John Ratcliffe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ratcliffe
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Official portrait, 2025
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| 9th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |
| Assumed office January 23, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Michael Ellis |
| Preceded by | Bill Burns |
| 6th Director of National Intelligence | |
| In office May 26, 2020 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Neil Wiley |
| Preceded by | Dan Coats |
| Succeeded by | Avril Haines |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 4th district |
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| In office January 3, 2015 – May 22, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Ralph Hall |
| Succeeded by | Pat Fallon |
| Mayor of Heath | |
| In office June 14, 2004 – May 14, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Chris Cuny |
| Succeeded by | Lorne Liechty |
| United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas | |
| Acting May 21, 2007 – April 29, 2008 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Matthew D. Orwig |
| Succeeded by | Rebecca Gregory |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Lee Ratcliffe
October 20, 1965 Mount Prospect, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Michele Addington |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BA) Southern Methodist University (JD) |
John Lee Ratcliffe (born October 20, 1965) is an American politician and lawyer. He is currently the ninth Director of the CIA. The CIA is a government agency that collects information about other countries to protect the United States.
Before this, he was the sixth Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021. This role involves overseeing all the different intelligence agencies in the U.S. He also served in the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2020, representing Texas.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Ratcliffe was born in Mount Prospect, Illinois, in 1965. He was the youngest of six children. Both of his parents were teachers.
He went to Carbondale Community High School in Illinois. After high school, he studied at the University of Notre Dame. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and international studies in 1987. Later, he earned a law degree (Juris Doctor) from Southern Methodist University in 1989.
Career Highlights
After finishing law school, Ratcliffe worked as a lawyer in private companies. In 2004, he joined the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Mayor of Heath, Texas
John Ratcliffe was elected mayor of Heath, Texas, a city with about 7,000 people. He served as mayor for four terms, from June 2004 to May 2012. As mayor, he helped lead the city government.
U.S. Attorney's Office
In 2004, President George W. Bush appointed Ratcliffe to a role in the United States Department of Justice. He worked as the chief of anti-terrorism and national security for the Eastern District of Texas.
In May 2007, he became the interim (temporary) U.S. attorney for the district. He returned to private law practice in April 2008.
Working with John Ashcroft
In 2009, Ratcliffe became a partner in a law firm called Ashcroft, Sutton, Ratcliffe. He worked with John Ashcroft, who used to be the U.S. Attorney General.
In 2012, Ratcliffe was part of a team for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. This team helped prepare for a possible new presidential administration.
U.S. House of Representatives (2015-2020)
Becoming a Congressman
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In late 2013, John Ratcliffe decided to run for Congress. He challenged the long-serving congressman Ralph Hall in Texas's 4th district. Ralph Hall was the oldest member of Congress at 91 years old.
In the primary election, Ratcliffe finished second. This meant there had to be a runoff election. In the runoff, Ratcliffe won with 53 percent of the votes. This was a big win, as it was rare for a sitting Republican congressman in Texas to lose a primary election.
In the main election in November 2014, Ratcliffe ran without an opponent and won. This district is known for being very Republican.
Re-elections
Ratcliffe was re-elected easily in 2016. He won with 68 percent of the votes in the Republican primary. In the general election, he won with 88% of the vote against a third-party candidate.
In 2018, Ratcliffe won re-election for his third term. He received almost 76 percent of the votes.
Time in Congress
When John Ratcliffe started his term on January 3, 2015, he became only the fifth person to represent the 4th District since 1903. Most of his predecessors had held the seat for at least 25 years.
Ratcliffe was known as one of the most conservative members of Congress. He was part of groups like the Republican Study Committee.
Committee Work
During his time in Congress, Ratcliffe served on important committees. These included the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee.
He also chaired (led) a subcommittee on cybersecurity. This committee focused on protecting computer systems and important infrastructure from attacks.
Director of National Intelligence (2020–2021)
In July 2019, President Donald Trump announced he wanted to nominate Ratcliffe to be the Director of National Intelligence. This role oversees all U.S. intelligence agencies.
However, Ratcliffe withdrew his name from consideration at that time. Later, in February 2020, President Trump nominated him again for the same position.
Confirmation and Role
The Senate Intelligence Committee held hearings and then voted to approve his nomination. The full Senate confirmed Ratcliffe on May 21, 2020, by a vote of 49 to 44.
He resigned from the House of Representatives on May 22 and was sworn in as Director of National Intelligence on May 26. During his time in this role, he warned about threats from countries like China.
After Administration (2021–2025)
After leaving the Trump administration, Ratcliffe became a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. This is a research organization that develops policy ideas.
He also worked as Co-Chair for the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute. In 2024, he was a special guest speaker for fundraising events for the Trump-Vance campaign.
Director of the CIA (2025–Present)
Nomination and Confirmation
In November 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Ratcliffe to be the next Director of the CIA. The CIA is a key agency for gathering intelligence and protecting national security.
Ratcliffe appeared before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on January 15, 2025. He promised to keep the CIA politically neutral. The Senate confirmed his nomination on January 23, 2025, by a vote of 74 to 25.
Current Role
Ratcliffe was sworn in by Vice President JD Vance on January 23, 2025. One of his first actions was to revise the CIA's assessment of the origin of COVID-19.
Political Views
John Ratcliffe is known for his conservative political views. In 2016, the Heritage Foundation ranked him as one of the most conservative lawmakers in the country.
China
Ratcliffe has often stated that China is a major threat to the United States and global interests. In December 2020, he said China wants to be the most powerful country in the world. He called China "the greatest threat to America today" since World War II.
Immigration
Ratcliffe supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order that limited immigration from certain countries. He said he supported actions to make sure people entering the U.S. were properly checked.
Cybersecurity Efforts
Ratcliffe was a leader in Congress on cybersecurity issues. He chaired a subcommittee that focused on protecting important computer systems.
He worked to improve cooperation between private companies and the government to prevent cyberattacks. He also helped pass laws related to cybersecurity. For example, he helped pass the "United States-Israel Advanced Research Partnership Act of 2016" and the "Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017."
Personal Life
John Ratcliffe is married to Michele, and they have two daughters. They live in Heath, Texas. He is also a Catholic.
Images for kids
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Ratcliffe with President Donald Trump in 2017
