Jeff Flake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Flake
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| United States Ambassador to Turkey | |
| Assumed office January 26, 2022 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | David M. Satterfield |
| United States Senator from Arizona |
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| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Jon Kyl |
| Succeeded by | Kyrsten Sinema |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona |
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| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Matt Salmon |
| Succeeded by | Matt Salmon (redistricting) |
| Constituency | 1st district (2001–2003) 6th district (2003–2013) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jeffry Lane Flake
December 31, 1962 Snowflake, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Cheryl Bae
(m. 1985) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Jake Flake (uncle) William J. Flake (great-great-grandfather) |
| Education | Brigham Young University (BA, MA) |
Jeffry Lane Flake (born December 31, 1962) is an American politician and diplomat who is the United States ambassador to Turkey. A member of the Republican Party, Flake served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and in the United States Senate from 2013 to 2019, representing Arizona. He was nominated by Democratic president Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate for his ambassador post on October 26, 2021. He presented his credentials to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex of Turkey in Ankara on January 26, 2022.
Born in Snowflake, Arizona, Flake attended Brigham Young University, from which he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations, and later his Master of Arts degree in political science. In the early 1980s, he became a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Africa, where he learned to speak Afrikaans. After returning to the United States, Flake served as executive director of the Goldwater Institute, before being elected as a Republican to the House of Representatives from Arizona's 1st congressional district in 2001. He served as the representative for the 1st district until renumbering following the 2000 census redefined the district to be Arizona's 6th congressional district, which he then represented until he entered the Senate in 2013.
Flake sought the Republican nomination for the 2012 Senate election after incumbent Jon Kyl announced his retirement. He defeated Democratic candidate and former United States Surgeon General Richard Carmona in the general election. Flake was one of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" U.S. senators who pushed an immigration reform bill through the Senate in 2013. He is known as a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, but generally voted in line with Trump's positions. On October 24, 2017, Flake announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018.
Throughout his Senate career, Flake suffered from consistently low approval ratings. In April 2013, less than three months after taking office, he had 32% approval and 51% disapproval ratings. By mid-2017, he dropped to 18% approval and 62% disapproval ratings, but recovered slightly near the end of his term, with 30% approval and 51% disapproval ratings as of July 2018.
On January 29, 2019, Flake was hired by CBS as a contributor for CBS News.
Early life, education, and early career
Jeffry Lane Flake was born in Snowflake, Arizona, the son of Nerita (née Hock) and Dean Maeser Flake. His birth town was named in part for his great-great-grandfather, Mormon pioneer William J. Flake. Flake obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Arts in political science from Brigham Young University. He took a two-year leave of absence to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Africa and Zimbabwe in the early 1980s. He speaks Afrikaans. He worked in the public affairs sector after college and was the executive director of the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia and executive director of the Goldwater Institute before entering the House of Representatives. He opposed economic sanctions on South Africa in the 1980s, arguing that sanctions would harm the black population who were already suffering under apartheid policies.
- 2017 Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal repeal
See also
In Spanish: Jeff Flake para niños
