Ellen Tauscher - Political Career

Political Career

Before running for the United States House of Representatives, Tauscher was active in Democratic circles as a fundraiser and also chaired Dianne Feinstein's successful 1992 and 1994 Senate campaigns.

In 1996, Tauscher ran against two-term Republican incumbent Bill Baker in California's 10th congressional district, which included several wealthy suburbs in the East Bay. During the campaign, Tauscher emphasized family issues and her support for business, the environment, and the military. She also charged that Baker was too conservative for the district, particularly given his opposition to abortion and gun control. She narrowly defeated Baker, claiming victory by a margin of 1.45% of the vote. The race was ranked as the fourth most expensive of that year's 435 House races.

Tauscher was re-elected in 1998 and 2000 against vigorous Republican opposition. While the 10th district was once considered "solid Republican territory," most Bay Area Republicans tend to be more moderate than their counterparts in the rest of California and have been increasingly willing to support Democrats at the national level.

In 2000, Tauscher was made much safer when some of the more Republican-leaning parts of her district were cut out as part of state-wide redistricting. They were replaced with more Democratic territory near Sacramento and Berkeley. She was subsequently re-elected to four more terms, facing no substantive opposition and receiving more than 65 percent of the vote after 2002.

On March 18, 2009, Tauscher announced that she had accepted the position of Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 25, 2009 by unanimous consent. Notwithstanding her appointment, confirmation and acceptance, she served as Speaker Pro Tempore on June 26, 2009, when the House narrowly passed (219-212) a cap-and-trade global warming bill. Tauscher resigned her seat on June 26, 2009, after voting was finished on the American Clean Energy & Security Act. Her resignation necessitated a special election. Tauscher served as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security until her appointment on February 6, 2012 as Special Envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense.