The American Legislative Exchange Council, otherwise known by the acronym ALEC, is a non-profit 501(c) political organization established in 1975. The legislative members are state and federal legislators. It is a forum to allow the members to write model laws and discuss legislative language with other members. ALEC meetings are an opportunity for the corporate and non-profit leaders to meet and provide feedback to legislators. Member legislators can then use the model bills as templates for their own bills.
Members here are listed as former members by virtue of the end of their terms in office of the various state legislatures, a necessary qualifier for membership in ALEC. None of these former members resigned from ALEC. See Resigned legislative members for the individuals who have announced they are no longer members by choice.
ALEC keeps its membership, activities and communications confidential. This list includes former members whose identity primarily has become known through internal documents revealed to Common Cause and by research by members of the press.
Early members included a number of state and local politicians who went on to statewide or national office, including Bob Kasten and Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, John Engler of Michigan, Terry Branstad of Iowa, and John Kasich of Ohio. Several members of Congress were also involved in the organization during its early years, including Sen. James L. Buckley and Rep. Jack Kemp of New York, Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, and Rep. Phil Crane of Illinois. More recently, Eric Cantor Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives was an alumnus.
Arizona
Kirk Adams, R, former Speaker, House of Representatives, 2012 candidate for U.S. House of Representatives
Connecticut
William Hamzy, R, former Deputy Minority Leader, House of Representatives
North Carolina
Harold Brubaker, R, North Carolina General Assembly
Fred F. Steen, II, R, North Carolina General Assembly
Utah
Dan Liljenquist, R, resigned from State Senate to run for the U.S. Senate against Orrin Hatch
Virginia
Beverly Sherwood, R, House of Delegates
Washington
Michael Carrell, R, House of Representatives, former, died May 29, 2013
Wisconsin
Joe Knilans, R, State Assembly
Scott Suder, R, Minority Leader, State Assembly
Bill Kramer, R, Wisconsin State Assembly
Neal Kedzie, R, Wisconsin State Senate
Mike Ellis, R, President of the Wisconsin State Senate
Joe Leibham, R, President Pro Tempore Wisconsin State Senate
Alabama
Spencer Bachus, R
Mike D. Rogers, R
Alaska
Don Young, R
Arizona
David Schweikert, R
California
John Campbell, R
Jeff Denham, R
Jerry Lewis, R
Tom McClintock, R
Edward Royce, R
Colorado
Cory Gardner, R
Doug Lamborn, R
Ed Perlmutter, D
Scott Tipton, R
Florida
Sandy Adams, R
Allen Boyd, D
Ginny Brown-Waite, R
Mario Diaz-Balart, R
Suzanne Kosmas, D
Kendrick Meek, D (also, unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 United States Senate election)
John Mica, R
Jeff Miller, R
Bill Posey, R
Adam Putnam, R (also, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture)
David Rivera, R
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R
Dennis Ross, R
Marco Rubio, R (also, United States Senate)
Steve Southerland, R
Daniel Webster, R
Georgia
Phil Gingrey, R
Tom Graves, R
Jack Kingston, R
Tom Price, R (former Chairman, House Republican Policy Committee)
Austin Scott, R
Lynn Westmoreland, R
Idaho
Mike Simpson, R
Illinois
Phil Crane, R (also, 1980 candidate for President of the United States)
Henry Hyde, R ALEC Founder (now deceased)
Indiana
Dan Burton, R
Marlin Stutzman, R
Iowa
Leonard Boswell, D
Steve King, R
Kansas
Lynn Jenkins, R
Todd Tiahrt, R
Kevin Yoder, R
Kentucky
Brett Guthrie, R
Louisiana
Rodney Alexander, R
Maine
Andy Harris, R
Michigan
Dave Camp, R
Mike J. Rogers, R
Minnesota
Erik Paulsen, R
Mississippi
Alan Nunnelee, R
Steven Palazzo, R
Missouri
Sam Graves, R
Vicky Hartzler, R
Dave Hinson, R (also, Missouri House of Representatives)
Blaine Luetkemeyer, R
New Jersey
Rodney Frelinghuysen, R
Scott Garrett, R
Frank LoBiondo, R
New York
John M. McHugh, R (also, former United States Secretary of the Army)
Jack Kemp, R (also, former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 1988 candidate for President of the United States and 1996 Republican Nominee for Vice President running with Bob Dole, now deceased)
North Carolina
Howard Coble, R
Walter Jones, R
North Dakota
Rick Berg, R
Steve Austria, R
Bob Gibbs, R
Jim Jordan, R
Robert Latta, R
Jean Schmidt, R
Steve Stivers, R
Pat Tiberi, R
Dan Boren, D
Tom Cole, R
Frank Lucas, R
John Sullivan, R
Oregon
Kurt Schrader, D
Pennsylvania
Charlie Dent, R
Michael Fitzpatrick, R
James Gerlach, R
Joseph Pitts, R
Todd Platts, R
South Carolina
Jeff Duncan, R
Tim Scott, R
Joe Wilson, R
South Dakota
Kristi Noem, R
Tennessee
Diane Black, R
Marsha Blackburn, R
Texas
Kevin Brady, R
John Culberson, R
Sam Johnson, R
Kenny Marchant, R
Virginia
Eric Cantor, R (also, former Majority leader)
Randy Forbes, R
Morgan Griffith, R
Washington
Doc Hastings, R
Jaime Herrera Beutler, R
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R
Wisconsin
Glenn Grothman, R (also, Wisconsin State Senate)
Mark Pocan, D (also, former Wisconsin State Assembly)
Alabama
Richard Shelby, R
Florida
Marco Rubio, R
Idaho
Jim Risch, R
Kansas
Jerry Moran, R
Mississippi
Roger Wicker, R
Nebraska
Deb Fischer, R
Mike Johanns, R
Nevada
Paul Laxalt, R (also, former Governor, Lt. Governor, and 1988 candidate for President of the United States)
North Carolina
Jesse Helms, R (5 terms, now deceased)
Oklahoma
James Inhofe, R
South Carolina
Lindsey Graham, R
West Virginia
Joe Manchin, D
Wyoming
Michael Enzi, R
Arizona
Jan Brewer, R, Governor
Colorado
Bill Owens, R, former Governor
Indiana
Mitch Daniels, R, Governor
Iowa
Terry Branstad, R, Governor
Michigan
John Engler, R, former Governor
Ohio
John Kasich, R, Governor
Oklahoma
Mary Fallin, R, Governor
Frank Keating, R, former Governor
Pennsylvania
Tom Ridge, R, former Governor, resigned to become Secretary of Homeland Security
South Carolina
Nikki Haley, R, Governor
Utah
Gary Herbert, R, Governor
Wisconsin
Tommy Thompson, R, Governor
Scott Walker, R, Governor
Alma Allen (politician), D, Texas House of Representatives
Lisa Boscola, D, Pennsylvania Senate
Mike Colona, D, Minority Whip Missouri House of Representatives
Danielle Conrad, D, Nebraska Legislature
Greg Cromer, R, Louisiana House of Representatives
Dawna Dikes, D, Texas House of Representatives
Harold Dutton, D, Texas House of Representatives
Walter Felag, D, Rhode Island Senate
Mary Flowers, D, Illinois House of Representatives
Ken Haar, D, Nebraska Legislature
Ted Harhai, D, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Denise Harper-Angel, D, Kentucky Senate
Brian Hatfield, D, Washington Senate
Eric Johnson, D, Texas House of Representatives
Ray Jones, D, Kentucky Senate
William Keller, R, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Troy Kelley, D, Washington House of Representatives, once attended a meeting but claims he is no longer a member
Tracy King, D, Texas House of Representatives
Nick Kotik, D, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Joseph Markosek, D, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Armando Martinez, D, Texas House of Representatives
Ruth Jones McClendon, D, Texas House of Representatives
Heath Mello, D, Nebraska Legislature
Jose Menendez, D, Texas House of Representatives
George Muñoz, D, New Mexico Senate
Jeremy Nordquist, D, Nebraska Legislature
Nan Orrock, D, Georgia Senate
Joseph Petrarca, D, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Brandon Phelps, D, Illinois House of Representatives
Chente Quintanilla, D, Texas House of Representatives
Brian Quirk, D, Iowa House of Representatives
Harry Readshaw, D, Pennsylvania House of Representatives claims he didn't know he was a member
Eddie Rodriguez, D, Texas House of Representatives
Jennifer Seelig, D, Utah State House of Representatives
Tim Shaughnessy, D, Kentucky Senate
Kathy Stein, D, Kentucky Senate
John Tassoni Jr, D, Rhode Island Senate
Robert Theberge, D, New Hampshire House of Representatives
Kevin Van De Wege, D, Washington House of Representatives
Don Vaughan, D, Minority leader North Carolina Senate
Ted Vick, D, South Carolina House of Representatives
Hubert Vo, D, Texas House of Representatives
Leanna Washington, D, Pennsylvania Senate
Anthony Williams, D, Pennsylvania Senate
Amazon.com
American Traffic Solutions resigned April 13, 2012
Amgen
Arizona Public Service Company
Best Buy
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Cargill is listed as a member in 1998, but now denies ever having been a member
Coca-Cola
CVS Caremark
Dell
Enron (went bankrupt in 2001, see Enron scandal)
General Motors
Google
Hewlett-Packard
John Deere
Johnson & Johnson
Intuit
Kaplan, Inc.
Kraft Foods
Louis Dreyfus Group
Lumina Foundation for Education
Mars
McDonald’s
Medtronic
Merck
MillerCoors
National Association of Charter School Authorizers
National Association of Water Companies
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
PepsiCo
Procter & Gamble
Reed Elsevier
Royal Dutch Shell
SAP
Scantron
TicketMaster was a member as late as 2000; it later denied membership and threatened legal action if it was listed again
Walgreens
Walmart suspended membership May 31, 2012
Wendy's
Yelp
Yahoo!
