Christine Todd Whitman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christine Todd Whitman
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Official portrait as Administrator of the EPA, 2001
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| Co-chair of the Forward Party | |
| Assumed office July 28, 2022 Serving with Andrew Yang and Michael S. Willner
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| 9th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | |
| In office January 31, 2001 – June 27, 2003 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Carol Browner |
| Succeeded by | Mike Leavitt |
| 50th Governor of New Jersey | |
| In office January 18, 1994 – January 31, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | James Florio |
| Succeeded by | Donald DiFrancesco |
| President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities | |
| In office February 10, 1988 – January 16, 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Barbara A. Curran |
| Succeeded by | Scott Weiner |
| Member of the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders | |
| In office January 1, 1983 – January 29, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Doris W. Dealaman |
| Succeeded by | Kip Bateman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Christine Temple Todd
September 26, 1946 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Forward (2022–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (until 2022) |
| Spouses |
John Whitman
(m. 1974; |
| Relatives | Webster B. Todd (father) |
| Education | Wheaton College (BA) |
Christine Todd Whitman (born September 26, 1946) is an American politician and writer. She was the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001. She also led the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. As of 2024, she is the only woman to have been governor of New Jersey.
Christine was born in New York City into a family involved in politics. She went to Wheaton College. She started her political career in the Nixon administration. In 1990, she almost won a U.S. Senate seat. Then, she ran for governor of New Jersey and won against the person already in office, Jim Florio.
She was known as a moderate Republican. She won re-election in 1997. She left her role as governor in 2001 to become the head of the EPA. During her time at the EPA, she told the public that the air in New York City was safe after the September 11, 2001, attacks. She later apologized for this statement in 2016. In 2022, Christine Todd Whitman helped start the Forward Party. This is a new political party that aims to be in the middle of the political spectrum.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Christine Temple Todd was born in New York City on September 26, 1946. Her parents were Eleanor Prentice Todd and businessman Webster B. Todd. Both families were well-known in New Jersey politics. They were also quite wealthy.
Christine grew up on her family's farm in Oldwick, New Jersey. She had three older brothers. When she was nine, she went to the 1956 Republican National Convention. There, she met President Dwight D. Eisenhower. As a child, she attended Far Hills Country Day School. Later, she went to boarding school at Foxcroft in Virginia. She didn't like being far from home. So, she moved to Chapin School in Manhattan. This allowed her to go home on weekends.
In 1968, she graduated from Wheaton College. She earned a degree in government. After college, she worked for Nelson Rockefeller's campaign for president.
Starting Her Career
Christine Todd married John Whitman in 1974. She worked for the Office of Economic Opportunity. She also worked for the Republican National Committee.
She was elected to the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders. She served for five and a half years, starting in 1983. From 1988 to 1990, she was the president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
In 1990, Whitman ran for the U.S. Senate. She ran against the person already in office, Bill Bradley. She was not expected to win, but she came very close. This made her popular with her political party. She became a strong voice for lowering taxes.
Whitman also started a group called the Committee for an Affordable New Jersey. This group helped other Republican candidates get elected.
Governor of New Jersey
Becoming Governor
In 1993, Christine Todd Whitman ran for governor of New Jersey. She won the Republican primary election. Then, she ran against the current governor, James Florio. Whitman won the election by a very small margin. She became the first woman governor in New Jersey's history. As of 2022, she is still the only woman to have served as governor of New Jersey.
There were some claims about voter issues during her 1993 campaign. An investigation looked into these claims and found no wrongdoing.
Re-election in 1997
Whitman was re-elected in 1997. She won against Jim McGreevey, who was the mayor of Woodbridge Township. Again, Whitman won by a very small number of votes.
Her Time as Governor
As governor, Whitman was seen as a moderate Republican. This means she held views that were not too extreme. She was known for being from a wealthy family in New Jersey.
During her 1993 campaign, Whitman promised to lower state taxes. She said she would cut income taxes by 10% each year for three years. Once she was in office, she kept this promise. She also made changes to education. She removed special taxes on professional wrestling. This led to the World Wrestling Federation holding events in New Jersey again. Because of this, she was even made an honorary WWF Champion!
Whitman left her job as governor on January 31, 2001. She resigned to become the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Leading the EPA
President George W. Bush chose Christine Todd Whitman to lead the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She started this job on January 31, 2001. The EPA is a government agency that works to protect human health and the environment.
One of her first tasks was about drinking water safety. The previous administration had set a new, stricter standard for arsenic in drinking water. Arsenic is a harmful chemical. The Bush administration paused this new rule. But after looking into it, the EPA, under Whitman, approved the new, safer arsenic standard.
In 2001, the EPA also created a report. This report talked about the expected effects of global warming in each state.
Air Quality After 9/11
After the September 11 attacks in New York City, Whitman spoke to the public. She told New Yorkers that the air was safe to breathe. She said that harmful substances released by the attacks were not a health threat.
However, a report in 2003 from the EPA's own watchdog group said her statement was misleading. It said the EPA did not have enough information to say the air was safe. Another report found that the White House had asked the EPA to make its statements more reassuring.
In 2016, Christine Todd Whitman apologized for her statement about the air quality after 9/11. She said she was sorry for telling people the air was safe when the EPA did not have enough data to be sure.
Whitman resigned from the EPA on June 27, 2003. She later said she resigned because she disagreed with the Bush administration about environmental rules.
After Government Work
Political Activities
In 2005, Whitman wrote a book called It's My Party, Too. In the book, she shared her thoughts on the Republican Party. She believed in individual freedom and less government control. She also started a group to help moderate Republicans get elected.
Whitman also co-founded The Whitman Strategy Group. This company helps with government relations and environmental issues. She has supported important causes like legal recognition for same-sex marriage. She also works with groups that want to improve how political campaigns are funded.
In recent years, Whitman has been critical of Donald Trump. She supported other Republican candidates who challenged him. In 2020, she even endorsed Joe Biden for president.
In 2021, she co-founded the States United Democracy Center. This group works to protect fair elections. In 2022, she helped create the Forward Party. This new party aims to bring people together from different political views.
Business Work
Christine Todd Whitman has also worked on the boards of several companies. These include Texas Instruments and United Technologies. She supports using nuclear power more in the United States. She also serves on the board of the American Security Project.
Personal Life
Christine Todd met John R. Whitman in 1973. They married in 1974. John was a businessman. He was also the grandson of a former Governor of New York.
While she was governor, Whitman lived on her family's farm, Pontefract. She had bought the farm in 1991.
John Whitman passed away in 2015. Christine and John had two children, Kate and Taylor. Kate Whitman has also worked in politics. Christine Todd Whitman has seven grandchildren. She lives in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey.
Images for kids
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Official portrait as Administrator of the EPA, 2001
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Whitman with Princeton President Harold Tafler Shapiro in October 1994
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FEMA Director James Lee Witt meets with Governor Whitman and other New Jersey officials to discuss the response to Hurricane Floyd, September 21, 1999.
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Whitman in a meeting with President George W. Bush, Colin Powell, and Spencer Abraham in February 2003
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Whitman with Dirk Kempthorne in May 2008
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Whitman speaks to cadets during the Hedrick Fellow event at the Coast Guard Academy in March 2017
See also
