David Agema (born February 11, 1949) is a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Presently the chairman of the Top Gun Republican political action committee, he is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and of the Republican National Committee. Agema, formerly a commercial pilot for American Airlines, is an Air Force Reserve veteran. He currently resides in Grandville, Michigan.
David Agema | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 74th district | |
| In office January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | William Van Regenmorter |
| Succeeded by | Robert VerHeulen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 11, 1949 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Barb Agema |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Calvin College Central Michigan University |
| Occupation | Politician |
Early life and education edit
Agema was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on February 11, 1949, in an American family of Dutch origin. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Calvin College in 1971 and an M.B.A. from Central Michigan University in 1975.[1] He served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force but never served overseas.[1] In 1978, he joined the Air National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.[1] Agema then worked for American Airlines and later as a business consultant.[1]
Political involvement edit
Agema is an anti-abortion Republican, who is actively vocal in his opposition to same-sex marriage and civil unions.[2]
Agema served three terms (the constitutional limit) in the Michigan House of Representatives, from 2007 to 2013, representing parts of the Grand Rapids area. The American Conservative Union gave him a 100% rating. He was elected at the 2012 Michigan Republican State Convention to the Republican National Committee, defeating incumbent Saul Anuzis. In 2016 he was replaced by Robert Steele.
Political controversies edit
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In 2013, he faced calls to resign from the Republican National Committee by only 11 members of Chairman Priebus's executive committee after he posted extracts from an article allegedly written by a doctor entitled "Everyone Should Know These Statistics On Homosexuals" which said that homosexuals lived a "filthy lifestyle", were responsible for 50 percent of U.S. murders in certain cities and that many are pedophiles. Agema was rebuked by RNC chairman Reince Priebus, who drew a distinction between Republican policies on gay rights and the language used in Agema's post, adding "all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect."[3] The Republican platform opposes gay marriage.
Later that year, Agema was condemned by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder after saying that homosexuals were in favor of healthcare reform because "some are dying between 30 and 44 years old."[4] Agema posted several statistics on his web page from newer biased sources confirming earlier death.
In addition to his comments about homosexuals, Agema quoted an article written by another in response to Obama's statement that Muslims have a rich fabric in the history of the United States, "Have you ever seen a Muslim do anything that contributes positively to the American way of life?". This was in reference to the lack of historical record of Obama's statement. Muslim Republicans took offense to this and cited contribution from their families and friends. Additionally, his bill to ban foreign law and Sharia Law (ALAC) (passed by several other states) was seen as an attempt to engender paranoia against Muslims.[5] Agema's comments on Muslims, "styled as an open missive to President Obama", led to the resignation in 2015 of a Maine private-academy lacrosse coach who had re-posted them on Facebook.[6]
On December 31, 2014, Agema reposted an article printed by former Congressman and retired Army lieutenant colonel Allen West in his news letter. West stated he had personally observed some of this and that it would seem racists but needed to be addressed. The article was written pseudonymously and ran in the white nationalist magazine American Renaissance, and included sentences by a public defender concerning certain felons with multiple convictions he had to defend stating certain "[B]lacks are different by almost any measure to all other people. They cannot reason as well (referring to these felons). They cannot communicate as well. They cannot control their impulses as well. They are a threat to all who cross their paths, black and non-black alike."[7] Chairman Reince Priebus subsequently called on him to resign his RNC position.[8] He did not resign.
Electoral history edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Agema | 1,467 | 69.07 | |
| Republican | Saul Anuzis | 639 | 30.08 | |
| Republican | Gerald LaRouche | 18 | 0.85 | |
| Total votes | 2,124 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Agema | 28,846 | 78.97 | |
| Democratic | Leon Chase | 6,908 | 18.91 | |
| Libertarian | R. J. Stevens | 773 | 2.12 | |
| Total votes | 36,527 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Agema | 36,207 | 70.25 | |
| Democratic | Leon Chase | 13,421 | 26.04 | |
| Libertarian | Tracy McLaughlin | 1,911 | 3.71 | |
| Total votes | 51,539 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Agema | 30,495 | 70.13 | |
| Democratic | Steven Kauffman | 12,109 | 27.85 | |
| Libertarian | Tracy McLaughlin | 880 | 2.02 | |
| Total votes | 43,484 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Agema | 4,333 | 36.92 | |
| Republican | Rich VanderKlok | 1,906 | 16.24 | |
| Republican | Jose Gomez | 1,819 | 15.50 | |
| Republican | Janis DeVree | 1,567 | 13.35 | |
| Republican | Joe Sierawski | 550 | 4.69 | |
| Republican | Brian VanLente | 412 | 3.51 | |
| Republican | Joanne Brownlee | 387 | 3.30 | |
| Republican | Cornelius VanderKam | 365 | 3.11 | |
| Republican | Dawn Sloboda | 249 | 2.12 | |
| Republican | Kyle Braddell | 147 | 1.25 | |
| Total votes | 11,735 | 100.00 | ||
Personal life edit
He has been married for more than forty five years to his wife Barb. They have three children and ten grandchildren.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Dave Agema". Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ "House approves penalty for colleges that offer partner benefits | Michigan Messenger". Archived from the original on May 9, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
- ^ Republican Don Young forced to apologise for 'wetbacks' comment, The Guardian, March 31, 2013, retrieved March 31, 2013
- ^ Alman, Ashley (December 9, 2013). "Homophobic RNC Committee Member Accuses Gay Colleagues Of Manipulating Health Benefits". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Oosting, Jonathan (January 14, 2014). "Michigan Republican Dave Agema under fire again for questioning contributions of American Muslims". MLive Media Group. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
- ^ Byrne, Matt, "Fryeburg Academy coach resigns after anti-Islamic Facebook posting", Portland Press Herald, April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ Woodruff, Betsey (January 16, 2015). "Why Can't the RNC Rid Itself of a Racist?". Slate.com. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- ^ Hohman, James (January 24, 2015). "Reince Priebus wants Dave Agema to quit over Facebook posts, yet he supported Lt. Col West's article- a double standard". Politico.com. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- ^ "Showdown In Motown". Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- ^ "2010 Official Michigan General Election Results – 74th District State Representative 2 Year Term (1) Position". nictusa.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ "2008 Official Michigan General Election Results – 74th District State Representative 2 Year Term (1) Position". nictusa.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ "2006 Official Michigan General Election Results – 74th District State Representative 2 Year Term (1) Position". nictusa.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ "2006 Official Michigan Primary Election Results – 74th District State Representative 2 Year Term (1) Position". nictusa.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2015.