A Look at Representative Leonard Lance

Republican Leonard Lance has served in the House of Representatives for the 7^th Congressional District of New Jersey since November 2008.  He served four years and then was re-elected on November 6, 2012 for his third term.  Congressman Lance is now the third generation in his family to have served in the United States Congress.  Coming from a small town in Hunterdon County, NJ, where he attended North Hunterdon High School (which is my own alma mater), Lance possessed fervor from the beginning to eventually serve in our government body.  With his past experience and expertise, as well as a hard work ethic and some connections, he was able to get there. 

Lance attended Lehigh University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  He continued this success on to Vanderbilt University, where he received a law degree, and then on to the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs of Princeton University where he received a master’s degree.  Congressman Leonard Lance’s past work experience includes serving as the law clerk to the Warren County (NJ) Court in 1977 and 1978.  He was also an assistant counsel for county and municipal matters to Governor Thomas H. Kean in 1983-1990.  In addition, he has been a member of the New Jersey Council on the Humanities and a trustee of the Newark Museum, McCarter Theatre in Princeton and Centenary College in Hackettstown.

Leonard Lance prides himself on taking time for his family.  Congressman Lance married his wife, Heidi A. Rohrbach, who is a VP at JPMorgan Chase, in August 1996.  They have a son, named Peter Frank who is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. The Lances currently reside in Clinton Township, very close to his old high school.  

 Through some perseverance, and after not being discouraged by his first fail at an election into the New Jersey General Assembly (He was only ranked third with 17%), Lance lucked out with an appointment to a seat on the New Jersey General Assembly in 1991.  This resulted in his term of eleven years from 1991 until 2002.  Immediately after, he served another twelve terms on the New Jersey Senate for seven years.  He served as the Minority Leader within the New Jersey Senate for four years in total (2004-2008).

When Leonard decided to run as a U.S. House of Representative for the 7^th Congressional District of NJ, I found his platform particularly interesting for a more conservative candidate.  He also made a vow to be "an independent voice" in Congress if elected.  While touring is district, he ran on a platform of fiscal conservatism, moderate social values, and environmentalism.  Particularly the firm view he had on environmental issues intrigued me, and later when he was elected as a representative in the House he served (and currently serves) as a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.  This Committee is characteristic of  a broad legislative jurisdiction including national energy and environmental policy, health and health facilities, interstate and foreign commerce, consumer affairs and consumer protection, and travel/tourism.

It seems as though Representative Leonard Lance has both a firm view, but respected view as well in Congress.  It is clear to me that both his experience and personal drive are what give credit to his accomplishments within the House and in the past with the New Jersey Senate.  His website states, “As a member of the State Legislature Lance led the fight against borrowing without voter approval. In 2004 he successfully sued Governor James McGreevey on the issue before the State Supreme Court and in 2008 New Jersey voters approved the “Lance Amendment” to the State Constitution, which requires all future borrowing to be approved by the voters. Lance also authored the successful effort to require funding for open space preservation and he was the prime sponsor of the measure that established funds for the New Jersey Cultural Trust” (Leonard Lance Biography Home 2013).  

Representative Lance also currently serves on the Committee of Energy and Commerce, where he participates in subcommittee meetings as well.  These include: the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, of which he is the Vice Chairman.  In addition to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and the Subcommittee on Health.  Within these committees he has played a role as   

a protector and growing jobs in New Jersey’s energy, life sciences and telecommunication sectors.