Robert Dold

Early life, education, and career

Dold was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Judith Gail (née Kelley) and Robert James Dold. His ancestry includes German, Swedish, Irish, Scottish, and English. He graduated from New Trier High School where he was quarterback of the football team and captain of the wrestling and lacrosse teams. He earned a BA degree from Denison University where he served as President of the Campus Governance Association and acted as a member of Beta Theta Pi, a JD degree from Indiana University where he was selected by his classmates to give the commencement address, and an MBA degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Dold was an intern in the administration of Vice President Dan Quayle. He also clerked for a New York State Judge and served as an investigative counsel for the Republican-led House Government Reform and Oversight Committee.

Elections

In his first radio ad of the general election campaign, Dold described himself as a small business owner, fiscal conservative, and social moderate. Dold was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, whose editorial page editor, R. Bruce Dold, is not related to Bob Dold. The US Chamber of Commerce and the Electrical Contractors' Association also endorsed him. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and president of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist campaigned for Dold. After reporting nearly equal fund-raising for the second quarter, Dold's fund-raising outpaced Seals' in the third quarter. Dold began the final quarter with more cash on hand than Seals. At the request of the Federal Election Commission, the Dold campaign amended its second quarter filing in September 2010 to reflect debts and expenditures that had been incurred in the second quarter but had not yet been billed when the filing period ended.

The National Journal's Cook Political Report named Dold one of the top 10 Republicans most vulnerable to redistricting in 2012 with the 10th becoming more Democratic following redistricting. The endorsement of Mark Kirk, who was popular in the district at the time, was expected to help Dold. Dold had a strong cash-on-hand advantage over his opponent Brad Schneider. Dold earned the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald. Schneider defeated Dold 51%–49%, a difference of just 3,000 votes.

On May 8, 2013, Dold announced in an e-mail to supporters that he would run for his old seat in 2014. He was actively recruited to run again. The race was ranked the #7 most likely flip for 2014 House rematches. Dold won the rematch by slightly more than 4,800 votes and took office at the start of the 114th Congress.

Dold ran for re-election in 2016. He faced a rematch with Democrat Brad Schneider in the general election. Dold was defeated by Schneider, who received 53% of the vote.

Dold was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights organization. In 2014, the organization had endorsed Schneider in his unsuccessful campaign against Dold. Dold was also endorsed by The Chicago Tribune and The Chicago Sun-Times.

Dold, who did not endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, said he would instead write in an alternative candidate's name.

Reputation

Dold is a moderate Republican with a centrist voting record in Congress. The non-partisan organization GovTrack has ranked Dold in the political center of Congress. National Journal did a comprehensive study of key votes in the House, ranking Dold as one of the most independent members of Congress. Dold is an original member of the No Labels movement which, Dold stated, he hoped would help to end the gridlock in Washington, DC. Dold is a member of the Tuesday Group, an informal caucus of moderate Republicans in the U.S. House. In 2015, Dold was elected co-chair of the Tuesday Group. An editorial in The Daily Herald noted Dold’s spirit of bipartisanship and called for more Bob Dolds in Congress. According to Roll Call, Dold has moved further to the center during his second term in Congress. In fact, in 2015, The Lugar Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded by former Senator Richard Lugar released a Bipartisan Index in cooperation with Georgetown University, ranking Congressman Dold the fifth most bipartisan congressman (out of 438) in the 114th Congress.

Political positions

Dold supports abortion rights. In 2012, Dold introduced H.R. 5650, the Protecting Women’s Access to Health Care Act, which prevents lawmakers from blocking funds to Planned Parenthood. He has voiced support for stem cell research.

Dold voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which permanently extended most of the Bush middle class tax cuts.

He has stated his support for gay marriage and immigration reform. He became the first House Republican to support the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include a ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Regarding the Affordable Care Act, he has stated his desire to improve the law rather than fight to repeal or defund it. Dold has said the Affordable Care Act was right to require insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions and to allow students to stay on a parent's insurance to age 26. Upon his return to the House in 2015, Dold became one of just three Republican Congressmen to vote against repeal of the Affordable Care Act - the first time any elected Republicans at the federal level voted against such a measure.

Dold supports gun control measures. In 2015, he signed onto a bipartisan bill that would expand background checks for gun purchasers. He accepts the scientific consensus on climate change and believes steps should be taken to address the issue.

In 2016, Dold introduced a bill to create a grant to expand the availability of naloxone, a heroin overdose antidote.

Personnel

Upon taking office in 2011, Dold hired former lobbyist Eric Burgeson, who grew up in Illinois’ 10th district, as his congressional Chief of Staff. Burgeson and Dold had previously worked together on Sen. Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. Dold instituted a policy that "staff may not work on matters of substance with former clients." In his second term in office, his chief of staff is James Slepian.

Committee assignments

Dold was originally appointed to the Committee on Financial Services for the 114th Congress, but after the resignation of fellow Illinois Republican Aaron Schock, Dold was chosen to replace him on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Personal life

Dold is married and has three children. Dold resides in Kenilworth, Illinois and runs Rose Pest Solutions, the oldest pest control company in the country. Dold attends Kenilworth Union Church and is a scoutmaster for Kenilworth Boy Scout Troop #13.