31 Facts About Pete Stark

Pete Stark was the dean of California's 53-member Congressional delegation, and the only openly atheist member of Congress.

Pete Stark narrowly finished first in the primary ahead of fellow Democrat Eric Swalwell, but lost to Swalwell in the general election.

Pete Stark was the second-longest serving US Congressman, after Jack Brooks, to lose a general election.

Pete Stark received a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953.

Pete Stark served in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1957.

In 1963, Pete Stark founded Security National Bank, based in Walnut Creek.

Pete Stark printed cheques with peace signs on them and placed a giant peace sign on the roof of his bank's headquarters.

In 1971, Pete Stark was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board.

Pete Stark sold his interest in the bank for millions in 1972 when he was elected to the House of Representatives.

In 1972, at the age of 41, Pete Stark ran in the Democratic primary against 14-term incumbent US Representative and octogenarian George Paul Miller of Alameda in what was then the 8th district.

Pete Stark did not face another contest nearly that close until 2012, and was re-elected 18 times.

At 40 years, Pete Stark had been the longest-serving member of Congress from California, serving continuously from January 3,1973, through January 3,2013.

Pete Stark voted against the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, which was supported by most House Democrats and over half of House Republicans, in part because of its cost.

Pete Stark voted both times against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which created the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

In January 1985, Pete Stark became Chairman of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee with jurisdiction over Medicare and national health insurance proposals.

In 1988, Pete Stark introduced an "Ethics in Patient Referrals Act" bill concerning physician self-referrals.

Pete Stark led in introducing bills to allow more people to buy into Medicare at an earlier age, to expand Medicare by allowing all infants to enroll in Medicare, and to provide a prescription drug benefit in Medicare.

However Pete Stark only held the chairmanship for one day, as Democrats instead voted for Sander Levin to take over.

Pete Stark was an early opponent of the Iraq War, speaking on the floor against the resolution authorizing military force against Iraq, on October 10,2002.

Pete Stark did not vote for any bills to continue funding the Iraq war, but voted 'present' for some.

Pete Stark was the first openly atheist member of Congress, as announced by the Secular Coalition for America.

Pete Stark acknowledged that he was an atheist in response to an SCA questionnaire sent to public officials in January 2007.

On September 20,2007, Pete Stark reaffirmed that he was an atheist by making a public announcement in front of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, the Harvard Law School Heathen Society, and various other atheist, agnostic, secular, humanist, and nonreligious groups.

On February 9,2011, Pete Stark introduced a bill to Congress designating February 12,2011, as Darwin Day; this was a collaboration between Pete Stark and the American Humanist Association.

Pete Stark served on the Advisory Board of the Secular Coalition for America.

On October 18,2007, Pete Stark made the following comments on the House floor during a debate with Congressman Joe Barton of Texas:.

Pete Stark bought $1.7 million waterfront home in Harwood, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in 1988, and spent most of his time there in the latter part of his congressional tenure.

For two years, in 2007 and 2008, Pete Stark allegedly claimed the Harwood house as his primary residence, claiming a homestead exemption that reduced his real estate taxes by $3,853.

Under Maryland law, to qualify, the owner must register to vote and drive in Maryland; Pete Stark was registered in California despite living in Maryland for two-thirds of the year.

Pete Stark died at his home in Harwood, Maryland, on January 24,2020, at the age of 88 from leukemia.

Pete Stark gave decades of public service to East Bay residents as a voice in Congress for working people.