Introduction
Marian Elaine "Mimi" Walters (née Krogius; born May 14, 1962) is an American politician who is the U.S. Representative for California's 45th congressional district. A Republican, she was a member of the California State Senate for the 37th District (2012–15) and the 33rd Senate District (2008-2012), and served in the California State Assembly (2004-2008). On November 4, 2014, Walters was elected to the United States House of Representatives from California’s 45th congressional district, formerly held by John Campbell.
Early years and education
Marian Elaine Krogius was born in 1962 in Pasadena, California. Krogius earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1984. Before her election to the California State Assembly, Walters was a stockbroker.
Political career and PACs
Walters was Councilwoman and Mayor of Laguna Niguel during 1996–2004, and helped defeat efforts to convert Marine Corps Air Station El Toro to a commercial airport. She was elected in 2004 to represent the 73rd Assembly District, which includes coastal Orange and San Diego county communities of Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Oceanside, Dana Point, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, and Aliso Viejo.
Walters was able to raise over $2 million in the 2016 campaign, the majority of which came from PACs. Business interests, such as the Health Industry, Agribusiness and Transportation, provided the majority of PAC contributions.Prior to winning in 2014, she set up the Blessings of Liberty Leadership PAC.
2010 California State Treasurer election
In January 2010, Walters announced that she would run for California State Treasurer against Democratic incumbent Bill Lockyer. She became the Republican nominee for State Treasurer the following June.
Investigation by the Fair Political Practices Commission
A Fair Political Practices Commission inquiry was disclosed in a written notice to Walters' attorney by Gary Winuk, chief of enforcement for the state Fair Political Practices Commission. He wrote that his office "will be pursuing an investigation regarding whether or not Sen. Walters violated the Political Reform Act's conflict-of-interest prohibitions." The FPPC inquiry ultimately found there was no wrongdoing on the part of Senator Walters or her staff.
2012 California State Senate race
On September 20, 2012, Democratic candidate Steven R. Young filed a petition of extraordinary writ seeking declaratory relief to the California Secretary of State to exclude opponent Walters from the 2012 election ballot for failing to establish a clear residency status in the district she was running in. Under state law, state legislators are required to live in the districts they represent.
Walters and her family have long been associated with Laguna Niguel, where she served on the City Council and was elected to two terms in the Assembly and one in the Senate. But after the new California Citizens Redistricting Commission re-drew the state's legislative districts. To run in the newly drawn 37th Senate District, Walters stated that she moved to Irvine. Young and two registered Republicans who have joined in the suit allege that Walters and her husband, David, have lived in a 14,000-square-foot mansion in Laguna Niguel since 1999. Then, this year, the suit says that Walters changed her voter registration to reflect that she's living in a 570-square-foot apartment in Irvine with no dishwasher or washer/dryer hook ups. A Sacramento County Superior Court judge denied Young's petition to have Walters' name removed from the ballot. According to the judge, "the court doesn't have jurisdiction to hear questions about the qualifications of members of the state Legislature."
U.S. House of Representatives
2014 election
On July 2, 2013, Walters formally announced her candidacy for Congress, replacing Congressman John Campbell, who announced he would not be seeking another term. She was endorsed by a number of Republican Congressmen from California, including Campbell, Kevin McCarthy, Darrell Issa, and Ed Royce.
Walters was placed in the National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) "Contender" category of their "Young Guns" program. In September 2014, the NRCC named Walters along with 13 other candidates to their "Vanguard" program. In the nonpartisan blanket primary, she came in first place in a field of three candidates with 45% of the vote. In the general election, she defeated Democratic candidate Drew Leavens with 65% of the vote.
For the 2018 election, one challenger for Orange County's 45th District is Katie Porter, a UC Irvine law professor.
Committee assignments
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Aviation
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
Relationship with Constituents
In 2017, following the inauguration of President Donald Trump, numerous grassroots organizations formed in the California 45th Congressional District to oppose his agenda. Rallies, a petition, and even Valentine's Day cards went unanswered by Walters' office.
On February 28, 2017 during an interview with ABC7's Elex Michaelson, Walters declined to answer when asked twice if she would hold a town hall with her constituents. The same day, a Republican City Councilman for Mission Viejo, California, Greg Raths, stated, “I do appreciate the fact that you (residents) would like to talk to her, as I would, Mimi Walters needs to get out to her district and talk to her people.”
Political positions
President Trump
In July 2016, FiveThirtyEight placed Walters among the congressional members most supportive of then-candidate Trump, having endorsed him "wholeheartedly".
When a recording surfaced of Trump having "an extremely lewd conversation about women" and describing actions that could be considered sexual assault, and with numerous Republicans rescinding their endorsements, Walters did not rescind her endorsement and declined media requests for comment.
In February 2017, she voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request 10 years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.
Abortion and Planned Parenthood
Walters is pro-life. In 2015, during her freshman term, she served on the Select Panel to Investigate Planned Parenthood.
Environment
Walters is a climate change skeptic and has opposed federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and recently sponsored a bill to gut the Environmental Protection Agency, which would limit or do away with protections for clean water and air.On February 15, 2017, some of her constituents in Irvine, California held a Climate Rally to call attention to her position. The League of Conservation Voters has given Walters a lifetime score of 3%.
Healthcare
Walters supports repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare) and supported the American Health Care Act, the GOP's replacement plan for Obamacare, which did not come to a vote. She said that passing the American Health Care Act "is a critical step" towards the goal of rescuing "this failing healthcare system".
On May 4, 2017, Walters voted voted in favor of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass the American Health Care Act. In early 2017, Walters woved to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but the version of the American Health Care Act that she voted in favor of allows insurance companies to charge individuals with pre-existing conditions (such as cancer, diabetes and pregnancy) more.
LGBT rights
She opposes same-sex marriage and other protections for the LGBT community. Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) named Walters as one of seven Republican representatives he claims voted in favor of provisions which would purportedly allow federal contractors to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. The identities of the seven vote-switchers were not publicly recorded and none of those named by Hoyer confirmed his claims.PBS reported that under shouts of 'shame', Walters voted against this protection.
Immigration
In 2015, Walters opposed then-candidate Trump's proposed ban on Muslims, but when Trump signed an executive order to suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and suspend the entry of foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, Walters, however, expressed support for the executive order.
Pensions
In an op-ed written by then State Senator Walters in October 2012, Walters questioned the wisdom of creating a state-run retirement pension plan for private-sector workers. The bill, SB 1234, established the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program for private-sector workers that requires employers that may not offer retirement plans to participate in the program.
Personal life
She and her husband, David, sold their Bear Brand Ranch house in Laguna Niguel for $6.3 million in 2015.