Jim McGovern | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd district |
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Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
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Preceded by | Richard Neal |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 3rd district |
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In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2013 |
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Preceded by | Peter Blute |
Succeeded by | Niki Tsongas |
Personal details | |
Born |
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
November 20, 1959
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Lisa Murray |
Children | 2 |
Education | American University (BA, MPA) |
Website | House website |
Committee assignments |
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114th Congress (2015–17) |
James Patrick "Jim" McGovern (born November 20, 1959) is a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 3rd District from 1997 to 2013, stretches from Worcester to the Pioneer Valley.
Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, McGovern attended Worcester Academy. While in college he worked as a congressional aide to U.S. Senator George McGovern (to whom he has no relation), a two-time presidential candidate for whom he campaigned. From 1981 to 1996 he was a senior staff member for U.S. Representative Joe Moakley. McGovern first ran for Congress in 1994, where he lost in the Democratic primary. He ran again in 1996, defeating Republican incumbent Peter Blute. He has been reelected every two years since then without serious difficulty.
A focus of his career has been international human rights, which he has advocated for in countries such as El Salvador, Sudan, and Colombia. He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has been ranked as one of the most liberal members of Congress.
James Patrick McGovern was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on November 20, 1959. He grew up in Worcester, where his mother Mindy was a dance instructor and his father Walter owned a liquor store. In junior high school, he first became involved in politics by campaigning for Democratic U.S. Senator George McGovern (to whom he is not related) in his unsuccessful 1972 presidential bid. After graduating from Worcester Academy he moved to Washington, D.C., where from 1977 to 1980, he worked as an aide to George McGovern. He attended American University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1981 and a Masters of Public Administration in 1984. George McGovern ran for president again in 1984, Jim McGovern was the state coordinator of his Massachusetts campaign branch, and he made his nominating speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention.