Alexander Sinclair

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Current revision as of 18:42, 2 January 2010

Alexander Sinclair
Republican Party
Congressman
Began Present Office: 2014-2020
Electoral District	2nd Congressional district
State	New Hampshire
Region and Superregion	New England, Northeast
Previous Offices	Northeast Reg. Asst. Secretary of Education, Milford Town Budget Committee Chair
Born	July 3rd, 1961 Albany, New York
Spouse	Anne Baldwin
Religion	Episcopalian
Residence	Milford, NH
Occupation	Politician, Veteran, Educational Consultant, Professor
Education	Boston College (BA), University of New Hampshire (MA, PhD))

Alexander P. Sinclair (born July 3rd, 1961) is a Professor of Education Policy and Public Ethics at the University of New Hampshire. He served in the United States Representative for the U.S. state of New Hampshire's 2nd District congressional seat for three terms from 2014 through 2020. He also served as a Major in the United States Army, Milford Town Budget Committee Chairman, and Northeast Regional Assistant Secretary of Education.

Biographical

Alexander Sinclair as Northeast Regional Assistant Secretary of Education, 2010

Alexander Sinclair was in Albany New York to middle class parents involved in the publishing industry. As a student, Alexander excelled in the social sciences and in english courses. As a High School student, and later in college, Alexander edited his school newspaper. While attending Boston College on an ROTC scholarship in 1980, Alexander served as a young footsoldier in Reagan's Revolution. Passing up a career in political campaigns, he instead received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1983. Opting to branch Military Intelligence, Sinclair was attached to an infantry unit and began serving on active duty. During this time he married his high school sweetheart, Anne Baldwin (a native of Milford, New Hampshire).

In 1988 Alexander Sinclair obtained his Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of New Hampshire and shortly thereafter retired from active duty with the rank of Captain, transitioning to Reserve Duty. Over the years Alexander became increasingly involved in education issues and took a leading stand for a more broad based education curriculum, control by communities as well as rural outreach. With his important profile in the education community, he was named Outreach Coordinator for the Rural Education Program for the New Hampshire State Department of Education. By 1992 Sinclair had been named Director of this critically acclaimed program.It was also during this time that Alex was promoted to Major in the Army Reserves. Following his stint in the NHDOE Sinclair worked as an independent and widely respected educational consultant in the Northeast. In 1996 after joining the Inactive Ready Reserves, Alex co-founded the non-profit Center for Education Reform which provided organizational and policy advice to both private and public schools of all variations.

Shortly after 9/11, Alexander Sinclair volunteered for active duty assignment in his capacity as a Major in the Military Intelligence branch. Posted at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Va, Sinclair served as Army Liason Advisor to the Office of Collection Strategies and Analysis. For his work he recieved multiple Commendation Medals. In 2005 Sinclair finally fully retired from the Military after 23 years of service on Active Duty and off.

Sinclair went on to serve in local politics as Chairman of the Milford Town Budget Committee as well as regional politics as Northeast Assistant Secretary of Education where he spearheaded efforts to increase program efficiency and school administrator empowerment. Alexander Sincalir was elected to the House of Representatives in 2014.

Following a stint as Acting Majority Leader of the Republican Caucus, Sinclair decided not to persue re-election, opting instead to return to the world of education policy as a Professor of Education Policy and Public Ethics at the University of New Hampshire's political science department where he had been awarded his PhD in Public Policy.

Political Thinking

Congressman Sinclair is a self-described "common sense" reformer. His most noted cause is that of education reform, of which he has spent a good portion of his life putting into practice. He seeks to expand rural opportunities to education, initiate a merit-based pay system for teachers, and has been a vocal critic of the role the Teachers Union plays in the educational sphere. He has also pushed for innovative school choice programs aimed not at ideology, but at getting better results. Sinclair's other, no less important issue, has been fighting against deficit spending and out of control budgets. He was elected, in part, on a promise to bring transparency and restraint to Washington on behalf of the frugal citizenry of the Granite State. Congressman Sinclair is also a strong proponent of many environmental issues, including combating pollution, climate change, and preserving open spaces. His background as an Army Intelligence Officer has lent him considerable expertise and experience surrounding national security issues. On this issue, the Congressman is generally non-ideological. In addition, with a strong background in the Military, Congressman Sinclair has been a proponent of veterans issues. In particular, he has advocated efforts to streamline the bureaucracy and expand resources to veterans in rural or otherwise isloated communities.

===Voting Record=== Representative Sinclair's voting record for the 114th, 115th and 116th Congress can be found here

2014-2016, United States House of Representatives

2014 New Hampshire House Race

Alexander Sinclair was elected to the House of Representatives representing the 2nd Congressional District of New Hampshire with 54.44% of the vote.

Key Positions

As Chairman of AGR, Rep. Sinclair's committee approved legislation on eminent domain which later went down to a bipartisan defeat in the waning days of the session. After the legislation was defeated Sinclair noted, "It was my hope that, in the time since the infamous Kilo V. New Londen ruling, politicians in Washington had come to see that this issue is a classic issue of inequality before the law."

Key Votes

Congressman Sinclair voted against the budget, citing the fact that it was not balanced.

Committee assignments

Congressman Sinclair was appointed to the House Committee on Appropriations and Government Relations where he was promoted near the end of the session to serve as Chairman.

Sponsored legislation of note

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, sponsor.

2016 Presidential Election

Sinclair was a strong proponent of then Governor Pizzuto's candidacy, endorsing him early on in his bid to become President. New Hampshire would prove pivotal to Pizzuto's campaign in the early stages of a heated Republican Primary as well as being one of two New England states to go for the Republican in the General Election.

2016-2018, United States House of Representatives

2016 New Hampshire House Race

Sinclair fended off a Democratic challenge, winning with 56.4% of the vote.

Key Positions

Rep. Sinclair decried the partisan cabinet hearings on President Jack Pizzuto's nominees. In particular, he noted on the Sarmento nomination vote that, "It is a sad reflection of the current partisan environment that a perfectly able cabinet nominee is voted down for such petty and unsubstantiated reasons."

Key Votes

Voted for HR13/S2 Support for Rural America Act, breaking ranks with the Republican Party.

Committee assignments

Congressman Sinclair served on the SHEE Committee as well as being the Ranking Member on the AGR Committee.

Sponsored legislation of note

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, Sponsor.

Working Small Business Regulatory Relief Act, Sponsor.

Balanced Budget Amendment, Co-sponsor.

Private Property Protection Act, Co-Sponsor.

Line Item Veto Amendment, Co-sponsor.

No National Tests Act, Co-sponsor.

Time for Innovation in Education Act, Co-sponsor.

Local Control of Marriage Act, Co-sponsor.

American Agricultural Reform Act, Co-sponsor.

Cut Waste Out Act, Co-sponsor.

Parents' Tax Relief Act, Co-sponsor.

2018 New England Senatorial Campaign

Sinclair was one of the stronger Republicans to challenge an incumbant Democrat Senator in a long time. Initially, Sinclair outraised the incumbant Senator Désirée Payne by almost 1.5 million dollars. However, special interest PACs donated more than $7,000,000 after individual contributions. Facing this financial uphill battle, Rep. Sinclair turned the campaign into a referendum on the influence special interests played on Senator Payne. Running as a strict budget hawk, Sinclair was attacked from the Right by Senator Payne for opposing additional defense spending. Another key factor in the race was Congressman Sinclair running as a moderate conservative, not as a RINO, for the Senate seat. Ultimately, the funding obstacles proved to be too high - recieving no funding from the national Republican Party - and Sinclair lost by a margin of 54.81% to 44.84%. The Senate race did considerably raise the Congressman's profile in the region as perhaps the most influential New England Republican in Congress.

2018-2020, United States House of Representatives

2018 New Hampshire House Race

Alexander Sinclair was re-elected to the House of Representatives representing the 2nd Congressional District of New Hampshire with 55.15% of the vote.

Key Positions

Rep. Sinclair was an avid supporter of the Balanced Budget Amendment which was approved by Congress during this term. After it's passage, Sinclair remarked in statements to members of the press that, "While our Republican majority may be thin, the cry for fiscal responsibility from the taxpayers is being heard by members of both political parties."

As the Chairman of AGR, Rep. Sinclair oversaw the President's CHOICE healthcare reform legislation in the committee phase. Both in committee and in the press, Chairman Sinclair shepherded the legislation through committee. Ultimately it would be forwarded to the House Floor unscathed, avoiding the fate of the CHOICE legislation in the Senate.

During this session Rep. Sinclair took a high profile role, sponsoring two comprehensive education reform initiatives. The Common Sense Education Reform Act was crafted by the Congressman to expand class size, improve teacher retention, and train highly competetent school principals. The RETIVT Act was from President Pizzuto's desk and was aimed at expanding vocational schooling, yet Congressman Sinclair was the lead sponsor of the bill as it made its way through the House. Both bills would pass the House with overwhelming bi-partisan support.

During this session, Rep. Sinclair was named Acting Majority Leader in the final months of the congressional session.

Key Votes

Despite efforts of Democratic obstructionism, Rep. Sinclair provided a key vote in the SHEE Committee as well as on the House Floor for HR 19 Affordable Universal Healthcare Coverage for All Americans Act which allowed for the creation of high-risk small business and community health insurance pools.

On at least two occasions the senior Congressman from New Hampshire voted in favor of amendments to repeal No Child Left Behind. Rep. Sinclair has been a noted critic of the controversial Bush-era reform.

Committee assignments

Rep. Sinclair was appointed as Chairman of the Appropriations and Government Regulations Committee following the 2018 GOP takeover of Congress. He also served on the Science, Health, Education, and Environment Committee.

Sponsored legislation of note

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, Sponsor.

Working Small Business Regulatory Relief Act, Sponsor.

Common Sense Education Reform Act, Sponsor.

Invest In Small Business Act, Co-sponsor.

American Border Security Act, Co-sponsor.

Campus Free Speech Act, Co-sponsor.

Comprehensive Budget Refrom Act, Co-sponsor.

Military Procurement Reform Act, Co-sponsor.

Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2019, Co-sponsor.

Armed Forces Tax Relief Act of 2019, Co-sponsor.

Earthquake Preparedness Act, Co-sponsor.

To be Added