Vicky Hartzler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri's4th district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ike Skelton |
| Succeeded by | Mark Alford |
| Member of theMissouri House of Representatives from the 124th district | |
| In office January 4, 1995 – January 3, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Gene Olson |
| Succeeded by | Rex Rector |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vicky Jo Zellmer (1960-10-13)October 13, 1960 (age 65) Archie, Missouri, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Lowell Hartzler |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Missouri (BS) University of Central Missouri (MS) |
Vicky Jo Hartzler (néeZellmer; born October 13, 1960) is an American politician and businesswoman who served as theU.S. representative forMissouri's 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2023. A member of theRepublican Party, she served as theMissouri state representative for the 124th district from 1995 to 2001.[1][2]
Hartzler's congressional district comprised a large swath of western-central Missouri, anchored inColumbia and stretching to the eastern and southernKansas City suburbs, including a sliver of Kansas City. The district also includedSedalia,Warrensburg,Moberly, andLebanon.
Hartzler was a candidate in the2022 United States Senate election in Missouri, but lost the Republican primary toEric Schmitt.[3][4]
Hartzler was raised on a farm nearArchie, a rural community south of Kansas City. She graduated from Archie High School and later attended theUniversity of Missouri, where she graduatedsumma cum laude with a B.S. in education, and theUniversity of Central Missouri, where she graduated with an M.S. in education.[5]
Before running forstate representative in 1994, Hartzler taught high schoolhome economics for 11 years.[6]
She left theMissouri House of Representatives in 2000 after adopting a baby daughter. In 2004, Hartzler served as state spokeswoman for the Coalition to Protect Marriage,[7] which supportedbanning same-sex marriage in Missouri. In 2000, Hartzler opposed the Missouri Assembly's ratification of theEqual Rights Amendment (ERA) and led a group of legislators in a rally against the ERA, saying she didn't "want women used to pass a liberal agenda".[8] In 2005,GovernorMatt Blunt appointed Hartzler chair of the Missouri Women's Council, where she served for two years.[9]
After almost a decade out of politics, Hartzler entered the Republican primary forMissouri's 4th congressional district, which at the time was held by 17-termDemocratic incumbentIke Skelton. She won a seven-way primary with 40% of the vote.
Hartzler won the November 2 general election with 50.43% of the vote. She is the first Republican to represent the district since 1955, and only the second since theGreat Depression. She was also the second Republican woman elected to Congress from Missouri, afterJo Ann Emerson, with whom she served from 2011 to 2013. She is the first who was not elected as a stand-in for her husband; Emerson was originally elected to serve out the final term of her late husband,Bill Emerson. Republicans had been making gains in the district for some time; it gaveJohn McCain 62% of the vote in 2008 while simultaneously reelecting Skelton, and Republicans hold most of the district's seats in the state legislature. While Skelton more than held his own in the areas of the district closer to Kansas City, Hartzler swamped him in the more rural areas, including areas that had supported him for over 30 years.
Hartzler ran on a conservative platform, voicing support for tax cuts and spending cuts. She opposesabortion[10] andsame-sex marriage.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler | 113,489 | 50.43 | |
| Democratic | Ike Skelton (incumbent) | 101,532 | 45.11 | |
| Libertarian | Jason Michael Braun | 6,123 | 2.72 | |
| Constitution | Greg Cowan | 3,912 | 1.74 | |
During her first term, Hartzler represented a district that stretched as far east as the state capital,Jefferson City, and as far west as exurban areas ofJackson County. Redistricting after the 2010 U.S. Census removedCole,Lafayette,Ray andSaline counties—including Skelton's home. The district also lost its shares of Jackson andWebster counties. In its place, the district picked up all ofBoone,Cooper,Howard, andRandolph counties, part ofAudrain County, and the remainder ofCass County. The district now includes Cass County's portion of Kansas City.
At a town hall meeting in Missouri on April 5, 2012, Hartzler expressed doubts about PresidentBarack Obama'sbirth certificate.[11][12][13]
In her first contest in the newly drawn district, Hartzler easily won the Republican primary with 84% of the vote against Bernie Mowinski and went on to win the general election with 60.3% against the Democratic nominee,Cass CountyProsecuting Attorney Teresa Hensley.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler | 192,237 | 60.32 | |
| Democratic | Teresa Hensley | 113,120 | 35.49 | |
| Libertarian | Thomas Holbrook | 10,407 | 3.27 | |
| Constitution | Greg Cowan | 2,959 | 0.93 | |
Hartzler won nearly 75% of the vote in the Republican primary against John Webb, then won the general election by a more than two-to-one margin.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler | 120,014 | 68.08 | |
| Democratic | Nate Irvin | 46,464 | 26.36 | |
| Libertarian | Herschel L. Young | 9,793 | 5.56 | |
| Write-In | Greg Cowan | 15 | 0.01 | |
Hartzler won 72% of the vote in the Republican primary against John Webb, then won the general election by a more than two-to-one margin.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler | 225,348 | 67.83 | |
| Democratic | Gordon Christensen | 92,510 | 27.85 | |
| Libertarian | Mark Bliss | 14,376 | 4.33 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler (incumbent) | 190,138 | 64.8 | |
| Democratic | Renee Hoagenson | 95,968 | 32.7 | |
| Libertarian | Mark Bliss | 7,210 | 2.5 | |
| Total votes | 293,316 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler (incumbent) | 245,247 | 67.6 | |
| Democratic | Lindsey Simmons | 107,635 | 29.7 | |
| Libertarian | Steven K. Koonse | 9,954 | 2.7 | |
| Total votes | 362,836 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
Hartzler opposes abortion.[19] She has sponsored legislation in an effort to block taxpayer dollars from funding clinics that offer abortion services, such asPlanned Parenthood, as well as legislation such as thePain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.[citation needed]
In October 2015, Hartzler was on theSelect Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood.[20]
In September 2013, Hartzler voted for a $39 billion reduction inSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which was separated from legislation to increasefarm subsidies for the first time in over three decades.[21][better source needed]
As a senior member of theHouse Agriculture Committee, Hartzler served as aconferee to pass the final version of theFarm Bill in 2018.[22] Hartzler did not vote on the measure to pass the Farm Bill due to her father dying in December 2018.[23] PresidentDonald Trump signed the final version of the Farm Bill in December 2018.[24]
Hartzler has supported investment in rural broadband, which falls under the jurisdiction of theHouse Agriculture Committee. She successfully led provisions Trump signed into law to increase private investment in rural broadband, modifyingRural Utilities Service broadband programs to include loan guarantees in addition to existing direct loans.[25] She also successfully led provisions to increase minimum download speeds from 4 to 25 megabits per second, with minimum upload speed tripling to 3 Mbit/s for companies receiving financing from theDepartment of Agriculture'sRural Utilities Service fund.[26] In 2020, Hartzler introduced legislation to allow certainRural Utilities Service borrowers to take advantage of low interest rates without heavy fines and penalties in the aftermath of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[27]
Hartzler rejects thescientific consensus on climate change.[citation needed] On November 18, 2014, during the worst early season cold snap in the U.S. since 1976, Hartzler made a joke aboutclimate change onTwitter. "Global warming strikes America! Brrrr!"[28] The quip was rebutted in detail byThe Washington Post, which reported that her district in Missouri is among the areas most severely impacted byclimate change in the United States.[29]
Hartzler supported theTrump administration's call to require the government to purchase only medical equipment and pharmaceuticals made in theUnited States. In 2019, she and RepresentativeJohn Garamendi introduced legislation to require theDepartment of Defense to "identify vulnerabilities faced by our country's dependence on Chinese pharmaceuticals, and to only purchase American-made raw materials, medicines, and vaccines for the military."[30] In July 2020, Hartzler and Garamendi announced provisions of the legislation were ultimately rolled in the broaderNational Defense Authorization Act,[31] which passed theHouse of Representatives on July 21, 2020.[32]
As a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Hartzler was sanctioned by the Chinese government along with other prominent members of the federal government, including SenatorMarco Rubio, SenatorTed Cruz, and Secretary of StateMike Pompeo.[33] The sanctions against Hartzler and her colleagues came after Pompeo and theUnited States Department of Treasury sanctioned four Chinese officials for their involvement inhuman rights abuses against the Uyghurs.[34]
On July 17, 2020, days after the announcement of sanctions against U.S. lawmakers byChina, Hartzler wrote aFox News op-ed expressing support for theTrump administration's sanctions on China and calling for the international community to impose similar sanctions. She also called on lawmakers to "expose U.S. companies complicit" in profiting from allegedslave labor inXinjiang internment camps.[35]
Hartzler opposed theAffordable Care Act[36] and supported theAmerican Health Care Act.[37]
In January 2017, Hartzler made a statement supporting Trump's ban on immigrants from seven Muslim countries and halting the U.S. Refugee program for 120 days.[19] In her statement, Hartzler said Trump's executive order and Obama's 2011 policy that slowed immigration from Iraq were "similar".[38]
Hartzler opposessame-sex marriage,[39]civil unions, anddomestic partnerships.[40] She also opposes banningdiscrimination based onsexual orientation andgender identity.[41] In 2019, Hartzler expressed her strong opposition to theEquality Act.[42] She has written anop-ed rejecting it.[43][44] She also opposes allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military.[41][45]
In 2019, Hartzler sponsored an event by proponents ofconversion therapy in order to provide congressional office space, for which she was rebuked by RepresentativeTed Lieu, whose office was next to the event, and who sponsoredlegislation to ban conversion therapy.[46][47][45]
In March 2022, Hartzler's Twitter account was briefly suspended after tweeting, "Women's sports are for women, not men pretending to be women", in reference to transgender swimmerLia Thomas.[48]
On December 8, 2022, Hartzler broke into tears[49] as she called on her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives[50] to oppose theRespect for Marriage Act, which would protect the legal status of same-sex and interracial marriage.[51]
Throughout her tenure in the committee, Hartzler has served as aconferee in the legislative process to pass theNational Defense Authorization Act,[52] all of which the president has signed into law. She has led initiatives to fully fund theB-21 long range strike bomber program[53] and modernization programs of theNorthrop Grumman B-2 Spirit based atWhiteman Air Force Base. She has also successfully advocated for funding for the maintenance and modifications to theA-10 Thunderbolt II program[54] and funding for theF-15EX program based in Missouri, theF-18 Super Hornet program, and theT-7A Advanced Trainer program. Hartzler has also successfully advocated for funding of theFort Leonard Wood hospital replacement project and a partial dislocation allowance for service members forced to move from dormitories.[55][56]
On June 29, 2017, Hartzler opposed allowing transgender Americans to serve in the U.S. armed forces, and proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 to reverse an Obama administration policy that allowed transgender Americans in the armed services. Her amendment was rejected in a 209–214 vote,[57] but Trump subsequently announced that he wouldban transgender people to serve in U.S. military; Hartzler said that she was "very pleased" by the decision.[58]
Hartzler voted against the reauthorization of theViolence Against Women Act.[59]
Hartzler, along with all other Senate and House Republicans, voted against theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[60]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Hartzler's business, Heartland Tractor Company inHarrisonville, Missouri, received a loan of over $450,000 as part of thePaycheck Protection Program (PPP); the loan was later forgiven.[61] Hartzler voted against the TRUTH Act (H.R. 6782), a bill that would have required public disclosure of companies that received funds through the program.[62][63]
On December 10, 2020, Hartzler was one of 126 Republican members of theU.S. House of Representatives to sign anamicus brief in support ofTexas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at theUnited States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.[64] The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lackedstanding underArticle III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[65][66][67]House SpeakerNancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of election subversion.[68][69]
Hartzler was one of the 139 Republican representatives who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election in Congress at the2021 United States Electoral College vote count.[70]
She was rated F byRepublican Accountability in the organization's Democracy Report Card.[71]
On June 10, 2021, Hartzler announced her candidacy for theopen U.S. Senate seat in Missouri in 2022.[72]
In February 2022, Hartzler's campaign released a 30-second ad criticizing Lia Thomas, atransgender swimmer on theUniversity of Pennsylvania women's team. In the ad, Hartzler said, "Women's sports are for women, not men pretending to be women", adding that, as Missouri's senator, she would not "look away whilewoke liberals destroy women's sports."[73]
U.S. SenatorJosh Hawley endorsed Hartzler in February 2022. According toPolitico, "His choice generated hard feelings among other contenders for the Senate nomination—in addition to raising eyebrows in Trump World. Of all the candidates in the field, Hartzler has done the least public pandering to win the former president's support."[74] On July 8, 2022,Donald Trump refused to endorse Hartzler, saying, "I don't think she has what it takes to take on the Radical Left Democrats."[75][74]
Hartzler lost the August 2 Republican primary to Missouri Attorney GeneralEric Schmitt, receiving 22% of the vote to Schmitt's 46%.[76]
Hartzler lives on a farm nearHarrisonville with her family.[5] She is anEvangelical Christian.[77] She co-owns the Hartzler Equipment Company, later renamed Heartland Tractor, and Hartzler Farms Inc. with her husband and other members of the Hartzler family.[78]
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri's 4th congressional district 2011–2023 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
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