Editing Rick Renzi (section)

==U.S. House of Representatives==
[[File:Pope John Paul II greets Congressman Rick Renzi.jpg|thumb|right|Renzi greeting [[Pope John Paul II]] in 2003]]
[[File:Rick Renzi and George W. Bush.jpg|thumb|right|Renzi greeting [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] in 2005]]
[[File:Arizona College Republicans visit Congressman Rick Renzi.jpg|thumb|right|Renzi with the Arizona College Republicans in 2007]]

=== Move to Arizona ===
Renzi moved his official residence from Virginia to Arizona in 1999, registering to vote in [[Santa Cruz County, Arizona|Santa Cruz County]]. In 2001, he bought a $216,000 home in [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]], moving his voting registration there in December of that year.

In 2002, Renzi acknowledged that he returned to Arizona with the intention of running for Congress, but defended his state ties. He noted that between college and his return to Arizona, he lived in Flagstaff for a total of seven years. There is proof Renzi was living in Arizona after college because, Renzi and his wife did have several children who were born in Sierra Vista, AZ. Renzi also said he owned more than {{convert|400|acre|km2|1}} in northern Arizona through a real estate development and improvement business, in addition to a small vineyard and ranch in [[Sonoita, Arizona]], west of [[Sierra Vista, Arizona|Sierra Vista]], in the 8th congressional district, and a home in Kingman. During the campaign, Renzi said "Let the chips fall where they may if I'm a carpetbagger."<ref name="AP-8-17-02"/><ref>[http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11081956&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6 "Renzi's finances could be trouble"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331135440/http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11081956&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6 |date=March 31, 2012 }}, TriValleyCentral.com, March 6, 2004.</ref><ref>[http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=4471333&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "1st District candidates play up their local roots"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211141845/http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=4471333&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 |date=February 11, 2012 }}, TriValleyCentral.com, June 17, 2002.</ref>

=== 2002 election ===

====Primary election====
Renzi won a hotly contested Republican [[Partisan primary|primary election]] against five other candidates; his closest opponents were Lewis Noble Tenney, a former [[Navajo County, Arizona|Navajo County]] supervisor, and conservative radio personality [[Sydney Ann Hay]] of [[Munds Park, Arizona|Munds Park]]. Renzi outspent his primary opponents by a substantial sum of money. He invested $585,000 of his own money and raised another $100,000 to run radio and TV ads throughout the district.<ref>Candee, Adam, "Renzi Loans Campaign $585,000 to Outspend Rivals," ''Arizona Daily Sun'', July 21, 2002.</ref> Renzi received 24.4 percent of the 46,585 votes cast in the Republican primary, with half of his votes coming from [[Yavapai County, Arizona|Yavapai County]].<ref>Solop, Frederic I., and James I. Bowie, [http://www.apsanet.org/imgtest/PSJul03Solop.pdf "The 2002 Arizona First Congressional District Race" (pdf)], PSOnline e-Symposium, July 2003.</ref>

The 2002 Democratic primary, also hotly contested, was narrowly won by George Cordova, a party outsider who ran against several better-known candidates, including Stephen Udall, Diane Prescott and Fred Duval. (There was no incumbent for the seat, in a new district created after the 2000 census gave the state two more Representatives.)<ref>[http://www.pinalcentral.com/maricopa_monitor/news/around_arizona/ducey-wins-crowded-gop-gubernatorial-primary/article_ca2f2f2f-a1e2-5f8d-8a82-d715cc063ef2.html Ducey wins crowded GOP gubernatorial primary], ''[[Capitol Media Services]]'', Howard Fischer, Aug 26, 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.pinalcentral.com/trivalley_dispatch/news/congressional-candidates-offer-more-answers/article_263a84be-5815-53a4-ac50-3f1a3fa731e7.html], ''[[TriValleyCentral]]'', August 14, 2002. Retrieved 27 October 2016.</ref>

====General election====
Renzi received significant support from the national Republican party in the race: [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] visited twice, including a fundraiser; Vice President Cheney appeared at a fund-raising luncheon;<ref>Shorey, Ananda, [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5338087&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "Bush campaigns for Salmon, Renzi"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211141855/http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5338087&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 |date=February 11, 2012 }}, ''Associated Press'', October 28, 2002.</ref> Secretary of the Interior [[Gale Norton]] visited the district to support Renzi;<ref>Levine, Alan, "Interior secretary visits CG in support of Renzi campaign", ''Casa Grande Dispatch'', September 17, 2006.</ref> and so did [[Mel Martinez]], secretary of the [[Department of Housing and Urban Development]].<ref>[http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5562613&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "Mel Martinez"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033415/http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5562613&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 |date=September 30, 2007 }}, TriValleyCentral.com, October 1, 2002.</ref>

The campaign included the heavy use of negative advertising attacking Cordova, including accusing him of cheating investors out of $1 million in a failed business venture, failing to pay income and business taxes, and living in California. Cordova denied the charges but had no funds to buy many television ads to refute them.<ref>Ghioto, Gary, and Michael Marizco, [http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2002/11/07/export9535.txt "Renzi edges Cordova"], ''Arizona Daily Sun'', November 7, 2002.</ref> The Renzi campaign also made heavy use of automated telephone calls throughout the district with various claims and innuendos about Cordova.<ref>Kitching, Harold, [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5717182&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6 "Sparks fly in race for 1st District seat"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927203446/http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5717182&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6 |date=September 27, 2007 }}, TriValleyCentral.com, October 15, 2002.</ref> Renzi said of the $2 million spent on negative ads, that he "took no joy in any of that." Renzi said he had tried to tell the [[Republican National Committee|National Republican Congressional Committee]] that the negative ads were the wrong way to go.<ref>Ghioto, Gary, and Michael Marizco, [http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2002/11/07/export9577.txt "Renzi disowns attack ads"], ''Arizona Daily Sun'', November 7, 2002.</ref>

During the 2002 election campaign, Renzi proposed that [[Walnut Canyon National Monument]] in [[Northern Arizona]] be renamed the "National Park of the American Flag" with the addition an [[American flag]] theme to the park, including displays of U.S. flags throughout history. This was in response to proposals by local citizens that Walnut Canyon National Monument be expanded and given [[National Park]] status. Renzi's proposal was widely ridiculed, and he has not promoted it since.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

On election day, Renzi defeated Cordova by 49 percent to 46 percent, a difference of about 6,000 votes.

==== Campaign finances ====
Renzi spent $436,590 of his own money on the election. In addition to large donations from his father's defense company, Mantech International, Mantech executives were the largest single source of outside money for the campaign.<ref>{{cite web | title = Arizona District 1: 2002 Race Profile | url = http://www.opensecrets.org/races/contrib.asp?ID=AZ01&cycle=2002&special=N | publisher=[[OpenSecrets]] | access-date = 2007-02-05 | url-status = dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060711125902/http://www.opensecrets.org/races/contrib.asp?ID=AZ01&cycle=2002&special=N | archive-date = 2006-07-11 }}</ref>

In 2004, the [[Federal Election Commission]] completed an audit of Renzi's campaign committee, "Rick Renzi for Congress." The audit found that Renzi's campaign overstated its cash on hand by about $64,000, and that employers or occupations for 200 contributors were not listed, though required by law. The FEC also concluded that the committee had illegally financed much of the campaign with $369,090 of loans that came from "impermissible" corporate funds. Most of those loans were part of the $436,000 that Renzi put into his own campaign.<ref name="PNT-10-12-06">Fenske, Sarah, [https://web.archive.org/web/20061016160417/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2006-10-12/news/news.html "Deal Breaker: Congressman Rick Renzi and the very strange coincidence"], ''Phoenix New Times'', October 12, 2006.</ref> Renzi was fined $1,000 in November 2005 by the FEC for underreported receipts stemming from what his campaign called a software glitch. During the summer before the 2006 election, the FEC dropped all charges related to the 2002 alleged use of impermissible corporate funds for his campaign.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Cole, Cyndy  |author2=Ferguson, J.  |name-list-style=amp | title = FEC drops probe of Renzi finances | publisher = Arizona Daily Sun | date = 2006-09-10 | access-date = 2009-10-28 | url = http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2006/09/10/news/local/20060910_local_news_19.txt }}</ref>

===2004 re-election===
In preparation for the 2004 campaign, the Democratic Party in Arizona tapped Paul Babbitt, [[Coconino County, Arizona|Coconino County]] commissioner and the brother of [[Bruce Babbitt]], to run for the seat and pressured all other candidates with the exception of political unknown Bob Donahue to bow out of the primary in order to clear the way for Babbitt to run against Renzi without a costly primary contest. Paul Babbitt's campaign was named a top national priority by most major Democratic fundraisers and liberal [[Blog|weblogs]], because a plurality of Arizona 1st Congressional District voters are registered Democrats and because Renzi won so narrowly in 2002. Unlike the Cordova campaign in 2002, which received only token support from the national Democratic Party organizations, the Babbitt campaign received major support; nonetheless, it was unable to match Renzi's fundraising.<ref>{{cite web | publisher=[[OpenSecrets]] | url = http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?id=AZ01&cycle=2004 | title = Total Raised and Spent | work = 2004 Race: Arizona District 1 | access-date = 2007-02-05 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070216154204/http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?cycle=2004&id=AZ01 | archive-date = 2007-02-16 }}</ref>

===2006 re-election===
Renzi faced no opposition from his own party in the Republican primary. Five [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] candidates, including Bob Donahue, Mike Caccioppoli, Susan Friedman, Ellen Simon, and Vic McKerlie, ran in the 2006 primary in September, which was won by Ellen Simon, an attorney and community activist. David Schlosser was also in the November general election on the Libertarian Party ticket.<ref>{{cite news | title = Schlosser Offers Real Choice in Election for Arizona's First Congressional District | work = SchlosserforCongress.org | url = http://www.schlosserforcongress.com/media-press/news_releases/06_0523.php | date = 2006-05-23 | access-date = 2015-05-29 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061213203304/http://www.schlosserforcongress.com/media-press/news_releases/06_0523.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2006-12-13}}</ref>

Renzi won his re-election against Simon, 52% to 43%.

On August 23, 2007, Renzi announced he would not seek another term.

===Issues and positions===
{{Wikiquote}}
In 2002, in response to a question about spiraling health care costs, Renzi said "In order to keep health insurance costs competitive, we must allow the self-employed to take annual tax deductions for their health-care costs. We must change the health insurance industry by allowing employees to purchase their own health-care policy. This would allow for personal ownership of health-care policies, which would provide portability, more choice and thus more competition, which leads to lower health-care premiums."<ref name="TVC-8-14-02">[http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5039674&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "Congressional candidates offer more answers"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211141906/http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5039674&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 |date=February 11, 2012}}, TriValleyCentral.com, August 14, 2002.</ref>

Renzi was named one of the American Legion's "Unsung Heroes" of the 108th Congress. American Legion National Commander John Brieden noted that "The 108th Congress passed a record increase in Department of Veterans Affairs health care funding for the current fiscal year, and it reduced the number of service-disabled military retirees subject to a 'disability tax' on their retired pay." Brieden said "I commend Representative Renzi for taking a leadership role in making that happen."<ref>[http://www.house.gov/list/press/az01_renzi/amleg.html "Renzi Receives Award From American Legion"], press release from Renzi's office, March 12, 2004. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707105217/http://www.house.gov/list/press/az01_renzi/amleg.html |date=July 7, 2006 }}</ref>

In 2004, Renzi and Representative [[Jon Porter]] introduced legislation to split the [[Ninth Circuit]] court, currently the largest circuit in the U.S., which includes Arizona, into three smaller circuits. [[John Ensign]] of Nevada introduced similar legislation in the Senate.<ref>[http://www.house.gov/list/press/az01_renzi/hr2427.html "Renzi Bill Will Remove Arizona from Jurisdiction of Ninth Circuit Court"], press release, April 30, 2004. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707112402/http://www.house.gov/list/press/az01_renzi/hr2427.html |date=July 7, 2006 }}</ref>

Renzi was generally a supporter of expanded legal [[immigration]] into the United States and supported expansion of [[guest worker]] programs and the [[H1B]] visa. He did strongly support using technology to enforce border security.<ref>[http://www.house.gov/renzi/immigration.shtml Renzi's position on Border Security], Renzi's Congressional website, accessed October 22, 2006. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060802203846/http://www.house.gov/renzi/immigration.shtml |date=August 2, 2006 }}</ref>

In June 2006, the House accepted an amendment proposed by Renzi to increase tribal law enforcement funding by $5 million and decrease spending for international organizations such as the United Nations by the same amount.<ref>[http://www.rickrenzi.com/newsandviews/view_article.cfm?ID=49 "Renzi Fights to Increase Tribal Law Enforcement Funding by $5 Million. Congressman offers Amendment to Strip Funding from UN and Give it to Tribes"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018182632/http://www.rickrenzi.com/newsandviews/view_article.cfm?ID=49 |date=October 18, 2006 }}, Renzi press release, June 29, 2006.</ref>

On December 14, 2005, he voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. On June 29, 2005, he voted for the increase of funds by $25 million for anti-marijuana print and TV ads.