Rick Berg

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "For". Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters". Richard Alan Berg (born August 16, 1959) is an American businessman and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Template:Ushr from 2011 to 2013.[1] Berg served on the House Ways and Means Committee.[2] He is a member of the Republican Party. Before his election to Congress in 2010, he served in the state North Dakota House of Representatives, with stints as majority leader and speaker. On May 16, 2011, Berg announced his run for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Democratic incumbent Kent Conrad but lost narrowly to Democrat Heidi Heitkamp on November 6, 2012.

Early life and education

Berg was born in Maddock and raised on a farm in Hettinger. His father was a large animal veterinarian and his mother was a writer.[3] His grandfather immigrated to the United States from Norway.[4]

Berg graduated from Hettinger High School. He earned a wrestling scholarship to the North Dakota State College of Science.[5] He attended for a year before transferring to North Dakota State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in agricultural economics.

Early career

In 1982, after college he co-founded Midwest Management Company (which became Goldmark Property Management in 1994), a real-estate management firm in Fargo. In 1987 he moved on to an affiliate commercial real estate company spun off from Midwest. In 1996 along with other early partners in Midwest he founded Goldmark Commercial Corporation which has since been renamed to Goldmark Schlossman Commercial Real Estate.[6][7][8]

North Dakota House of Representatives

Elections

Berg first ran for the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1984 in the 10th House District, based in Fargo. He won and was re-elected every four years after, until his congressional run in 2010.

In 2002, after redistricting he decided to run in the newly redrawn 45th House District, and won a seat with 31%.[9] In 2006, he won re-election with 28%.[10]

Tenure

In 1991, he became the chair of the House Republican caucus. In 1993, he briefly served as speaker of the House. In 2003, he became the House majority leader.

As speaker, he proposed a controversial new education funding system aimed at making payments more equitable.[11]

Berg supported President George W. Bush's plan to partially privatize Social Security through private accounts in 2005.[12]

In 2007, Berg voted on ND House Bill 1489, which proposed making abortion a class AA felony, even in the case of rape and incest.[13]

In 2009, he earned the Petroleum Council's Legislator of the Year and the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce's Greater North Dakotan award.[14]

U.S. House of Representatives

Election

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On January 20, 2010, Berg officially announced he was seeking the GOP endorsement to run for the United States House of Representatives.[15][16] In March 2010, Berg won the GOP nomination at the Republican state convention to challenge incumbent Democratic Representative Earl Pomeroy for the state's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives.[17] In the general election Berg unseated Pomeroy by a vote of 129,802 (55%) to 106,542 (45%) becoming the first Republican since 1980 to represent Template:Ushr. At the time of his election, Berg was the 13th wealthiest member of Congress.[18]

The biggest donor to Berg's campaign was Goldmark Property Management, Inc.[19] As of 2011, Berg worked at Goldmark since 1981 and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Goldmark Schlossman Commercial Real Estate Services in 2005.[20]

Tenure

Berg voted for the Paul Ryan budget, which would restructure Medicare and Medicaid.[21]

Berg strongly supports a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.[22]

He voted in favor of the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act and has received "A" and "A+" ratings from the NRA Political Victory Fund for his stance on gun rights.[23][24][25]

Berg joined almost 60 other members of Congress in a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction that urged committee members not to cut the critical access hospital (CAH) program. The CAH program provides assistance to rural hospitals. 36 CAHs exist in North Dakota, including one in Hettinger, Berg's hometown.[26]

Berg has voted to curtail EPA regulations, stating: "In North Dakota, we know the damaging effects that overreaching government regulations can have on our small businesses and their ability to create jobs."[27] He has also proposed drilling for oil in federal lands, including North Dakota's own Theodore Roosevelt National Park, as a way to provide funding for Social Security.[28] In 2009, he was presented with the Greater North Dakotan Award by the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce for his support of business interests.[29]

Berg is anti-abortion and has voted to prohibit federal funds from being used for health care plans that cover abortions.[30] He is a member of the Congressional Prayer Caucus.[31]

Berg is against same-sex marriage.[32]

File:Congressman speaks to USACE Souris River area flood engineer.jpg
Berg talking with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official Roland Hamborg during the 2011 Souris River flood

Committee assignments

File:Rick Berg, 15 September 2012 (02).png
Berg, at a parade in West Fargo.

Berg was a member of the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee.

Caucus Memberships[33]
  • Congressional Western Caucus
  • Unmanned Systems Caucus
  • General Aviation Caucus
  • Coal Caucus
  • Friends of Norway Caucus
  • Job Creators Caucus
  • E-911 Caucus
  • National Archives Caucus
  • Rural Health Care Coalition
  • Sportsman Caucus
  • Sugar Caucus
  • Congressional Prayer Caucus
  • House National Guard and Reserve Caucus

2012 U.S. Senate election

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". On May 16, 2011, Berg announced he would run for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Democratic incumbent Kent Conrad.[34]

Election night results indicated that Berg had lost to former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp by a vote of 161,337 (50%) to 158,401 (49%). As the difference was less than 1% of the ballots cast, Berg declined to concede immediately. The next day, however, Berg acknowledged his Democratic opponent's victory.[35]

References

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  15. ↑ Berg Announces. Template:Webarchive KXMBTV Bismarck. January 19, 2010.
  16. ↑ Berg to begin campaign for US House. Template:Webarchive WDAY News. January 16, 2010.
  17. ↑ Cadei, Emily. North Dakota: Berg To Face Pomeroy in November. Template:Webarchive CQ Politics. March 20, 2010.
  18. ↑ [cite web|title= The 50 Richest Members of Congress 2011|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307215521/http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th.html]
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Toeplitz, Shira House Freshman Berg Will Run for Senate in North Dakota Roll Call, May 16, 2011.
  35. ↑ Democrat Heidi Heitkamp defeats Republican Rick Berg to win US Senate race in North Dakota Associated Press November 7, 2012

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External links

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections#North_Dakota

Template:Error
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Member of the North Dakota House of Representatives
from the 45th district
1985–2011 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Template:Error
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Dakota's at-large congressional district
2011–2013 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from North Dakota
(Class 1)
2012 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Chair of the North Dakota Republican Party
2018–2021 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Template:S-bef/check Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US RepresentativeScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded byas Former US Representative

Template:NorthDakotaUSRepresentatives Template:Speakers of the North Dakota House of Representatives Template:Authority control

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