Summary
Current:US Representative of TX District 24
Affiliation: Republican
Leadership: Co-Chair, Congressional Franchise Caucus; Founder Congressional Mayors Caucus
District: covers much of the suburban area in between Fort Worth and Dallas in the state of Texas and centers along the Dallas–Tarrant county line.
Next Election:
History: Beth Van Duyne was mayor of Irving from 2011 to 2017. She was an official in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Trump administration.
Van Duyne graduated from Cornell University, magna cum laude, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in city and regional planning, government, and law.
Featured Quote:
Biden’s inflation is a Democrat policy tax that is hurting people every day. I want to hear from you. Have you been affected by the higher costs for food, gas, groceries, etc.?
Featured Video: Rep. Van Duyne and Rep. Andy Biggs Slam Pelosi Over Tyrannical Mask Mandate
OnAir Post: Beth Van Duyne TX-24
News
About
Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne proudly represents the 24th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes portions of Tarrant, Denton, and Dallas counties. Prior to being elected to Congress, Beth served as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Mayor of Irving, Irving City Council Member, and a businesswoman.
In 2017, Beth was appointed to serve as the Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Southwest Region. Working under Secretary Ben Carson, Beth was tasked with overseeing HUD programs and operations in the Region’s five states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, where she worked on many of the Trump Administration’s proudest economic successes, such as opportunity zones, and led HUD’s disaster recovery efforts at the southwest border in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Before being named Administrator, Beth was the first woman elected to serve as the Mayor of Irving from 2011 to 2017 after beginning her career in public service as an Irving City Council Representative from 2004 to 2010. Under her leadership, the City of Irving witnessed unprecedented economic growth and development with an added 40,000 jobs and an estimated $3 billion in growth and new developments while also being named the fifth safest city in America.
During her tenure as Mayor, Beth represented the city on a number of boards, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities and Texas Municipal League. Beth also served as Texas Chair of Community Leaders of America. As a Board Member for the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, Beth oversaw operations at the busiest airport in the United States, ensuring safe and efficient travel for millions of Americans flying through DFW each year.
Throughout Beth’s career, she has worked with small startup companies, mid-size private companies and Fortune 500 corporations alike. Beth also ran a consulting business where she helped executives develop strategic business plans as well as negotiation strategies, grassroots coalition building and federal and state legislative policy strategies.
After graduating magna cum laude from Cornell University, Beth moved to Irving, Texas, which has been her home for over 30 years. Single mother to Katie and Pearce, Beth was only the second Republican woman from Texas to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Personal
Full Name: Beth Van Duyne
Gender: Female
Family: Divorced, Chris; 2 Children: Katie, Pearce
Birth Date: 11/16/1970
Birth Place: Amsterdam, NY
Home City: Irving, TX
Religion: Christian
Source: Vote Smart
Education
BA, Government and Law, Cornell University, 1991-1995
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 24, 2021-present
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Texas, District 24, 2024
Mayor, City of Irving, 2011-2017
Member/Deputy Mayor Pro Tem, Irving City Council, 2004-2010
Professional Experience
Regional Administrator, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2017-2019
Vice President of Strategic Alliances, Akili Incorporated, 2013-2015
President, BCI Marketing Group, 2002-2011
Senior Director of Corporate Communications, LSG Sky Chefs, 2010-2011
Vice President of Marketing, Akili Incorporated, 2008-2009
Offices
Washington DC Office
1337 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6605
Fax: (202) 225-0074
Dallas District Office
3100 Olympus Blvd
Suite 440
Dallas, TX 75019
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Finances
Source: Open Secrets
Committees
House Committee on Ways and Means
- Subcommittee on Oversight
- Subcommittee on Tax Policy
House Committee on Small Business
- Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations – Chairman
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access
- Budget and Spending Task Force
- House Energy Action Team (HEAT)
- Messaging Task Force
Congressional Franchise Caucus – Co-Chair
Congressional Mayors Caucus – Founder
Republican Governance Group
New Legislation
Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Representative Van Duyne.
Issues
Source: Government page
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
Texas’ 24th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives covers much of the suburban area in between Fort Worth and Dallas in the state of Texas and centers along the Dallas–Tarrant county line.
The district has about 529,000 potential voters (citizens, age 18+). Of these, 57% are White, 16% Latino, 14% Black, and 10% Asian. Immigrants make up 4% of the district’s potential voters. Median income among households (with one or more potential voter) in the district is about $81,900, and 46% hold a bachelor’s or higher degree.
Wikipedia
Elizabeth Ann Van Duyne (/ˌvænˈdaɪn/ van-DYNE; born November 16, 1970)[2] is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 24th congressional district.[3] A member of the Republican Party, she was mayor of Irving from 2011 to 2017. She was an official in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Trump administration.
Early life and education
Van Duyne was born in upstate New York and lived in Amsterdam, New York, until she was seven years old and later lived in Cooperstown.[4] In 1986, her family moved to Irving, Texas. She graduated from Greenhill School in Addison, Texas. She also graduated from Cornell University, magna cum laude, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in city and regional planning, government, and law.[5][6]
Career
Van Duyne became dissatisfied with Herbert Gears, the Democratic Irving city councillor representing her,[4] over how he handled a zoning case in her neighborhood.[7] She ran against Gears in the 2004 election, and won. Gears was elected mayor in 2005. Van Duyne stepped down from the council in 2010, and successfully ran for mayor against Gears in the 2011 election.[5] She defeated Gears in a rematch in 2014.[8]
In 2015, following an article by Breitbart News that made a false allegation that a court in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex followed Sharia law, Van Duyne pushed for a vote on a resolution in the Irving City Council that expressed support of a bill in the Texas Legislature seeking to ban Sharia law.[9][10] Also in 2015, when Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old Muslim boy, was arrested for bringing a homemade clock, which teachers thought was a bomb, to school, Van Duyne defended the school’s and the Irving Police Department’s actions.[11][12] She was named as a co-defendant in a defamation lawsuit initiated by Mohamed’s father.[13] Van Duyne was dismissed from the suit, based partially on the Texas Citizens Participation Act, a state law that “prohibits the use of lawsuits to intimidate or silence citizens and public officials from exercising their right of free speech.”[14][15] The entire suit was eventually dismissed by the judge, who ruled the plaintiffs had failed to prove officials discriminated against Mohamed.[16]
In February 2017, Van Duyne announced that she would not seek a third term as mayor.[8] In May 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Van Duyne as a regional administrator for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), overseeing Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas.[17][18]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
After Kenny Marchant announced in August 2019 that he would not seek reelection to the United States House of Representatives, Van Duyne resigned from HUD so that she could run to succeed Marchant in representing Texas’s 24th congressional district, a suburban stretch between Dallas and Fort Worth, including parts of Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant counties.[19][20] She received Trump’s endorsement in early 2020[21] and won the Republican primary on March 3, defeating four rivals with about 65% of the vote.[22]
In the general election, Van Duyne faced the Democratic nominee, Candace Valenzuela, a former Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board member.[23] Van Duyne opposed the Affordable Care Act, saying it “has done profound damage to the healthcare of Americans.”[24][25] During the campaign, she ran advertisements in which she said she would protect laws that require preexisting conditions to be covered by insurance.[26] Valenzuela criticized Van Duyne for not wearing a face mask or socially distancing at campaign events, in contradiction to public health guidance at the time.[27] Van Duyne called Valenzuela a “coward” for not campaigning in person during the pandemic,[27] and praised the Trump administration’s handling of the public health crisis.[24] On criminal justice reform, Van Duyne stated her opposition to ending cash bail.[24] The Atlantic has described Van Duyne as “the new face of Trumpism in Texas.”[28]
On November 3, Van Duyne defeated Valenzuela, 48.8% to 47.5%, even as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden carried the district by 5 points.[29] According to the Dallas Morning News, Van Duyne focused on public safety and the economy during the campaign.[30] During the campaign, approximately $7.6 million was spent on advertisements against Van Duyne and $7.9 million on advertisements against Valenzuela.[30]
2022
On November 8, Van Duyne defeated Democrat Jan McDowell, 59.75% to 40.25%.[31] McDowell was previously the Democratic nominee for Texas’s 24th congressional district in 2016 and 2018, losing both times to Kenny Marchant.[32]
Van Duyne’s district was competitive in the 2020 elections, but redistricting maps released by Republicans in 2021 shift the lean of her district to the right by nearly 20 points, making it non-competitive. The proposed maps would draw her 2020 challenger’s home out of the district.[33]
Tenure
Van Duyne is one of 147 Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn results in the 2020 presidential election[34] by objecting to Pennsylvania’s electors on January 7, 2021.[35]
Political positions
Ukraine
Van Duyne voted against H.R. 7691, the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, which would provide $40 billion in emergency aid to the Ukrainian government.[36][37]
Immigration
Van Duyne sponsored H.R. 6202, the American Tech Workforce Act of 2021, introduced by Representative Jim Banks. The legislation would establish a wage floor for the high-skill H-1B visa program, thereby significantly reducing employer dependence on the program. The bill would also eliminate the Optional Practical Training program that allows foreign graduates to stay and work in the United States.[38]
2024 Republican primary
Van Duyne was named as part of the 2024 Trump campaign‘s Texas leadership team in March.[39]
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
Van Duyne was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[40]
Committee assignments
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure[41]
- Committee on Small Business[42]
- Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
Caucus memberships
Personal life
Van Duyne met her former husband, Chris “Casey” Wallach, while they were attending Cornell University.[5] They have two children,[44] and divorced in 2012 after being married for 17 years.[45]
In February 2021, a man committed suicide by firearm outside of Van Duyne’s home in Irving.[46] The man was identified as Richard Christian Dillard, a former communications staffer for Van Duyne’s 2020 House campaign.[47]
Van Duyne is an Episcopalian.[48]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Beth Van Duyne | 167,374 | 48.8 | |
| Democratic | Candace Valenzuela | 162,749 | 47.5 | |
| Libertarian | Darren Hamilton | 5,630 | 1.6 | |
| Independent | Steve Kuzmich | 4,218 | 1.2 | |
| Independent | Mark Bauer | 2,903 | 0.8 | |
| Total votes | 342,874 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Beth Van Duyne (incumbent) | 177,947 | 59.75 | |
| Democratic | Jan McDowell | 119,878 | 40.25 | |
| Total votes | 297,825 | 100.0 | ||
See also
References
- ^ “HUD Archives: Beth Van Duyne Named HUD SW Regional Administrator”. archives.hud.gov.
- ^ Bautista, Lillian (November 30, 2020). “Rep.-elect Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas-24)”. The Hill. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ Democrat Candace Valenzuela Concedes To Beth Van Duyne In North Texas Congressional Race, KTVT-TV CBS Channel 11, CBSDFW.COM, Fort Worth, Texas, November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020. “Now that nearly all the votes have been counted and there is no longer a path, we are conceding. I want to congratulate Beth Van Duyne on her victory”.
- ^ a b Girsdansky, Gwen. Texas mayor has Amsterdam roots, Schenectady, New York The Daily Gazette, July 27, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c Formby, David (June 25, 2011). “Friends, family say Irving’s new mayor full of energy and dedication”. Dallas News. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Beth Van Duyne, The Sumners Foundation. Accessed September 14, 2020.
- ^ Formby, Brandon (June 11, 2011). “Irving mayor runoff battle part of long war for Gears, Van Duyne”. Dallas News. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ a b “Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne will not seek third term | Irving”. Dallas News. February 16, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ “Shariah flap pushes Irving mayor into national spotlight | Irving”. Dallas News. July 28, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Izadi, Elahe (September 16, 2015). “The history of anti-Islam controversy in Ahmed Mohamed’s Texas city”. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Ferner, Matt (September 16, 2015). “Irving Mayor Defends School And Cops, Doesn’t Apologize For Arrest Of Muslim Teen Over Clock”. HuffPost. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Hooks, Christopher (June 13, 2016). “Irving, Texas: An Unlikely Home for Islamophobia”. Texas Observer. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Jagannathan, Meera (May 9, 2017). “Texas mayor and Sharia law crusader Beth Van Duyne starts regional HUD job in Trump administration”. New York Daily News. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Farmer, Liz. Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne to be dismissed from crumbling ‘clock boy’ defamation suit, Dallas Morning News, January 14, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2020. “Van Duyne’s dismissal comes after her attorneys alleged that she’s immune from the lawsuit as a government official. There was also a motion to dismiss the suit based on the Texas Citizens Participation Act, a state law that ‘prohibits the use of lawsuits to intimidate or silence citizens and public officials from exercising their right of free speech,’ according to the city of Irving news release.”
- ^ Cardona, Claire (January 31, 2017). “Irving mayor dismissed from ‘clock boy’ defamation suit”. Dallas News. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Becket, Stefan (May 19, 2017). “Ahmed Mohamed, “Clock Boy,” loses federal discrimination lawsuit”. CBS News. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Brandon Formby (May 8, 2017). “Trump names Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne regional HUD administrator”. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Simek, Peter (August 29, 2017). “Former Irving Mayor Faces Tough Road Leading HUD Through Houston Catastrophe”. D Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Heinz, Frank (August 5, 2019). “Beth Van Duyne Leaving HUD, Running for Kenny Marchant’s District 24 Seat”. NBCDFW. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Panetta, Grace. Everything you need to know about Texas’ 24th Congressional District House race between Beth Van Duyne and Candace Valenzuela, Business Insider, August 28, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Bowman, Bridget. Where do Democrats want to expand their House majority? Look no further than Texas’ 24th District, Roll Call, February 26, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ Zeeble, Bill & Syeda Hasan. In Texas 24th House District, Van Duyne Wins GOP Race, Runoff For Democrats, KERA-TV, North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc., Dallas, Texas, March 4, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ “Candace Valenzuela wins Texas runoff, stands to be first Afro-Latina in Congress”. Nbcnews.com. July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c “Beth Van Duyne, Candace Valenzuela Battle For North Texas’ Open 24th Congressional Seat Considered Toss-Up”. CBS News. October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ “Voter guide: Questionnaire for Beth Van Duyne, candidate for United States Representative”. voterguide.dallasnews.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ Zanona, Melanie. Coronavirus poses new threat to endangered Texas Republicans, Politico, August 25, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ a b “Mask wearing has been politicized, and now is a defining issue in a hot North Texas congressional race”. Dallas News. October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ Khazan, Olga (April 17, 2021). “The New Face of Trumpism in Texas”. The Atlantic. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Unofficial Results. U.S. Representative District 24, Texas Secretary of State, November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Garcia, Nic. Candace Valenzuela concedes to Beth Van Duyne in heated North Texas congressional race, Dallas Morning News, November 10, 2020.
- ^ “Texas 24th Congressional District Election Results”. The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ “Jan McDowell”. Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ Berman, Ari. “Texas Republicans are pulling out all the stops to dilute the voting power of people of color”. Mother Jones. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
- ^ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). “The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Thompson, Elizabeth (January 7, 2021). “Irving Rep. Beth Van Duyne was sole Texas representative to split vote on Electoral College count”. Dallas News. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ “FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 145” (XML). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Roche, Darragh (May 11, 2022). “Full List of 57 House Republicans Who Voted Against Ukraine Aid”. Newsweek. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ “Cosponsors – H.R.6206 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): American Tech Workforce Act of 2021 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress”. U.S. Congress. December 9, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ Metzger, Bryan; Saddiq, Omar (February 13, 2023). “Most Republicans are on the fence about Trump’s 2024 re-election bid. Here are the few elected officials backing him so far”. Business Insider. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). “Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no”. The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ “Van Duyne Selected to Serve on House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee | Representative Beth Van Duyne”. vanduyne.house.gov. January 25, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ “Van Duyne Selected to Serve on House Small Business Committee | Representative Beth Van Duyne”. vanduyne.house.gov. January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ “Homepage of Republican Governance Group”. Republican Governance Group. December 14, 2019.
- ^ “Dispute over Islam lands Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne on national stage | News”. The Dallas Morning News. March 24, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Formby, Brandon (September 28, 2012). “In bid for privacy, Irving mayor files for divorce using her initials”. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Elizabeth (February 11, 2021). “Man who killed himself outside of Rep. Van Duyne’s Irving house was a former staffer”. Dallas News. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ “Man dies by suicide outside U.S. representative’s Texas home”. news.yahoo.com. February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ “Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress” (PDF). Pew Research Center. January 3, 2023.
External links
- Representative Beth Van Duyne official U.S. House website
- Campaign website
- 2023 North Texas Job Fair — Hosted by Congresswoman Van Duyne, July 4, 2003.
- 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
- Beth Van Duyne at Ballotpedia
- Appearances on C-SPAN
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