caucus The Congressional Constitution Caucus is a congressional caucus made up of 41 members of the United States Congress. The caucus was founded in 2005; it had 37 members the first year it was founded. The group was founded and formerly led by Repu ...

Political positions

Environment

Walberg rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. 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 Presi ...

. 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 ''R ...

'' 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 owne ...

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 ''Obergefell v. Hodges'', ( ), is a landmark LGBT rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protect ...

, 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

, recognizing marriages across state lines regardless of "sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals."

2008 presidential election

Walberg has repeatedly invoked birther 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, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

, 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: **C ...

, 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 Pe ...

. 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 (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 (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 (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 compete ...

, he currently identifies as

nondenominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

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 communiti ...

. Tim Walberg Becomes Second UB Congressman
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References

External links

Congressman Tim Walberg
official U.S. House website
Campaign website
* * * , - , - , - , - , - {{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