Elections
- 2006
Evans decided to retire in March 2006 and Hare announced his candidacy shortly afterward. In a special Democratic caucus of precinct committee members from across the 17th Congressional District, Hare received his former boss's endorsement and prevailed over the four other candidates to replace Evans as the Democratic nominee. In the November election, Hare defeated his Republican opponent, Andrea Zinga, with 57% of the vote.
- 2008
Hare ran unopposed in 2008.
- 2010
Hare was challenged by Republican nominee Bobby Schilling and Green Party nominee Roger K. Davis. The race was rated a tossup by the Cook Political Report, CQ Politics, and the New York Times.[2][3][4] By October, RealClearPolitics rated it "Leans Republican".[5]
In the November 2 election, Schilling defeated Hare 53%-42%. Hare lost his home county, the normally solidly Democratic Rock Island County, by 9 percentage points.
Tenure
Hare's voting record was generally liberal, mirroring that of his former boss, Evans. Hare is also a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus[6][7] and was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of which Evans was a founding member.
- Health care
Hare has been an advocate for health-care reform since becoming a congressman on Memorial Day, May 29, 2006.[8] During the summer of 2009, Hare took a hard-line stance on a public health insurance option, saying, "I will not support any plan that does not contain a robust public option because a plan without a public option is sort of like a car without a motor. It may look good on the outside, but in the end it will get you nowhere."[9] After many local health care town halls and public polling, Hare backed off of his support of the public option. Hare has said he ultimately supports a public option but that it [the public option] "is not a deal-breaker".[10]
- Labor
Hare is a supporter of organized labor, including the living wage and the Employee Free Choice Act.[11] In 2010, he introduced the Jobs Through Procurement Act, which opposed government acquisition of goods produced through sweatshop labor.[12]
- Abortion
Hare has consistently supported access to and funding for contraception, as well as keeping most methods of abortion legal.[13] He has received the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America.[14]
- Controversies
Phil Hare has been accused of distorting his military service.[15] Hare served in the Army Reserves in the United States during the Vietnam War with 160 days of active duty, 20 days short of meeting the federal government's definition of "veteran". Hare said: "... all of the people who served in the National Guard and Reserves when I did that got a honorable discharge are indeed veterans."[16]
In June 2010, Ken Moffett, a Vietnam veteran and supporter of Hare's Republican challenger Bobby Schilling, called Hare a "draft dodger" during a Memorial Day ceremony in East Moline, Illinois. The mayor of East Moline said that Moffett "accosted" Hare during a "solemn day and ceremony". Moffett accused Hare of ordering a staffer to follow Moffett to his car and get Moffett's license plate number; Hare described the encounter as: "I teased him by saying if he didn't want to tell me his name I'd just go get it off his plate."[16]
At an April 2010 town hall meeting, Hare stated on camera, "I don't worry about the Constitution on this to be honest," in relation to Congressional health-care reform efforts.[17] The cameraman, who was affiliated with the St. Louis Tea Party, was heard to say "jackpot, brother!" after Hare said this, to which Hare responded, "Oh, please." Hare's communications director, Tim Schlittner, later explained that Hare's quote was "taken out of context" and he meant that "he is not worried about this health care law being ruled unconstitutional."[18] However, in the same interview, Hare said, "I believe it (the Constitution) says 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'" When it was pointed out to him that was actually from the Declaration of Independence, Hare said, "It doesn't matter to me."[19]
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