Nick Lampson



Nick Lampson, a Democrat, represented the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives between 2007-2009. He was defeated by Pete Olson (R) in the 2008 general election.

Iraq War
Lampson voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

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

Early life
A lifelong resident of the oil-producing city of Beaumont, Texas and second-generation Italian-American, Lampson earned his Bachelors Degree in Biology and Masters Degree in Education from Lamar University. In 1976, he was elected property tax assessor for Jefferson County, of which Beaumont is the county seat. He served in that post for 18 years, during which he modernized the office and improved collection rates.

Legislative career
Lampson did not seek a ninth term as tax assessor in 1994, but in 1996 won the Democratic nomination for Texas's Ninth District, which included Beaumont. 

Just months into his first term, a family in his district suffered a widely-publicized tragedy. A 12-year-old girl from Friendswood, Texas was abducted and found murdered two weeks later. Lampson was so moved by the family's courage and the caring response of the community in banding together to search for the child, that he established the first-ever Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, which now numbers more than 120 members from both parties.

Texas redistricting
Lampson had been reelected three times without serious opposition, but in the 2003 Texas congressional redistricting, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) orchestrated a controversial, mid-decade effort to get more Republican congressmen elected from Texas and Lampson was one of the targets. His district was renumbered and radically altered. In particular, Galveston, which had been the heart of the district and its previous incarnations for over a century, was removed. In its place, several heavily Republican areas in and around Houston were added to the district.

Lampson's 2004 Republican opponent was Ted Poe, a longtime felony court judge in Harris County, home to most of Houston. Lampson lost to Poe, 43-55%.


 * See Congresspedia pages on the 2003 Texas congressional redistricting and the Texas redistricting scandal for more details.

Family life
He is married to Susan Floyd Lampson, a special education teacher in Beaumont. The couple has two grown daughters, Stephanie and Hillary.

Health problems
On March 25, 2007 Rep. Lampson, underwent quadrupedal bypass surgery and will remain in the Houston area for 3 to 4 weeks while he recovers. Lampson spokesman Bobby Zafarnia said, "The physicians have indicated that the surgery proceeded well and that Congressman Lampson will make a full recovery". 

2006 congressional election
On May 4, 2005, Lampson announced his intentions to run in Texas's 22nd Congressional District (DeLay's district). The 22nd had absorbed several parts of Lampson's former territory, including much of Galveston. DeLay resigned in April 2006 amid several indictments for violating Texas election law in 2002. His name was unable to be replaced on the ballot, and local Republican officials rallied behind Shelley Sekula-Gibbs as their preferred write-in candidate. Texas Governor Rick Perry announced on August 29, 2006, that a special election would take place for the unexpired term of Tom DeLay, coinciding with the general election on November 7, 2006.

Lampson defeated Sekula-Gibbs 52%-42% to win the seat.

2008 superdelegate

 * Dem Con Watch
 * Lampson's campaign accepted $5,000 from the Obama campaign.

Money in politics
cid=N00005928&cycle=2006

Committees and Affiliations

 * House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
 * Subcommittee on Aviation
 * Subcommittee on Railroads
 * House Committee on Agriculture
 * Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry
 * Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
 * House Committee on Science and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Energy -Chair
 * Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Contact
DC Office: 436 Cannon HOB Washington DC 20515 Phone: 202.225.5951 Fax: 202.225.5241 Web Email Website

District Office
10701 Corporate Dr #118 Stafford TX 77477 Phone: 281.240.3700 Fax: 281.240.2959

External articles

 * Todd Ackerman, "Lampson in Houston hospital after heart surgery", Houston Chronicle, March 26, 2007.

External resources

 * Nick Lampson for District 22, official campaign site.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Copeland.net
 * Burnt Orange Report
 * Fort Bend Democrats