Mike Conaway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Conaway
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Collin Peterson |
| Succeeded by | Glenn Thompson |
| Chair of the House Agriculture Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Lucas |
| Succeeded by | Collin Peterson |
| Chair of the House Ethics Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Jo Bonner |
| Succeeded by | Charlie Dent |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 11th district |
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| In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | August Pfluger |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kenneth Michael Conaway
June 11, 1948 Borger, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Suzanne Kidwell (1991–present) |
| Education | Texas A&M University–Commerce (BBA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1970–1972 |
| Rank |  Specialist 5 |
| Awards | Army Commendation Medal |
Mike Conaway (born June 11, 1948) is an American politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for the 11th district of Texas from 2005 to 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The district Mike Conaway represented is in West Texas. It includes cities like Midland, Odessa, and San Angelo. During his time in Congress, he led an important investigation into foreign interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. He also chaired the House Ethics Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. Mike Conaway decided not to run for re-election in 2019 and was succeeded by August Pfluger.
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Early Life and Education
Mike Conaway was born in Borger, Texas. He grew up in Odessa and graduated from Permian High School in 1966. He was a talented football player and helped his team win a state championship in 1965.
After high school, he attended Ranger College on a football scholarship. He then went to Texas A&M University-Commerce. There, he continued to play football and was part of two championship teams. He studied Accounting and earned his degree in 1970.
Career Before Congress
Military Service
Mike Conaway served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1972.
Working in Business
After his military service, Mike Conaway became an accountant. He earned a special certification to become a Certified Public Accountant in 1974. He also worked as a chief financial officer for a bank. From 1981 to 1986, he was the chief financial officer for Arbusto Energy Inc. This company explored for oil and gas and was run by George W. Bush.
Texas State Government
When George W. Bush became the governor of Texas, he appointed Mike Conaway to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. This board helps regulate accountants in Texas. Mike Conaway volunteered on the board for seven years, serving as its chairman for five of those years.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Mike Conaway was a U.S. Representative for Texas's 11th district. He served from 2005 until 2021.
Important Committees
During his time in Congress, Mike Conaway was part of several important committees:
- Committee on Agriculture: This committee deals with farming, food, and rural development. He was its chairman and later its ranking member (the top member of the minority party).
- Committee on Armed Services: This committee works on issues related to the military and national defense.
- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: This committee oversees U.S. intelligence agencies. Mike Conaway led an investigation for this committee in 2017.
Key Actions and Votes
Mike Conaway supported Donald Trump for president in the 2016 election. He also worked to extend and improve a tax credit for technology that captures carbon from the air.
In 2007, Mike Conaway helped uncover a fraud issue within the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). He found that money was missing and that audits had not been done for years.
In 2018, Mike Conaway presented findings from the House Intelligence Committee. He stated that the committee found no evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign in the 2016 election. He later clarified that the committee's job was not to answer the "collusion idea" directly, but that they simply "found no evidence of it."
In 2020, Mike Conaway was one of many Republican House members who supported a lawsuit about the 2020 presidential election results. The Supreme Court did not hear the case.
Political Campaigns
Mike Conaway first ran for Congress in 2003 but lost by a small number of votes. Later, the Texas districts were redrawn, creating a new 11th district. This district was very supportive of the Republican Party. Mike Conaway won the election for this new district in 2004 with a large percentage of the vote.
He was re-elected six times. He often faced little opposition, winning with high percentages of the vote. In 2019, he announced he would not seek re-election.
Personal Life
Mike Conaway served on the Midland Independent School District Board from 1985 to 1988. He is married to Suzanne Kidwell Conaway. They have two sons, two daughters, and seven grandchildren.
Images for kids
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Specialist 5 rank insignia
