Name Jim Feldkamp | Role Politician | |
Education Oregon State University, Linfield College | ||
Jim Feldkamp Nature Photos
Jim Feldkamp is an American conservative politician. A Republican, he was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Oregon's 4th congressional district in 2004 and 2006. Both times, Feldkamp was defeated by long-time incumbent Peter DeFazio.
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Background
Feldkamp was born in May 1963 in Roseburg, Oregon to Barton and Phyllis Feldkamp, owners of Umpqua Dairy. The Feldkamp family is influential in southern Oregon. In addition to Feldkamp's mother and grandfather who were first citizens of Roseburg, his brother Steve Feldkamp sits on the board of Wildlife Safari and is vice president of Umpqua Dairy, while brother Doug Feldkamp is president of Umpqua Dairy, a director of Oregon Pacific Bancorp, a commissioner of the Roseburg Public Works Commission, and the Douglas County Planning Commission.
After graduating from high school, Jim left Roseburg in 1981 to attend Linfield College. A running back, Feldkamp played for Linfield in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship team in 1982. He went on to receive a bachelor's degree in business from Oregon State University, a master's degree in International Affairs from The Catholic University of America, and to graduate from the FBI Academy. He is president of Feldkamp and Associates and an adjunct professor at Umpqua Community College , Lane Community College as well as George Mason University.
Following his graduation from Oregon State University, Feldkamp served in U.S. Navy from 1987-1998. As a Naval Flight Officer in EA-6B Prowler Electronic Attack aircraft, Feldkamp served in various locations including Operation Desert Storm, where he flew over 30 combat missions, and in Japan. He currently serves as a commander in the United States Navy Reserve and a member of the Naval War College Foundation.
After retiring from the military, Feldkamp became a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent. From 1999 to 2003, he worked in Norfolk, Virginia on counterintelligence and counterterrorism. In 2003, he returned to Oregon to run for congress.
Feldkamp is a member of the National Rifle Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and is an Eagle Scout. Feldkamp has one child.
In September 2007, Feldkamp was recalled to active duty in the Navy and will serve on a terrorist-related task force in Washington, D.C.
Politics
In 2003, Feldkamp returned to Oregon to run for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives for Oregon's 4th congressional district.
Feldkamp ran on a conservative platform. Feldkamp supports George W. Bush, the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act, and tax cuts for all. Feldkamp advocates mixed stands on social issues. He endorses legal abortion as under Roe v. Wade, with limitations including parental notification, and civil union for same sex partners. He opposed medical marijuana, federal funding of abortion, gay marriage, adoption by gay partners, and has said "Humane Society of the United States an "extreme" organization dedicated to outlawing hunting."
Feldkamp is an advocate for many logging interests. He favors making changes to local laws to revive logging in old growth forests, and modifications in the Clean Water Act. He supports "selling lands managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management back to the counties." Timber and logging interests contributed heavily to the Feldkamp campaign.
In the November 2004 contest, Peter DeFazio earned 60% of the vote to Jim Feldkamp's 39%. Feldkamp easily won the May 2006 Republican nomination. In the November 2006 election, Feldkamp was again defeated by DeFazio, who earned 62% of the vote to Feldkamp's 38%.
Campaign financing
On June 28, 2004, Feldkamp traveled to Silicon Valley, California without reporting the trip's costs as campaign expenses; Feldkamp claimed that the trip was personal in nature, but agreed to amend his expense reports to include the trip and to pay a $300 fine as part of a negotiated settlement. In the same year, Feldkamp agreed to pay another fine, of $1,000, for not reporting $13,500 in contributions received prior to the commencement of the campaign; he attributed the non-reporting as being due to errors by inexperienced staff.
Feldkamp has since accepted $10,000 from Americans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee controlled by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. After DeLay was charged with money laundering, Feldkamp declined to return the money, citing the fact that DeLay had not been convicted of a crime. After a six-year investigation by the United States Department of Justice, all federal corruption charges against DeLay were dropped without an indictment.
On October 29, 2008 the Federal Election Commission closed the case because there were insufficient votes to pursue this complaint, which was filed by the Democratic Party of Oregon. Feldkamp came under scrutiny for a personal loan to his campaign. According to a filing with the Oregon Secretary of State, Feldkamp loaned $77,500 to his campaign., despite having reported personal assets and income that would have made such a loan impossible. On October 29, 2008 the Federal Election Commission closed the case because there were insufficient votes to pursue this complaint, which was filed by the Democratic Party of Oregon.