35 Facts About Chet Edwards

Thomas Chester Edwards was born on November 24,1951 and is an American politician who was a United States Representative from Texas, representing a district based in Waco, from 1991 to 2011.

Chet Edwards was on Barack Obama's vice presidential shortlist in 2008.

Chet Edwards was the Chairman of the 18th MSC Student Conference on National Affairs Conference, where he helped to bring Vice President Walter Mondale and businessman Ross Perot to campus.

When Teague announced his retirement in 1978, Chet Edwards ran in the Democratic primary to succeed him.

Chet Edwards lost by only 115 votes to his former professor, Phil Gramm, who switched to Republican affiliation in 1983.

In 1981, Chet Edwards earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Chet Edwards then went to work for the Trammell Crow Company as a commercial real estate agent.

Later, Chet Edwards purchased several rural radio stations in South Texas.

Chet Edwards was elected to the Texas Senate in 1983, and served until 1990, representing District 9.

Chet Edwards was on the Health and Human Resources Committee, chaired the Senate Nominations Committee, the Texas Sunset Commission, a joint commission which reviews state agencies on a 12-year rotation, and the Texas Election Code Revision Committee.

Chet Edwards was a member of the Committee on Business, Technology, and Education.

Chet Edwards served as a member on the House Budget Committee, the Appropriations Committee, and the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee and vice chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee.

Chet Edwards assisted in enacting the 21st Century GI Bill of Rights into law, covering the full cost of a college education for troops.

In 2006, Chet Edwards was honored with the Award of Merit, the highest award given by the Military Coalition, which represents 36 military and veteran groups.

Chet Edwards is a moderate Democrat according to a nonpartisan organization GovTrack.

Chet Edwards was a leader in the House of Representatives.

Chet Edwards opposed the 2001 federal tax cuts and voted against eliminating the marriage penalty and estate tax.

Chet Edwards voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Chet Edwards has received an "A" by the NRA Political Victory Fund.

Chet Edwards supported increased access to health care for children of working families under the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Chet Edwards was honored by the Baptist Joint Committee, and earned the Walter Cronkite Award from the Interfaith Alliance for his principled stand to keep government regulations out of churches and houses of worship.

Chet Edwards was elected to the US House in 1990 with 54 percent of the vote in what was then the 11th District, defeating Republican Hugh Shine.

Chet Edwards was re-elected in 1992 with 67 percent of the vote, defeating Republican James Broyles.

Chet Edwards defeated Broyles again in 1994 with 59 percent of the vote.

Chet Edwards was able to hold onto his seat, though with shrinking margins.

Chet Edwards was one of two Democrats to represent a significant portion of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in Congress, along with Eddie Bernice Johnson.

In much of the district, Chet Edwards was the only elected Democrat above the county level.

On February 18,2008, Chet Edwards officially endorsed Barack Obama in the Texas March 4 Democratic primary.

In late June 2008, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi publicly suggested that Chet Edwards would be a great choice as Obama's vice-presidential running mate.

Chet Edwards stated that he would accept such an offer from Obama.

In November 2008, Chet Edwards was reelected, defeating Republican Rob Curnock, a Waco video business owner, with 53 percent of the vote.

Chet Edwards was challenged by Republican nominee Bill Flores, a retired Bryan oil and gas executive.

Chet Edwards was endorsed by the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

On November 2,2010, Chet Edwards was heavily defeated, taking 37 percent of the vote to Flores's 62 percent.

Chet Edwards is married to Lea Ann Wood from Paducah, Kentucky.