Jerry McNerney
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from California
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byRichard Pombo
Succeeded byJosh Harder
Constituency11th district (2007–2013)
9th district (2013–2023)
Personal details
Born (1951-06-18) June 18, 1951
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Mary Martine
​
(m. 1977)​
Children3
EducationUnited States Military Academy
University of New Mexico (BS, MS, PhD)
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics
ThesisA (1,1) Tensor Generalization of the Laplace-Beltrami Operator (1981)
Doctoral advisorAlexander Stone

Gerald Mark McNerney (/məkˈnɜːrni/ mək-NUR-nee; born June 18, 1951) is an American businessman, politician, and the U.S. representative for California's 9th congressional district from 2007 until 2023. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district, numbered as the 11th district until 2013, was based in Stockton and included parts of San Joaquin County, East Contra Costa County, and southern Sacramento County. McNerney holds a Ph.D in mathematics.[1] McNerney did not run for reelection in 2022.[2]

On December 8th, 2023, Rep. Jerry McNerney has filed for an open seat in District 5 of the California State Senate, upending a dynasty-making move into the race by Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua.[3]

Early life, education, and business career

McNerney was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the son of Rosemary (née Tischhauser) and John E. McNerney. He is of Swiss and Irish descent.[4] He attended St. Joseph's Military Academy in Hays, Kansas, and, for two years, the United States Military Academy at West Point. After leaving West Point in 1971 in protest of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War,[5] he enrolled at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees and, in 1981, a Ph.D. in mathematics, with a doctoral dissertation in differential geometry focusing on a generalization of the Laplace–Beltrami operator.[6]

McNerney served several years as a contractor to Sandia National Laboratories at Kirtland Air Force Base on national security programs. In 1985, he accepted a senior engineering position with U.S. Windpower (Kenetech). In 1994, he began working as an energy consultant for PG&E, FloWind, The Electric Power Research Institute, and other utility companies. Before being elected to Congress, McNerney served as the CEO of a start-up company manufacturing wind turbines, HAWT Power (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Power).[7]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2004

McNerney first ran for Congress against Richard Pombo in California's 11th congressional district in the 2004 House elections. He entered the race two weeks before the primary election as a write-in candidate, encouraged by his son. He qualified as a write-in candidate for the March primary by a small margin. With no opponent, he won the primary and qualified for the November general election ballot as the Democratic nominee. He lost the general election, 61%-39%.[8][9]

2006

McNerney launched his 2006 campaign early in the fall of 2005. In June 2006 he won the Democratic primary with 52.8% of the vote, defeating Steve Filson, who had been endorsed by the DCCC, and Stevan Thomas.

Jerry McNerney meeting with Commander of Multi-National Force – Iraq General David Petraeus in 2007.

In late July, Republicans Pete McCloskey and Tom Benigno (both of whom ran in the Republican primary against Pombo) endorsed McNerney.[10] In September, analysis of the campaign was changed from "Republican safe" to "Republican favored" due to the emergence of McNerney's campaign. The report noted "a [GOP] party spokesman says it's because they want to win decisively but others speculate that internal polling has delivered bad news for the incumbent."[11] On October 3, a poll commissioned by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund was released with McNerney leading Pombo, 48% to 46%.[12] Based on these events, in early October, CQPolitics.com changed their rating of this race from Republican Favored to Leans Republican[13]

On November 7, 2006, McNerney defeated Pombo, 53–47%.[14]

2008

McNerney was reelected, 55% to 45%, over Republican nominee Dean Andal.

2010

McNerney was reelected, 48%–47%, defeating Republican nominee David Harmer.[15]

2012

For his first three terms, McNerney represented a district that encompassed eastern Contra Costa County, most of San Joaquin County outside of Stockton, and a small portion of Santa Clara County. After redistricting, his district was renumbered as the 9th district. It lost its portion of Contra Costa County, including McNerney's home in Pleasanton, while picking up all of Stockton along with part of Sacramento County. After the new map was announced, McNerney announced he would move to Stockton in the new 9th. While the old 11th was a hybrid Bay Area/Central Valley district, the new 9th was more of a Central Valley district. It is slightly more Democratic than its predecessor.[16] McNerney eventually bought a home in Stockton. He was reelected, 56%–44%, defeating Republican nominee Ricky Gill.[17]

Tenure

McNerney presenting Chesley Sullenberger with a framed flag, as part of a January 24, 2009 celebration honoring the pilot in his hometown of Danville, California.

In 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law a bill McNerney wrote that establishes an evaluation panel to assess the Veteran's Administration treatments for traumatic brain injury. McNerney wrote a bill in 2013 that allowed veterans to keep receiving their benefits during the government shutdown.[18]

McNerney was one of the first lawmakers to call for the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki after revelations about delays in care at VA health care facilities.[19]

McNerney is a proponent of renewable energy and supports cap and trade.[20]

McNerney co-sponsored the bill To require the Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and water use for potable hot water (H.R. 4801; 113th Congress), which would require the United States Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the effects of thermal insulation on both energy consumption and systems for providing potable water in federal buildings.[21][22]

In 2007, McNerney voted against legislation that would have prevented the DEA from enforcing prohibition in the 12 states (including California) that allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes.[23]

In 2013, McNerney introduced the Methamphetamine Education, Treatment and Hope (METH) Act to expand programs that combat methamphetamine abuse.[24]

In April 2018, McNerney, Jared Huffman, Jamie Raskin, and Dan Kildee launched the Congressional Freethought Caucus. Its stated goals include "pushing public policy formed on the basis of reason, science, and moral values", promoting the "separation of church and state", and opposing discrimination against "atheists, agnostics, humanists, seekers, religious and nonreligious persons", among others. Huffman and Raskin act as co-chairs.[25]

McNerney voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[26]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Political positions

United States Supreme Court

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, McNerney called it "a partisan body that is no longer a legitimate arbiter of our Constitution." He said it had a "far-right minority agenda" that is a "threat not only to our country, but to the world."[30]

Electoral history

California's 11th Congressional District Democratic Primary Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney 23,598 52.8
Democratic Steve Filson 12,744 28.5
Democratic Steve Thomas 8,390 18.7
Total votes 44,732 100.0
United States House of Representatives elections, 2006[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney 109,868 53.3
Republican Richard Pombo (incumbent) 96,396 46.7
Total votes 206,264 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
United States House of Representatives elections, 2008[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 164,500 55.3
Republican Dean Andal 133,104 44.7
American Independent David Christensen (write-in) 12 0.0
Total votes 297,616 100.0
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 113,969 48.0
Republican David Harmer 111,494 46.9
American Independent David Christensen 12,345 5.1
Total votes 237,808 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 9th Congressional District Primary Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 45,696 47.8
Republican Ricky Gill 38,488 40.2
Republican John McDonald 11,458 12.0
Total votes 95,642 100.0
United States House of Representatives elections, 2012[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 118,373 55.6
Republican Ricky Gill 94,704 44.4
Total votes 213,077 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 9th Congressional District Primary Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 38,295 49.4
Republican Antonio "Tony" Amador 20,424 26.3
Republican Steve Anthony Colangelo 14,195 18.3
Republican Karen "Mathews" Davis 4,637 6.0
Total votes 77,551 100.0
United States House of Representatives elections, 2014[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 63,475 52.4
Republican Antonio C. Amador 57,729 47.6
Total votes 78,812 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 9th Congressional District Primary Election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 71,634 55.3
Republican Antonio "Tony" Amador 28,161 21.7
Republican Kathryn Nance 24,783 19.1
Libertarian Alex Appleby 5,029 3.9
Total votes 129,607 100.0
United States House of Representatives elections, 2016[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 133,163 57.4
Republican Antonio C. Amador 98,992 42.6
Total votes 232,155 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 9th Congressional District Primary Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 55,923 53.2
Republican Marla Livengood 43,242 41.1
American Independent Mike A. Tsarnas 6,038 5.7
Total votes 105,203 100.0
United States House of Representatives elections, 2018[37]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 113,414 56.5
Republican Marla Livengood 87,349 43.5
Total votes 200,763 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 9th Congressional District Primary Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 86,556 57.0
Republican Antonio C. 'Tony' Amador 45,962 30.3
Republican William Martinek 19,255 12.7
Democratic (Write-In) Crystal Sawyer-White 22 0.0
Total votes 151,795 100.0
United States House of Representatives elections, 2020[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry McNerney (incumbent) 174,252 57.6
Republican Antonio C. Amador 128,358 42.4
Total votes 302,610 100.0
Democratic hold

Personal life

McNerney resides in Stockton, California. He and his wife, Mary, have three children.[39] McNerney is Roman Catholic.[40]

References

  1. ↑ Jerry McNerney (September 2, 2006). "Biographical detail in op-ed: "Three-ring Pombo Cash Circus Comes to Stockton"". YubaNet.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
  2. ↑ Sonmez, Felicia (January 18, 2022). "Two more Democrats, Reps. Langevin and McNerney, announce their retirements". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  3. ↑ White, Jeremy B. (December 8, 2023). "Former Rep. Jerry McNerney jumps into fast-shifting California state Senate race". POLITICO. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ Profile, freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com; accessed November 20, 2014.
  5. ↑ Profile Archived 2011-09-17 at the Wayback Machine, opencongress.org; accessed November 20, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Mathematics Genealogy Project". Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  7. ↑ G. McNerney and R. Richardson, "The Statistical Smoothing of Power Delivered to Utilities by Multiple Wind Turbines", IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion 7:4 (Dec. 1992), pp. 644–47.
  8. ↑ Upton, John (November 4, 2006). "Being Jerry McNerney". Tracy Press. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  9. ↑ Brand, Madeleine; Chadwick, Alex (October 30, 2006). "A Tightly Contested Rematch in California". NPR. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  10. ↑ missingauthor (July 24, 2006). "missingtitle". The Washington Post.
  11. ↑ Lisa Vorderbrueggen (September 23, 2006). "News and observations, some serious, some not, on the East Bay political scene". Contra Costa Times Politics Weblog. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  12. ↑ Hank Shaw (October 3, 2006). "Poll shows Pombo, McNerney just 2 points apart". The Record. Retrieved August 18, 2006.
  13. ↑ Ryan Kelly (October 3, 2006). "Competitive Race Lies Beneath Flurry of GOP Activity in Calif. 11". CQPolitics.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2006.
  14. ↑ Gordon, Rachel (November 8, 2006). "Challenger defeats Pombo in a stunner". San Francisco Chronicle.
  15. ↑ Profile, smartvoter.org, November 2, 2010; accessed November 20, 2014.
  16. ↑ Garofoli, Joe (July 28, 2011). "Jerry McNerney looks at new political map, moves to San Joaquin County". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
  17. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State Archived 2013-10-19 at the Wayback Machine "United States Representative in Congress"; retrieved January 21, 2014.
  18. ↑ "McNerney Sponsors Bill to Help Process Veterans' Claims". Central Valley Business Journal.
  19. ↑ McNerney calls for resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, eastcountytoday.tumblr.com; accessed November 20, 2014.
  20. ↑ Lockhead, Carolyn (July 27, 2009). "Pelosi gets landmark bill through". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  21. ↑ "House committee approves Rep. Jerry McNerney energy bill". Lodi News-Sentinel. June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Energy and Commerce Committee Approves Bill with Mechanical Insulation Language". Central States Insulation Association. June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  23. ↑ Epstein, Edward (July 27, 2007). "McNerney draws fire from backers of medicinal pot". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  24. ↑ "McNerney Bill Targets Meth". The Stockton Record. February 16, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  25. ↑ Manchester, Julia. "Dem lawmakers launch 'Freethought' congressional caucus". The Hill. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  26. ↑ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  29. ↑ "90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members". Citizen´s Climate Lobby. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  30. ↑ McNerney, Jerry (June 24, 2022). "This Court is a partisan body that is no longer a legitimate arbiter of our Constitution". Twitter. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  31. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State Archived 2012-11-15 at the Wayback Machine "United States Representative in Congress" (retrieved on July 29, 2009)
  32. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State Archived 2008-12-21 at the Wayback Machine "United States Representative in Congress," (retrieved on July 29, 2009)
  33. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State Archived 2010-11-17 at the Wayback Machine "United States Representative in Congress" (retrieved on November 24, 2010).
  34. ↑ Sacramento Bee Archived 2013-08-01 at the Wayback Machine "Election Results," (retrieved on June 14, 2013)
  35. ↑ 2014 general election results
  36. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State Archived 2020-10-18 at the Wayback Machine "United States Representative by District" (retrieved on October 26, 2020)
  37. ↑ Office of the California Secretary of State Archived 2018-12-21 at the Wayback Machine "United States Representative by District" (retrieved on October 26, 2020)
  38. ↑ "November 3, 2020, General Election – United States Representative" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  39. ↑ Vorderbrueggen, Lisa (January 9, 2007). "Mr. McNerney goes to Washington". East Bay Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Rep.-Elect Jerry McNerney (D—Calif.)". The New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
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