Three Duke alumni have joined the ranks of Dukies in Congress after Tuesday's midterm elections. Republican Rand Paul (M ‘88) won his Senate bid for the state of Kentucky, Republican Ben Quayle (T ‘98) will serve as Representative of the 3rd District of Arizona, and Republican Mo Brooks (T '75) won the seat for the 5th District of Alabama.
"It is always fortunate to have alumni who serve in Congress, and we look forward to welcoming the newest alumni members," said Chris Simmons, head of Duke's Office of Federal Relations. "We congratulate them on their victories and want them to know that their alma mater is available to help in their transitions to Congress."
Simmons added that building relationships with senators and representatives who understand Duke's mission also helps the university engage in policy in ways that may be more difficult without those ties. "Because these members are familiar with Duke's efforts to promote ‘knowledge in service to society,' it becomes easier for us to connect them to Duke expertise and resources that can inform public debate."
Senator-elect Paul, who defeated fellow Duke alumnus Jack Conway (T ‘91) for the Kentucky seat, is a Duke-trained ophthalmologist and member of the Tea Party movement. Prior to announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2009, Paul had not held political office, though he first gained national attention for speeches he gave on behalf of his father, former presidential candidate and current congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), who is also a Duke alumnus. You can read about the younger Paul's platform on his website.
Son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, congressman-elect Quayle, graduated from Duke with a bachelor of arts in history in 1998. Representing Arizona's 3rd district will be Quayle's first foray into politics, having pursued professions in law and business since his graduation from law school in 2002. You can read about Quayle's stance on election issues on his campaign website.
Before his successful bid to represent the 5th District of Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman-elect Brooks served several terms in the Alabama House of Representatives and on the Madison County Commission. Brooks, who is also a practicing attorney, graduated from Duke in three years, with a double major in political science and economics. His campaign platform is available on his website.
With Paul, Quayle and Brooks' victories, the total number of Duke alumni who will serve in the 112th Congress increases to seven. Currently, six Duke alums are members of the 111th Congress, but Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) lost in the Republican primary back in June and will not return after his term ends in January. Engineering graduate Sen. Ted Kaufman, (D-DE), who assumed Vice President Biden's Delaware seat, did not seek re-election.
The other Duke alumni who serve in the current Congress and who will return for the 112th are Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV).