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Darin LaHood

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Darin LaHood
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 18th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 17, 2015
Preceded byAaron Schock
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 37th district
In office
March 1, 2011 – September 10, 2015
Preceded byDale Risinger
Succeeded byChuck Weaver
Personal details
Born
Darin McKay LaHood

(1968-07-05) July 5, 1968 (age 56)
Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Kristen Noble
​
(m. 2001)​
Children3
Parent
EducationLoras College (BA)
John Marshall Law School, Chicago (JD)

Darin McKay LaHood (/ləˈhʊd/; born July 5, 1968)[1] is an American political leader who represents the 18th Congressional District of Illinois. Sworn into the United States House of Representatives on September 17, 2015, LaHood quickly transitioned into office after his special-election win on September 10.

In 2018, he won re-election for his second full-term in Congress by winning with 68% of the vote. In 2020, LaHood was re-elected by large majorities for his third full-term in office with 69% of the vote. LaHood, a long-time member of the Republican Party, served four years in the Illinois State Senate, starting in 2011. LaHood practiced with the Peoria law firm of Miller, Hall & Triggs until he was elected to the United States House of Representatives.

LaHood, a native of Peoria, Illinois, is the son of Ray LaHood,[2][3] the 16th United States Secretary of Transportation and before then seven-term U.S. Representative for the district his son currently represents. He has called himself a fiscal conservative focused on budget issues.[4] While Ray was a moderate Republican, Darin is considered more conservative.[5]

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee Assignments

LaHood serves on the Committee of Ways and Means, which is the oldest committee in the United States Congress. The committee is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives. LaHood has two Subcommittee assignments under Ways and Means; Tax Policy, and Oversight.

Along with the Committee of Ways and Means, LaHood also serves on the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee. This committee reviews economic conditions and recommends improvements in economic policy. [6]

Additionally, LaHood belongs to and co-chairs several groups as part of his Caucus Membership. These are the U.S.-Cuba Working Group, U.S.-China Working Group (co-chair), U.S.-Brazil Caucus (co-chair), U.S.-Lebanon Friendship Caucus (co-chair), Biofuels Caucus and the Digital Trade Caucus (co-chair).

LaHood was chosen to become the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) Finance Chair for the 2022 cycle. [7]

Policy positions

COVID Relief

LaHood supported COVID relief packages that passed Congress during the 2020 pandemic which allocated funding to health care systems, vaccine research, small business loans and grants, vaccine distribution, and state and municipal government assistance.[8] The first legislation to address the crisis in the 116th Congress, titled the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included bi-partisan legislation co-sponsored by LaHood and colleagues, including Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), titled the Promoting Flexibility for Small Business Owners Act. The provision gave small businesses more time to receive full forgiveness on their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Additionally, LaHood has been adamant throughout debate on the subject that states only use allocated funds for COVID-related costs, not to shore up budget issues that existed prior to the pandemic.[9][10] In the subsequent relief package that passed at the end of 2020, Lahood continued to advocate for small businesses, supporting efforts to reopen loans for disproportionately affected businesses and help travel and tourism industries.

Defense

LaHood has shown strong support of the U.S. military. He has advocated in a bipartisan and bicameral way for military installations in Central Illinois, including the 182nd Airlift Wing.[11] The 182nd Airlift Wing (182 AW) is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard, stationed at Peoria Air National Guard Base, Peoria, Illinois. The decorated unit operates C-130H3 Hercules aircraft that transport troops and equipment into hostile areas. LaHood has advocated with Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, and U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth for the unit to receive the newest variant of the C-130 Hercules, the J-model.[12] The Air Force is currently buying more J-models of the C-130 and replacing older versions.

Agriculture / Renewable Energy

Ethanol

Illinois is one of the leading ethanol producers and consumers in the United States. Ethanol has a $5.5-billion economic impact on our state’s economy and supports more than 4,000 Illinois jobs. Central Illinois is home to four of the largest ethanol producers in the state: ADM, Marquis Energy in Hennepin, Pacific Ethanol in Pekin and Big River Resources in Galva.[13] LaHood has supported the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which is an American federal program that requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels. He has actively opposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granting Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) that reduce the number of gallons of ethanol required to be blended.[13] He has led efforts to reduce and eliminate trade barriers that target U.S. ethanol producers and supported ethanol producers begin producing hand sanitizers to address shortages in the marketplace due to COVID-19.[14]

Ag Lab

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois researches new industrial and food uses for agricultural commodities, develops new technology to improve environmental quality, and provides technical support to federal regulatory and action agencies. LaHood has worked in a bi-partisan way to fund the research facility. In 2019, LaHood pushed back against a proposal in the Trump Administration’s budget to close the facility. “Peoria’s Ag Lab, and the researchers employed there, continue to serve a vital role in our local community, and I am disappointed to see that the White House once again propose it to be cut,” LaHood said in a prepared statement. “We must remember that the president’s budget proposal is just that — a proposal — and Congress holds the ultimate power of the purse. Similar to last year, this will remain a top priority for me to work in a bipartisan and bicameral way at the local, state, and federal levels to maintain funding for the lab and ensure the facility remains an integral part of Peoria and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research efforts,” LaHood said.[15]

Electric Vehicles

Rep. LaHood has supported EV tax credits that help promote electric vehicles in the marketplace.[16] Automaker Rivian has located their manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois with equity investment from Amazon and Ford. While the industry has started to mature, LaHood believes the credits should stay in place to help companies like Rivian and others develop.[16]

Economy/Trade

The economy of Central Illinois relies upon trade that benefits agriculture and manufacturing. As a member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Rep, LaHood was a key supporter in the passage of the United States - Mexico - Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade agreement, which passed the House in a bi-partisan vote of 385-41 and replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Trade equals jobs and opportunities for Central and West Central Illinois. In recent years, Canada and Mexico have purchased 40 percent of Illinois' manufactured exports.[17]

Infrastructure

LaHood has been a strong supporter of Infrastructure in Illinois. While in Congress, LaHood has worked with communities and colleagues to secure dollars to rehabilitate locks on the Illinois and Mississippi River, namely $57.5 for major rehabilitation work at the La Grange Lock and Dam. The LaGrange Lock, which is South of Beardstown, IL, is the southernmost lock on the Illinois River, and went into service in 1939. The last major rehabilitation work on the lock was done in 1988.[18]

Additionally, LaHood has worked bi-partisanly to support BUILD grants in Springfield, IL and Normal, IL to improve rail infrastructure and encourage economic development. In Springfield, IL., the BUILD grants have advanced the community’s Rail Improvements Project which aims to consolidate and improve rail lines and traffic through the construction of underpasses at rail crossings throughout the city.[19] In the town of Normal, IL, the community received a BUILD grant in 2019 to help fund a project to construct a pedestrian, bicyclist, and passenger underpass as well as a second boarding platform on the south side of the tracks at the Uptown Normal Intermodal Passenger Rail Station.[20]

2020 Presidential Election

LaHood supported President Trump in the 2020 Presidential election and acted as one of his Campaign Co-Chairs for the State of Illinois. President Trump received about 60% of the vote in the 18th Congressional District of Illinois, with LaHood outperforming him. After the election, LaHood supported the rights of individuals to pursue legal remedies to ensure free and fair elections, stating “the cornerstone of our democracy is the integrity of our elections and ensuring that every vote is cast legally and without controversy is vital to our entire country.”[13] Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down the election case brought by the Attorney General of Texas, LaHood stated: “that we now have some resolution that brings finality to the election results and pending disputes.”[13] LaHood condemned the violence at the Capitol Building “as one of the most shameful things I have seen,” and that “the actions taken by rioters go against everything that we stand for as Americans.”[21] LaHood voted to certify the 2020 election results.[22]

In regard to the subsequent impeachment vote of President Trump for a 2nd time, Rep. LaHood said “in this moment of escalating tensions, Congress must rise above the division and help heal our nation.” As with the election certification, “our Constitution is clear in laying out Congress' obligation to count and certify the Electoral College votes. I also believe our Constitution does not envision impeaching a President without an adequate investigation or hearings. I oppose impeachment. Pushing articles of impeachment days before the inauguration will only inflame and further divide our country."[23]


Electoral history

Peoria County, Illinois State's Attorney General Election, 2008[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kevin W. Lyons (incumbent) 25,548 55.57
Republican Darin LaHood 20,429 44.43
Total votes 45,977 100.0
Illinois 37th State Senate District General Election, 2012[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Darin LaHood (incumbent) 87,838 100.0
Total votes 87,838 100.0
Illinois 18th Congressional District Special Republican Primary, 2015[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Darin LaHood 45,490 69.54
Republican Michael J. Flynn 12,593 27.68
Republican Donald Ray Rients 1,246 2.74
Republican Robin Miller 16 0.03
Total votes 45,490 100.0
Illinois 18th Congressional District Special General Election, 2015[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Darin LaHood 35,329 68.84
Democratic Robert Mellon 15,979 31.14
Write-in votes Constant "Conner" Vlakancic 7 0.01
Write-in votes Roger K. Davis 4 0.01
Total votes 51,319 100.0
Illinois 18th Congressional District General Election, 2016[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Darin LaHood (incumbent) 250,506 72.13
Democratic Junius Rodriguez 96,770 27.86
Write-in votes Don Vance 7 0.00
Total votes 347,283 100.0
Illinois 18th Congressional District Republican Primary, 2018[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Darin LaHood (incumbent) 61,722 78.87
Republican Donald Ray Rients 16,535 21.13
Total votes 78,257 100.0
Illinois 18th Congressional District General Election, 2018[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Darin LaHood (incumbent) 195,927 67.23
Democratic Junius Rodriguez 95,486 32.77
Total votes 291,413 100.0
Illinois's 18th congressional district, 2020[31][32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Darin LaHood (incumbent) 261,840 70.41 {{{change}}}
Democratic George Petrilli 110,039 29.59
Total votes 371,879 100.0

Personal life

LaHood lives in Dunlap, a suburb of Peoria, with his wife Kristen; they married in 2000. They have three children.[33][34]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill". Roll Call. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  2. ^ Dahl, Dave. "Illinois Senate passes workers' comp reform". Wjbc.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  3. ^ "US Congressman Ray LaHood (Archived version from 2003)". Archived from the original on October 11, 2004. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  4. ^ "Darin LaHood gets nod to replace Risinger on senate". The Register-Mail. Galesburg, Illinois: GateHouse Media. February 27, 2011. Archived from the original on March 27, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  5. ^ Dewey, Jim (March 31, 2015). "Darin LaHood Announces Candidacy". Quincy Journal. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  6. ^ "Rep LaHood named to Ways & Means Committee".
  7. ^ "Rep. Darin LaHood is the new chair of the House Republican fundraising committee".
  8. ^ "IL Congress Members React to Passage of $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief Bill". WLDS. December 22, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  9. ^ Pearson, Rick. "GOP Rep. Darin LaHood introduces plan for federal loans to state, local governments but exempts Illinois from getting loan forgiveness". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  10. ^ "ICYMI: LaHood Op-ed: Federal aid to states should protect taxpayers, encourage reforms". Representative Darin LaHood. September 28, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Andy Weber (July 9, 2020). "Future of Peoria's 182nd unclear as Air Force proposes fleet reductions". WEEK. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Kravetz, Andy. "Lawmakers seek new planes for 182nd Airlift Wing". Journal Star. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d LaHood, Darin. "Darin LaHood: Washington must stop undermining Midwest ethanol". Journal Star. Retrieved February 17, 2021. Cite error: The named reference ":0" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  14. ^ "LaHood Helps Expedite Waiver To Convert Galva Ethanol Plant To Make Hand Sanitizer". WLDS. April 6, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  15. ^ Buedel, Matt. "Facing closure again, Peoria's Ag Lab retains bipartisan support". Journal Star. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  16. ^ a b derek.beigh@lee.net, DEREK BEIGH. "LaHood touts electric vehicle tax credits to boost Rivian, wants tariffs curtailed". pantagraph.com. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  17. ^ "LaHood Supports USMCA Passage". Representative Darin LaHood. December 19, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  18. ^ "La Grange Lock & Dam to get $57.5 million more for repairs - WTAD". www.wtad.com. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  19. ^ Moore, Brenden. "City of Springfield secures $22 million grant for continuing rail project". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  20. ^ derekbeigh@lee.net, DEREK BEIGH. "Normal gets $13 million federal grant for uptown railroad underpass". pantagraph.com. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  21. ^ "Statement from Congressman Darin LaHood". Representative Darin LaHood. January 6, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "Rep. LaHood Statement on Electoral College Vote Certification". Representative Darin LaHood. January 7, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  23. ^ "Rep. LaHood Statement on Impeachment". Representative Darin LaHood. January 13, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  24. ^ "Cumulative Report — Official Peoria Board of Election Commissioners — General Election — November 04, 2008". Peoria County Elections, IL. Peoria County Board of Elections Commissioners. November 19, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  25. ^ "Election Results 2012 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  26. ^ "Election Results 2015 SPECIAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  27. ^ "Election Results 2015 SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  28. ^ "Election Results 2016 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  29. ^ "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  30. ^ "Election Results 2018 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  31. ^ "Election Results 2020 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  32. ^ "Illinois 2020 Election Results". Chicago Sun-Times. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  33. ^ "ABOUT DARIN". lahoodforcongress.com. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  34. ^ "LaHood announces bid for Congress to fill Schock vacancy". Illinois Review. March 18, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Darin LaHood.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 18th congressional district
2015–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
237th 		Succeeded by
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