fred upton retiring

Washington After nearly 36 years in office, Michigan Republican U.S. Rep. Fred Upton said Tuesday he plans to retire at the end of his term, declining to pursue a primary fight with a. Washington After 36 years in Congress, Republican U.S. Rep. Fred Upton has emptied his three offices, turned in the keys and shipped 102 boxes of his papers to . Michigan is just cratering, he said. Upton said he has no specific plans for life after Congress, but he does plan to stay involved in both Michigan politics and Washington policymaking. [14] He won the general election with 69% of the vote. So as they say in Hamilton, Ill be back., Upton points to new district lines as the main reason for his departure after serving Southwest Michigan for 36 years. in journalism from the University of Michigan in 1975. He dotes on his wife, Amey, and loudly sings the praises of his staff, calling it the best in the business, all while admitting that, when it comes to the details, Im a little bit of a micromanager.. Upton would have kept more of his current territory than Huizenga would. LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Fred Upton, Michigans most senior lawmaker in Congress, has announced he will retire from the House at the end of his term. Despite all of that, Upton who on Jan. 3 will officially leave Congress after 36 years of representing southwestern Michigan and spending nearly a half-century in Washington has staked out a remarkable career. But its important to remember his background. And then itll be more in the next Congress.. Michigan Republican Congressman Fred Upton announced Tuesday he won't be seeking reelection in November, becoming the fourth House Republican who voted for former President Trump's impeachment. VIDEO: Rep. Fred Upton makes emotional retirement announcement, Even the best stories have a last chapter: This is it for me.. These 13 Republicans voted for it", "Gun background check bill has bipartisan support in Michigan delegation", "The eight Republicans who voted to tighten background checks on guns", "Do homophobic attack ads work? GOP education committee chair: I dont know what a trans girl is, Trump urges Murdoch to embrace false 2020 election claims in Dominion trial, DeSantis floats building prison on land next to Disney World, GOP mega donor says Clarence Thomas is victim of political hit job, Two-thirds say Congress shouldnt interfere with Trump legal probes: poll, Mace says overturning Roe changed the entire electoral environment in 2022. [76], On May 19, 2021, Upton was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the Capitol attack. Part of his political base in southwestern Michigan was parceled into another district. But Carra later dropped out, and Trump switched his endorsement to GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga, as redistricting put Upton on a collision course with Huizenga for the newly drawn district. The decision to indict the then-president made him a target of Trump and his supporters. Zach Gibson/TNS The former president took a victory lap just moments after Upton announced his retirement. April 5, 2022, 8:07 AM PDT By Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart Michigan Rep. Fred Upton, a centrist stalwart who later was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump over his role in. Rep. Fred Upton, perennial target of disenchanted conservatives in Michigan's 6th Congressional District, is headed for a pitched battle in the 2022 Republican primary after former President. Trump then endorsed Huizenga last month. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Fred is a dear friend to me, he was Johns best friend. Elected to the House in 1986, Upton became dean of the Michigan congressional delegation, and served as the chairman of the influential Energy and Commerce Committee and as a leader of a caucus of centrist Republicans known as the Tuesday Group. Upton announced his retirement in a speech on the House floor Tuesday morning. A free market no more? As unassuming as he is, however, he has been no pushover. Have House Republicans learnedthe lessons of their own history? Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning. For a time, it appeared that running in the redrawn district was Uptons plan. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. He was in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1985, while Stockman served as OMB Director. UPTON QUITS! "UPTON QUITS! Its in no small part due to a genial nature, close relationships and a willingness to cross the political aisle, even if it meant a Democrat might score points, too a fact he readily concedes, even if its a quality that has alienated Trump and other Republicans whom he says too often seek political pelts over accomplishments. A former chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Upton has played a major role in shaping post-Obamacare health care legislation. "[46], On October 22, 2013, Upton introduced the North American Energy Infrastructure Act (H.R. As to whether he made the right choice of a career, Upton answers this way: As a huge U-M supporter, football coach Jim Harbaugh asked him whether he wanted to serve as honorary co-captain for a game this year. [17], Upton defeated Democratic nominee Don Cooney, a Kalamazoo City Commissioner, 59%39%. I said, Ive got some good news for the champ. She said, You got the money for U.S. 31, referring to a main highway in southwest Michigan needing expansion. "These 6 House Democrats voted against the infrastructure bill. Prior to being elected to Congress in 1986, Upton worked for President Ronald Reagan in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., speaks at the Capitol in 2020. Upton was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump in January 2021, saying in a statement that our country cannot and will not tolerate any effort by any president to impede the peaceful transfer of power. Now, Upton is the fourth of those 10 to retire, joining Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), John Katko (R-N.Y.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) in exiting Congress. My focus was jobs and the economy. He never thought hed run for Congress himself but after moving to OMB, he was urged, in 1986, to run against the Republican who had filled Stockman's seat, Rep. Mark Siljander, a Christian archconservative. After the attack on the Capitol building on January 6th, 2021, Upton was one of only a handful of Republican lawmakers, including freshman Michigan Representative Peter Meijer, to impeach former President Donald Trump for his involvement in the days deadly events. More recently, he served as a vice chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which pushes for civility and centrist legislation, such as the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that was signed into law last year. Bipartisanship cripples legislative efforts, and even Michigans political landscape has changed drastically. [5] He earned a B.A. [100][101] Open Secrets reported that Upton had a net worth of $78 million in 2018, making him one of Congress's richest members. Starting his career in politics working for the Office of Budget Management in the administration of President Ronald Regan, Upton says hes seen a great change in politics since he first arrived in Washington. He is one of the greatest Michiganders to serve our country., Congressman Bill Huizenga, who would have run against Upton in his next election, said, I want to thank Fred for his commitment, service, and dedication to Michigan over the years. The Michigan Republican is one of the longest-tenured Republicans in the House. He asked his wife, Amey, what their next chapter would be. [36] In 2018, Upton and Representative Debbie Dingell worked together on legislation designed to combat opioid addiction. [75] He was later censured by the Cass County Republican Party for voting to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House Education Committee. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Excellence in Education Award Nominations, ELECTION RESULTS: See races across West Michigan. Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Michigan redrew its map after the 2020 census. In all but two presidential elections since he has been in office 2012 and 2020 it has backed the national winner. [4] He attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's, graduating in 1971. He is now the 16th Republican to retire or seek another office ahead of the 2022 midterms, compared with 31 Democrats. For all that, said Dingell, Uptons essential nature is one of fostering camaraderie, an ability to lighten the mood, lighten the situation and make people feel better. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, said he turned to Upton, as a senior member of the House, when he was looking for an ally to help him secure aid for Flint in the wake of lead contamination of its water supply beginning in 2014. In the latter, Trump won the district by single digits. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The incumbent congressman in southwest Michigan, Mark Siljander, distributed a tape to ministers in his district a few days before the election, urging them to help break the back of Satan by supporting him against Upton. Rep. Upton (R-St. Joseph) made an emotional announcement on the House floor Tuesday morning, reflecting on his career and his past and current colleagues along with the Michiganders he represents. Upton won the Republican primary 55%45%[8] and the general election with 62% of the vote. Even the best stories have. This is it for me, Upton said on the floor. The centrist stalwart and dean of the Michigan delegation becomes the fourth Republican who voted to impeach Donald Trump to retire this election cycle. He thanked his wife, two kids and three grandkids for giving him so much to look forward to. Believing that Trump incited the mob on Jan. 6 to attack the Capitol, he voted to impeach him becoming one of just 10 House Republicans to do so and earning the presidents lasting ire. Democrats argued it wasnt enough and would strip many of affordable health care: Upton said his position had always been a consistent one. An independent commission in 2021 cut off the southern portion of Uptons old district, including a middle school named after him in his hometown of St. Joseph, and stretched it across the bottom of the state all the way to Lake Erie. "[69][70], On December 18, 2019, Upton voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump. [21] Upton had been criticized for not being conservative enough by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, FreedomWorks, Right to Life of Michigan, and the Southwest Michigan Tea Party Patriots. It was one of the most drastic district changes in the entire state, and Upton would have been pitted against another longtime Michigan representative, Republican Bill Huizenga, had he not drawn the curtain on his political career. Perhaps most importantly, however, he wrote along with U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and with help from then-Vice President Joe Biden the 21st Century Cures Act, a sweeping effort to accelerate medical advances. The move turned a tight race into a 55-45 percent loss for Siljander. But suggesting John Dingell was in hell, as Trump did, and using the Dingell name in a dishonorable manner, he thought, was unacceptable from anyone." Hes an authentic human being, hes unaffected by the position that he holds.. His retirement is a loss for this country and especially the people of Michigan.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. All rights reserved. Upton came to the nations capital in the 1970s to work for a new Michigan congressman his dad had introduced him to Republican David Stockman and was regarded highly enough by Stockman that he took Upton with him when he became head of the Office of Management and Budget for President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Hes a good person, said Ornstein. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Thinking back on his legacy in Congress, Upton points to his shining accomplishment: the passage of the 21st Century Cares Act in 2016. [59] In 2019, he voted against the Equality Act, which would extend existing civil rights legislation to protect LGBT individuals from discrimination. And it was, again, the independent voters that really determined the results., The loss of moderates like Upton will reduce the membership of the Problem Solvers Caucus from 58 to around 50 in the next Congress, he predicted. [56] He has called for Congress to pass a bipartisan red flag law. 4 down and 6 to. [18], Upton defeated former State Representative Jack Hoogendyk in the Republican primary, 57%43%. He first worked as a staffer for then-Rep. David Stockman, R-Mich., and then followed his boss to the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan administration. The Michigan Republican is the fourth House GOP member who voted for Trumps impeachment to announce that they will not run for reelection. "Fred knew well that if we are going to deliver real solutions for the American people we need to come together and listen to all perspectives, no matter how complicated the issue might be.". YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I look at our district [hugging southern Lake Michigan]. The act allowed for expedited approval of important drugs and medical devices, and just four years after it was passed, helped shepherd along speedy approval of the nations first COVID-19 vaccine. He has been a devoted public servant for 35 years, Dingell said. [71], On January 12, 2021, Upton announced he would vote to impeach Trump in the pending vote on a second impeachment, claiming Trump incited the January 6 United States Capitol attack, becoming the fourth House Republican to say they would vote to impeach. His district, numbered as the 4th district from 1987 to 1993, is based in Kalamazoo and stretches along the Michigan-Indiana border in the southwestern part of the state. "This is it for me," said Upton, R-St. Joseph. Of Trump and his supporters some good news for the champ just moments after announced. For reelection ] and the general election with 69 % of the Michigan Republican one! 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