Ronald Gene Estes (/ˈɛstɪs/ ESS-tiss; born July 19, 1956) is an American politician who has been the U.S. representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district since April 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2011 to 2017.
Ron Estes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kansas's 4th district | |
| Assumed office April 25, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Pompeo |
| 39th Kansas State Treasurer | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – April 25, 2017 | |
| Governor | Sam Brownback |
| Preceded by | Dennis McKinney |
| Succeeded by | Jake LaTurner |
| Treasurer of Sedgwick County | |
| In office 2004–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Jan Kennedy[1] |
| Succeeded by | Linda Kizzire[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ronald Gene Estes July 19, 1956 Topeka, Kansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Susan Estes |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Tennessee Technological University (BS, MBA) |
| Website | House website |
A fifth-generation Kansan, Estes studied engineering and business at Tennessee Tech. He began his career as a consultant and executive in various manufacturing and service industries. Estes was elected treasurer of Sedgwick County in 2004 and reelected in 2008. He was elected Kansas State Treasurer in 2010 and reelected in 2014. After U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo resigned to become Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Estes won the special election for the seat and was sworn in on April 25, 2017. He is the dean of Kansas's House delegation.
Early life and education
editEstes was born in Topeka, Kansas, and is a fifth-generation Kansan.[3] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Tennessee Tech, where he was selected for membership in Omicron Delta Kappa - The National Leadership Honor Society.[4]
Career
editBusiness
editEstes worked in consulting and management roles in the aerospace, oil and gas, automotive, and several other manufacturing and service industries, working for several companies, including Andersen Consulting, Procter & Gamble, Koch Industries, and Bombardier Learjet.[5]
County treasurer
editEstes was elected treasurer of Sedgwick County, Kansas, home to Wichita, in 2004,[4] and reelected in 2008.[5] During his political career, he also served as treasurer for the Kansas County Treasurer's Association, and in several posts in the Republican Party, including vice chair of the Kansas Republican Party.[4]
Kansas State Treasurer
editEstes ran for Kansas State Treasurer in 2010 against incumbent Democrat Dennis McKinney.[4] Estes was the first statewide elected official from Wichita in two decades.[3] He was reelected in 2014, defeating Carmen Alldritt.[6]
As state treasurer, Estes managed more than $24 billion in public money and he came in under budget by over $600,000.[7] He made it a priority to tell Kansans about unclaimed money, such as funds from forgotten bank accounts.[5] In 2016, Estes said his office had returned $100 million in unclaimed property since 2010.[5]
In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Estes endorsed Marco Rubio for the Republican nomination in February, before Kansas's presidential caucuses.[5] Estes served in the Electoral College and cast his electoral vote for Donald Trump.[8][5]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2017 special election
editMike Pompeo, who represented Kansas's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, resigned on January 23, 2017, to become Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[9] On February 9, Estes won the Republican nomination to run in the special election to determine Pompeo's successor.[10] Estes won with 66 of 126 votes in a special nominating convention held at Friends University.[10]
The Democratic nominee in the special election was James Thompson, a Wichita lawyer and veteran. Estes was endorsed by many Republicans, including President Donald Trump,[11] Vice President Mike Pence,[11] Senator Ted Cruz,[12] House Speaker Paul Ryan,[12] and Governor Sam Brownback. He was also endorsed by the editorial board of The Wichita Eagle.[7]
The National Republican Congressional Committee contributed $92,000, in part for "inflammatory and false" advertisements supporting Estes, which characterized Thompson as an advocate of taxpayer-funded, late-term abortions, and as an advocate for gender-selection abortion.[13] According to April 10, 2017, fundraising reports, Estes had raised $459,000 to Thompson's $292,000.[13][14][15][16]
Estes won the special election on April 11, 2017, 52.2% to 46%.[17]
2018 regular election
editIn the 2018 election, Estes was challenged in the primary by a candidate with a similar name, Ron M. Estes.[18] This led to a conundrum as to how the candidates should be distinguished on the ballot, with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach deciding that Ron G. Estes could include the prefix "Rep." on the ballot according to Kansas law, although Ron M. Estes complained that this was unfair.[18] The incumbent won with 81.4% of the vote.[19] In the general election, Estes defeated James Thompson in a rematch with 59.4% of the vote.[20]
Tenure
editEstes was sworn into office on April 25, 2017.
In December 2017, Estes voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[21] In an op-ed for the Wichita Eagle, he said he was "confident it will make a real difference for families and businesses in Kansas", that it would provide economic and job growth, and that workers would see larger paychecks. Estes says the tax-filing process had been simplified, even though the process remains the same.[22]
In July 2017, Estes received national attention for interrupting Representative Kathleen Rice mid-sentence while she asked a question at a Homeland Security subcommittee hearing. Rice tweeted "Day in the life. Worth noting there are men from both parties who don't act like this" and included a video of the exchange. Estes explained that he was simply trying to follow committee rules after Rice's time was up.[23]
Committee assignments
editCaucus memberships
editPolitical positions
editAbortion
editEstes calls himself "proudly pro-life" and supports defunding Planned Parenthood.[5][27] In the only election debate he attended, where he joined Democrat James Thompson and the campaign manager for Libertarian candidate Chris Rockhold, he repeated the claim that Planned Parenthood had been profiting by selling parts of aborted fetuses.[28]
Economic issues
editEstes supports a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution and reducing corporate and some personal income tax rates.[7]
Health care
editDuring the 2017 special election campaign, Estes said that he believes that the American Health Care Act of 2017 did not go far enough to uproot and eliminate the Affordable Care Act, seeking complete repeal.[5][7]
Texas v. Pennsylvania
editIn December 2020, Estes was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated[29] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[30][31][32]
Israel
editEstes voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[33][34]
Personal life
editRon and his wife, Susan, have three children.[3] His family operates a farm in Osage County, Kansas.[3] Susan Estes is a member of the Kansas House of Representatives.[35]
Electoral history
edit| Kansas Treasurer election, 2010[36] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Ron Estes | 481,704 | 58.5 |
| Democratic | Dennis McKinney (inc.) | 341,324 | 41.4 |
| Kansas Treasurer election, 2014[37] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Ron Estes (inc.) | 570,110 | 67.5 |
| Democratic | Carmen Alldritt | 274,257 | 32.4 |
| Republican Convention[38] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | First Ballot | Pct. | Second Ballot | Pct. |
| Ron Estes | 58 | 46% | 66 | 52% |
| Alan Cobb | 28 | 22% | 43 | 34% |
| Todd Tiahrt | 20 | 16% | 17 | 14% |
| Joseph Ashby | 10 | 8% | Eliminated | |
| George Bruce | 10 | 8% | Eliminated | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes | 64,044 | 52.2% | |
| Democratic | James Thompson | 56,435 | 46.1% | |
| Libertarian | Chris Rockhold | 2,115 | 1.7% | |
| Total votes | 122,594 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes (incumbent) | 57,522 | 81.4 | |
| Republican | Ron M. Estes | 13,159 | 18.6 | |
| Total votes | 70,681 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes (incumbent) | 144,248 | 59.4 | |
| Democratic | James Thompson | 98,445 | 40.6 | |
| Total votes | 242,693 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes (incumbent) | 87,877 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 87,877 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes (incumbent) | 203,432 | 63.7 | |
| Democratic | Laura Lombard | 116,166 | 36.3 | |
| Total votes | 319,598 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes (incumbent) | 102,915 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 102,915 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes (incumbent) | 144,889 | 63.3 | |
| Democratic | Bob Hernandez | 83,851 | 36.7 | |
| Total votes | 228,740 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes (incumbent) | 40,100 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 40,100 | 100.0 | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Estes living a charmed political life". Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kizzire picked as new Sedgwick County treasurer". Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Meet Ron Estes". Kansas State Treasurer Office of the Kansas State Treasurer and the people of Kansas. Topeka, Kansas. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Gruver, Deb (January 29, 2010). "County Treasurer Estes to run for same office at state level". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Curry, Tom (April 12, 2017). "Estes a Stalwart but Unflashy Conservative". Roll Call. Washington, DC. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ^ Calovich, Annie; Lowry, Bryan (November 4, 2014). "Republican Selzer to be next Kansas insurance commissioner". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Turkewitz, Julie (April 12, 2017). "Who Is Ron Estes, Kansas' Newest Congressman?". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ "Missouri and Kansas Electoral College voters pick Trump, despite protests". Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ "Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS04) resignation letter read in House after Senate CIA Director confirmation". Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ a b "Estes wins GOP nomination for Pompeo seat". Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ a b Woodall, Hunter. Trump tweets support for Ron Estes on special election day in Kansas' 4th District, Kansas City Star, April 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Shorman, Jonathan. Bryan Lowry & Dion Lefler. [1], The Wichita Eagle, April 7, 2017.
- ^ a b Weigel, Dave (April 10, 2017). "Republicans undertake unexpected rescue mission in deep red Kansas". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ Lefler, Dion (April 8, 2017). "Anti-Thompson ad inflammatory and false, says professor who moderated debate". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ^ Ron Estes, a Republican, Survives Tight House Race to Win Kansas Seat, New York Times, John Eligon & Jonathan Martin, April 11, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
- ^ Fenwick, Cody (April 12, 2017). "Kansas Special Election: Republican Ron Estes Wins House Seat In Tight Race". Patch. Wichita, Kansas. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ^ Ron Estes, a Republican, Survives Tight House Race to Win Kansas Seat, New York Times, John Eligon and Jonathan Martin, April 11, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ a b Shorman, Jonathan (May 31, 2018). "Ron Estes is running against Ron Estes". Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kansas Primary Election Results: Fourth House District". The New York Times. September 24, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "Kansas House Results". Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ Estes, Ron. "Rep. Ron Estes: Congress delivers on tax reform". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "House Dem jests: It's 'nice' that not all male colleagues interrupt her". July 29, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ "Committees | U.S. Representative Ron Estes". estes.house.gov. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Member List". Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ According to Roll Call: On his campaign website, he said, "I am proudly pro-life, and as your congressman, I will lead the fight to protect the unborn. One of my top priorities will be to defund Planned Parenthood. American taxpayers should not be forced to fund organizations that perform abortions."
- ^ Congressional front-runners Estes, Thompson clash in first debate, Wichita Eagle, Dion Lefler & Daniel Salazar, March 23, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Representative Susan Estes". Kslegislature.org. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Kansas Secretary of State 2010 Official Vote Totals" (PDF). Kansas Office of the Secretary of State.
- ^ "Kansas Secretary of State 2014 Official Vote Totals" (PDF). Kansas Office of the Secretary of State.
- ^ Hagen, Lisa (February 10, 2017). "Kansas treasurer wins GOP nomination to fill House seat". The Hill. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- ^ "2017 Unofficial Kansas Election Results". www.sos.ks.gov. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ "2022 Primary Election Official Vote Totals" (PDF). Kansas Secretary of State. August 2, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ "2022 General Election Official Results" (PDF). ent.sos.ks.gov.
External links
edit
- Congressman Ron Estes official U.S. House website
- Ron Estes for Congress campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN