Ralph Abraham (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ralph Abraham
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| Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2024 |
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| Governor | Jeff Landry |
| Preceded by | Courtney Phillips |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 5th district |
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| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Vance McAllister |
| Succeeded by | Julia Letlow |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ralph Lee Abraham Jr.
September 16, 1954 Alto, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Dianne Abraham
(m. 1977) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Louisiana State University (BA, DVM) Louisiana State University, New Orleans (MD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | Mississippi Army National Guard United States Coast Guard Auxiliary |
| Rank |  First lieutenant |
Ralph Lee Abraham Jr. (born September 16, 1954) is an American veterinarian, doctor, and politician. He represented Louisiana's 5th district in the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party. Abraham was born and lives in Alto, Louisiana.
In 2019, Abraham ran for governor of Louisiana. He did not get enough votes to move on to the final round of the election. In 2020, he decided not to run for Congress again.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ralph Abraham Jr. is the son of Marlene Posey, a retired teacher, and Ralph Abraham Sr. His grandparents came to the U.S. from Lebanon.
Abraham studied at Louisiana State University. He became a veterinarian in 1980 and worked with animals for ten years. Later, he went back to school at Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He earned a medical degree in 1994 and became a family doctor.
He has also served in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Mississippi National Guard. Ralph Abraham and his wife, Dianne, have three children. He has also worked as a special doctor who checks pilots' health.
Serving in Congress
Ralph Abraham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented the people of Louisiana's 5th district.
Winning Elections
- 2014 Election
In 2014, Abraham ran against Jamie Mayo, a Democrat. Abraham won with 134,612 votes (64.2%). Mayo received 75,004 votes (35.8%). Abraham officially started his job on January 3, 2015.
- 2016 Election
Abraham ran for reelection in 2016. He won against Billy Burkette, another Republican. Burkette was a former police officer and chairman of a Native American group. Burkette's campaign focused on rules from the Environmental Protection Agency that he said made farming harder.
- 2018 Election
In 2018, Abraham won against three other candidates. He received 149,010 votes (67%). The other candidates were Jessee Carlton Fleenor (Democrat), Billy Burkette (Independent), and Kyle Randol (Libertarian).
Time in Office
After he was elected, Abraham chose Luke Letlow to be his chief of staff. A chief of staff helps manage the daily work of a politician's office.
In 2017, Abraham supported a law called the Civil Rights Uniformity Act of 2017. This law aimed to make civil rights rules more consistent.
He also supported President Donald Trump's choice of Terry Doughty to be a judge. This choice was also supported by Louisiana's U.S. Senators.
In December 2017, Abraham voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He believed this law would help businesses and create more jobs. He said it would be good for Louisiana and the whole country.
In 2020, Abraham decided not to run for Congress again. He supported Luke Letlow to take his place. Letlow won the election but sadly passed away from COVID-19 before he could start his term. Letlow's wife, Julia, later won a special election to fill the empty seat.
Helping on Committees
While in Congress, Abraham worked on several important committees. These committees study different topics and help create laws.
- Committee on Agriculture: This committee deals with farming and food.
- Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Committee on Science, Space and Technology: This committee focuses on science, space, and new technologies.
- Subcommittee on Space
- Subcommittee on Research and Technology
- Subcommittee on Oversight
- United States House Committee on Armed Services: This committee works on issues related to the military and national defense.
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
- Subcommittee on Military Personnel
Joining Caucuses
Abraham was also part of several "caucuses." These are groups of lawmakers who share common interests or goals.
- Congressional Western Caucus
- Coast Guard Caucus
- Historic Preservation Caucus
- GOP Doctor's Caucus
- Mississippi River Caucus
- Congressional National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus
- National Guard Youth Challenge Caucus
- Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus
- Veteran's Caucus
- Veterinary Medicine Caucus
- U.S.-Japan Caucus
Running for Governor
On December 6, 2018, Ralph Abraham announced he would run for governor of Louisiana in the 2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election. He finished third in the primary election. This meant he did not get enough votes to move on to the final runoff election.
What Ralph Abraham Believes In
Here are some of Ralph Abraham's views on important topics:
Agriculture and Farming
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In 2017, Abraham met with farmers from Louisiana. He told them that "Food security is national security." This means that making sure a country has enough safe food is very important for its safety. As the only Louisiana member on the House Agriculture Committee, he felt it was his job to teach other lawmakers about how important farming is. In 2018, he helped work on the Farm Bill, a big law that affects farming and food.
Health Care Views
Abraham believes that the Affordable Care Act (a health care law) should be canceled. He also does not support expanding Medicaid, which is a program that helps low-income people get health care.
Economic Ideas
Abraham supports making the tax system simpler for everyone. He also believes in equal pay for women, meaning women should earn the same as men for doing the same job.
Energy Policy
Abraham supports the Keystone Pipeline, which is a large oil pipeline project.
Immigration Views
Regarding illegal immigration, Abraham is against giving amnesty (forgiveness) to people who are in the country illegally. He supports making border security stronger. He also supported President Trump's order in 2017 to temporarily stop immigration from certain countries. This was done to review how people are checked before entering the U.S.
Abraham has also said he supports banning "sanctuary cities" in Louisiana. These are cities that limit their cooperation with national immigration enforcement.
