Elizabeth Dole

Elizabeth Hanford "Liddy" Dole, a Republican, has represented the state of North Carolina in the Senate since 2002. (map) She was defeated in the 2008 general election by Kay Hagan (D).


 * Recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg Award

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Oil
Elizabeth Dole has voted in favor of big oil companies on 100% of important oil related bills from 2005-2007, according to Oil Change International. These bills include Iraq war funding, climate change studies, clean energy, and emissions. See below for oil money in politics.

Background
Dole was born Elizabeth Hanford in Salisbury, North Carolina on July 29, 1936. She attended Duke University, graduating in 1958, obtained a master's degree from Harvard University in 1960 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1965.

She moved to Washington, DC as a Democrat in 1966, working on issues concerning the handicapped. In 1968 she became an independent and worked in the Nixon White House as executive director of the President's Committee for Consumer Interests. Nixon appointed her to a seven-year term on the Federal Trade Commission. In 1975, she became a Republican.

She married Senator Robert J. Dole as his second wife on December 6, 1975. They have no children.

She was United States Secretary of Transportation from 1983 to 1987 under Ronald Reagan. One of her most famous accomplishments during her tenure was the mandatory implementation of the third brake light on all passenger cars. Dole also served as United States Secretary of Labor from 1989 to 1990 under George H. W. Bush.

From 1991 to 1999 she was president of the American Red Cross.

2000 Presidential Bid
Dole ran for the Republican Party nomination in the US presidential election of 2000, but pulled out of the race in October 1999 before any of the primaries, largely due to inadequate fundraising. Dole placed third &mdash; behind George W. Bush and Steve Forbes &mdash; in a large field in the Iowa Straw Poll (the first, non-binding, test of electability for the GOP nomination).

In July 2000, shortly before the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Bush campaign sources said Dole was on the short list to be named the vice-presidential nominee, along with Michigan Governor John Engler, New York Governor George Pataki, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, and former Missouri Senator John Danforth. Bush surprised most pundits by selecting former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, who was actually in charge of leading Bush's search for a vice presidential nominee.

Senate Career
In 2002, Dole sought election to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina, to fill the seat that was made available by the retirement of Jesse Helms (R). She defeated her Democratic opponent Erskine Bowles, a former White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton.

In November 2004, following Republican gains in the United States Senate, Dole narrowly edged out Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota for the post of chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She is viewed by some as a possible Vice Presidential nominee for the GOP in 2008.

Money in politics
cid=N00008071&cycle=2006

Oil Money in Politics
Elizabeth Dole has received $183,867 in oil contributions during the 110th congress. $85,850 of those dollars were from industry PACS. In total, she has accepted $318,346 from oil companies since from 2000 to 2008, which makes her a top recipient of oil money.

Committees

 * Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
 * Senate Special Committee on Aging
 * Senate Committee on Armed Services
 * Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
 * Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities - Ranking Member
 * Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
 * Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
 * Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * Senate Special Committee on Aging
 * Senate Committee on Armed Services
 * Subcommittee on Airland
 * Subcommittee on Personnel
 * Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
 * Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation
 * Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance
 * Subcommittee on Securities and Investment

Affiliations

 * On the Board of Governors for the Partnership for Public Service.
 * Advisory Council, World Food Prize

Contact
DC Office: 555 Dirksen Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-6342 Fax: 202-224-1100 Web Email Website

District Office - Greenville: 306 South Evans Street Greenville, NC 27835 Phone: 252-329-1093 Fax: 252-329-1097

District Office - Hendersonville: 401 North Main Street, Suite 200 Hendersonville, NC 28792 Phone: 828-698-3747 Fax: 828-698-1267

District Office - Raleigh: 310 New Bern Avenue, Suite 122 Raleigh, NC 27601 Phone: 919-856-4630 Fax: 919-856-4053

District Office - Salisbury: 225 North Main Street, Suite 304 Salisbury, NC 28144 Phone: 704-633-5011 Fax: 704-633-2937

External resources

 * Official website
 * Dole, Bob & Elizabeth, The Doles: Unlimited Partners, with Richard Norton Smith. Simon & Schuster, 1988.  ISBN 0671602020
 * (re-release)Unlimited Partners: Our American Story. Simon & Schuster, 1996. ISBN 0684834014
 * Hearts Touched by Fire: My 500 Most Inspirational Quotations. Carroll & Graf, 2004. ISBN 078671428X
 * Elizabeth Dole's Skeleton Closet, RealChange.org. Includes links to primary source documents.
 * Follow the Oil Money-Senate
 * Vote Tracker
 * Follow the Coal Money- Senate
 * Appalachian Voices

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Freedom's Watch

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Swankville

External articles

 * David Espo, "GOP Turns Anger on Campaign Committee," Associated Press (1010 WINS), December 23, 2006.