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Walter Capps | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's22nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – October 28, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Andrea Seastrand |
| Succeeded by | Lois Capps |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1934-05-05)May 5, 1934 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 1997(1997-10-28) (aged 63) Reston, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Santa Barbara Cemetery Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Walter Holden Capps (May 5, 1934 – October 28, 1997) was an American academic and politician. He served as aDemocratic member of theUnited States House of Representatives, representingCalifornia's 22nd congressional district from January 1997 until his death nine months later.
Capps received both a master's degree and PhD fromYale Divinity School.[1] On May 30, 1997, Capps received anhonorary doctorate from the Faculty ofTheology atUppsala University,Sweden.[2]
Before entering politics, Capps taught for more than thirty years at theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara. As a professor of religious studies he helped define the field, and cataloged the growth and changes in his 1995 bookReligious Studies: The Making of a Discipline. An anti-war activist during the 1960s, he later initiated a nationally renowned course titled "Religion and the Impact of Vietnam" in 1979.
Capps lost an election toAndrea Seastrand for the 22nd district inCalifornia in 1994, which was a landslide year for theRepublicans, but he ran again in the following election. While driving home from a campaign event during the summer of 1996, Capps' vehicle was struck by a drunk supporter. Capps was seriously injured and was unable to actively campaign until the final few weeks of the race. During his absence from the campaign, his opponent, graciously, didn't make his health an issue.[citation needed] Ultimately, despite his absence from the campaign trail, Capps won, even as Bob Dole edged Bill Clinton in the district.
On October 28, 1997, Capps collapsed after suffering aheart attack atDulles International Airport, and was pronounced dead at a hospital inReston, Virginia.[3]Jesse Jackson attended his funeral. Capps was succeeded by his widow,Lois Capps, who won in a special election in the spring of 1998. Subsequent legislation by Congresswoman Capps has mandated the presence ofautomated external defibrillators in public places.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Andrea Seastrand | 102,987 | 49.27% | |
| Democratic | Walter Capps | 101,424 | 48.53% | |
| Libertarian | David L. Bersohn | 4,597 | 2.20% | |
| Total votes | 209,008 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Walter Capps | 118,299 | 48.5% | |||
| Republican | Andrea Seastrand (incumbent) | 107,987 | 44.3% | |||
| Independent | Steven Wheeler | 9,845 | 4.0% | |||
| Reform | Richard Porter | 3,975 | 1.6% | |||
| Libertarian | David Bersohn | 2,233 | 0.9% | |||
| Natural Law | Dawn Tomastik | 1,847 | 0.7% | |||
| Total votes | 244,186 | 100.0% | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 22nd congressional district January 3, 1997 – October 28, 1997 | Succeeded by |
