John Barrow (Georgia)

John Barrow

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Athens-Clarke City-County Commissioner

* * *

U.S. House Georgia District 12

* * *

Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Net worth

(2012) $3,758,502

Elections and appointments

Last election

December 4, 2018

Education

Bachelor's

University of Georgia

Law

Harvard University

Personal

Religion

Christian: Baptist

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

John Barrow was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and represented Georgia's 12th Congressional District. He was first elected in 2004 and served five terms. He assumed office on January 3, 2005, and left office on January 3, 2015.

Barrow declared his candidacy for Justice Robert Benham's seat on the Georgia Supreme Court. The seat was expected to be on the ballot on May 19, 2020. Benham retired on March 1, 2020. His retirement allowed Gov. Kemp to appoint a successor. That successor did not need to run for election until 2022.[1]

Barrow was a 2018 Democratic candidate for secretary of state. He lost the general runoff election on December 4, 2018, after advancing from the general election on November 6, 2018.

Barrow ran for re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He was defeated by challenger Rick Allen (R) in the general election on November 4, 2014.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Elections
* 2.1 2020
* 2.2 2018
* 2.3 2014
* 2.4 2012
* 2.5 Full history
* 3 Campaign themes
* 3.1 2020
* 3.2 2018
* 3.2.1 Campaign website
* 3.2.2 Campaign ads
* 4 Career
* 5 Committee assignments
* 5.1 U.S. House
* 5.1.1 2013-2014
* 5.1.2 2011-2012
* 6 Key votes
* 6.1 113th Congress
* 6.2 National security
* 6.2.1 DHS Appropriations
* 6.2.2 Keystone Pipeline Amendment
* 6.2.3 CISPA (2013)
* 6.2.4 NDAA
* 6.3 Economy
* 6.3.1 Farm bill
* 6.3.2 2014 Budget
* 6.3.3 Government shutdown
* 6.3.4 Pay during government shutdown
* 6.3.5 2013 Farm Bill
* 6.4 Immigration
* 6.4.1 Morton Memos Prohibition
* 6.4.1.1 King Amendment
* 6.5 Healthcare
* 6.5.1 Healthcare Reform Rules
* 6.5.2 Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act
* 6.6 Social issues
* 6.6.1 Amash amendment
* 6.7 Previous congressional sessions
* 6.7.1 Fiscal Cliff
* 6.7.1.1 Frequency of Voting with Democratic Leadership
* 6.7.1.2 Washington Post Analysis
* 6.7.1.3 Specific Votes
* 7 Issues
* 7.1 National security
* 7.1.1 American response in Syria
* 8 Campaign donors
* 8.1 Comprehensive donor history
* 8.2 2014
* 8.2.1 Defense contractors
* 8.3 2012
* 8.3.1 Cost per vote
* 8.4 2010
* 9 Personal Gain Index
* 9.1 PGI: Change in net worth
* 9.2 PGI: Donation Concentration Metric
* 10 Analysis
* 10.1 Ideology and leadership
* 10.2 Like-minded colleagues
* 10.3 Lifetime voting record
* 10.4 Congressional staff salaries
* 10.4.1 Staff bonuses
* 10.5 National Journal vote ratings
* 10.5.1 2013
* 10.5.2 2012
* 10.5.3 2011
* 10.6 Voting with party
* 10.6.1 2014
* 10.6.2 2013
* 11 Personal
* 12 See also
* 13 External links
* 14 Footnotes

## Biography[edit]

Barrow was born in Athens, GA. He earned a degree in political science and history from the University of Georgia in 1976. Later, at 20 years old, he became one of the youngest members of his class at Harvard Law School, from which he earned his J.D. in 1979.[3]

## Elections[edit]

### 2020[edit]

See also: Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2020

Barrow declared his candidacy for Justice Robert Benham's seat on the Georgia Supreme Court. The seat was expected to be on the ballot on May 19, 2020. Benham retired on March 1, 2020. His retirement allowed Gov. Kemp to appoint a successor. That successor did not need to run for election until 2022.[1]

### 2018[edit]

See also: Georgia Secretary of State election, 2018
See also: Georgia Secretary of State election, 2018 (May 22 Democratic primary)

General runoff election

##### General runoff election for Georgia Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger defeated John Barrow in the general runoff election for Georgia Secretary of State on December 4, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Brad Raffensperger (R)  |

51.9

| 764,855

| John Barrow (D)  |

48.1

| 709,049

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,473,904
(100.00% precincts reporting)

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

##### General election for Georgia Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger and John Barrow advanced to a runoff. They defeated Smythe DuVal in the general election for Georgia Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Brad Raffensperger (R)  |

49.1

| 1,906,588
✔ |

| John Barrow (D)  |

48.7

| 1,890,310

| Smythe DuVal (L)  |

2.2

| 86,696

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 3,883,594
(100.00% precincts reporting)

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

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Republican primary runoff election

#####  Republican primary runoff for Georgia Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger defeated David Belle Isle in the Republican primary runoff for Georgia Secretary of State on July 24, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Brad Raffensperger |

61.8

| 329,708

| David Belle Isle |

38.2

| 204,194

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

| Total votes: 533,902

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Georgia Secretary of State

John Barrow defeated Dee Dawkins-Haigler and R.J. Hadley in the Democratic primary for Georgia Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| John Barrow |

51.5

| 264,864

| Dee Dawkins-Haigler |

29.5

| 151,963

| R.J. Hadley |

19.0

| 97,682

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

| Total votes: 514,509

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Georgia Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger and David Belle Isle advanced to a runoff. They defeated Joshua McKoon and Buzz Brockway in the Republican primary for Georgia Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Brad Raffensperger |

35.0

| 185,386
✔ |

| David Belle Isle |

28.5

| 151,328

| Joshua McKoon |

21.1

| 112,113

| Buzz Brockway |

15.4

| 81,492

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

| Total votes: 530,319

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Ken Brown (R)

### 2014[edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2014

Barrow ran for re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on May 20, 2014.[4] He was defeated by challenger Rick Allen (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, Georgia District 12 General Election, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  John Barrow Incumbent | 45.25% | 75,377
| Republican  | Rick Allen | 54.75% | 91,336
Total Votes | 166,713
Source: Georgia Secretary of State

The National Republican Congressional Committee listed Barrow's seat as one of seven early targets in the 2014 congressional elections.[5] The seven targets matched the seven most Republican districts held by Democrats, according to FairVote's partisanship index. Barrow's district ranked as the 4th most Republican (41% D).[6]

Barrow was considered a potential Democratic candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2014, but ultimately decided against entering the race.[7]

Barrow was a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program. The program was designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents during the 2014 election cycle.[8]

### 2012[edit]

See also: Georgia's 12th Congressional District elections, 2012

Barrow ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Georgia's 12th District. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. He defeated Lee Anderson (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[9] Barrow was considered one the vulnerable incumbents.[10]

U.S. House, Georgia District 12 General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | John Barrow Incumbent | 53.7% | 139,148
| Republican  |  Lee Anderson  | 46.3% | 119,973
Total Votes | 259,121
Source: Georgia Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

### Full history[edit]

To view the full congressional electoral history for John Barrow, click [show] to expand the section.

|

2010

On November 2, 2010, John Barrow won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Raymond McKinney (R) in the general election.[11]

| U.S. House, Georgia District 12 General Election, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | John Barrow incumbent | 56.6% | 92,459
| Republican  |  Raymond McKinney  | 43.4% | 70,938
Total Votes | 163,397

2008

On November 4, 2008, John Barrow won re-election to the United States House. He defeated John Stone (R) in the general election.[12]

U.S. House, Georgia District 12 General Election, 2008

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | John Barrow incumbent | 66% | 164,562
| Republican  |  John Stone  | 34% | 84,773
Total Votes | 249,335

2006

On November 7, 2006, John Barrow won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Max Burns (R) in the general election.[13]

U.S. House, Georgia District 12 General Election, 2006

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | John Barrow incumbent | 50.3% | 71,651
| Republican  |  Max Burns  | 49.7% | 70,787
Total Votes | 142,438

2004

On November 2, 2004, John Barrow won election to the United States House. He defeated Max Burns (R) in the general election.[14]

U.S. House, Georgia District 12 General Election, 2004

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | John Barrow | 51.8% | 113,036
| Republican  |  Max Burns incumbent | 48.2% | 105,132
Total Votes | 218,168

## Campaign themes[edit]

### 2020[edit]

#### Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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### 2018[edit]

#### Campaign website[edit]

The following is a press release about Barrow's announcement of his candidacy for secretary of state.

“  |

John Barrow announced today that he is running to be Georgia Secretary of State.

“I’m a seventh generation Georgian whose family helped build this state by farming, teaching, preaching, and practicing law all across Georgia, and I cannot stand on the sidelines when we face such huge challenges. People are working harder and harder and still finding it hard to make ends meet. We need more good paying jobs, better schools, and access to quality health care for all Georgians. We need to encourage companies to move to Georgia instead of watching Georgia jobs go overseas. And above all we need to protect the right to vote in Georgia.”

“Today, we have too many people in Atlanta who act like they do in Washington — who put partisan politics ahead of what’s in the best interest of Georgia. As a county commissioner and a member of Congress, I’ve always put Georgia first, and that’s what I’ll do as our Secretary of State.’

“In addition to protecting the right to vote, the Secretary of State should be making it easier to do business and create jobs in Georgia, protecting retirement accounts from abuses on Wall Street, and preventing professional fraud. None of this has anything to do with partisan politics, and I won’t allow it if I’m elected.”

John Barrow is a former Athens-Clarke County commissioner and a former U.S. congressman representing eastern and southeastern Georgia. A Democrat, John is known for his bipartisan record bringing jobs to Georgia, holding down taxes, and supporting access to quality health care for all Georgians.

The responsibilities of the Georgia Secretary of State include the administration of secure, accessible, and fair elections; registration of corporations; regulation of charities and securities; and oversight of professional license holders. The election for the 28th Georgia Secretary of State will be held November 6, 2018.[15]

| ”

|
|

—John Barrow's 2018 campaign website[16]

#### Campaign ads[edit]

The following is an example of an ad from Barrow's 2018 election campaign.

"Long before" - Barrow campaign ad, released May 7, 2018

## Career[edit]

* 2005-2015: U.S. House, Georgia District 12
* 1990-2004: Athens-Clarke City-County Commissioner[3]

## Committee assignments[edit]

### U.S. House[edit]

#### 2013-2014[edit]

Barrow served on the following committees:[17][18]

* Energy and Commerce Committee
* Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
* Subcommittee on Energy and Power
* Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
* Subcommittee on Health

#### 2011-2012[edit]

Barrow served on the following committees:[19]

* Energy and Commerce Committee
* Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy
* Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
* Veterans' Affairs Committee[19]
* Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
* Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

## Key votes[edit]

### 113th Congress[edit]

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[20] For more information pertaining to Barrow's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[21]

### National security[edit]

#### DHS Appropriations[edit]

Barrow voted in favor of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.[22]

#### Keystone Pipeline Amendment[edit]

Barrow voted against House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.[22]

#### CISPA (2013)[edit]

Barrow voted in favor of HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities.[23] The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.[22]

#### NDAA[edit]

Barrow voted in support of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.[22]

### Economy[edit]

#### Farm bill[edit]

On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[24] The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.[25][26] However, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[26] Barrow voted with 88 other Democratic representatives in favor of the bill.

#### 2014 Budget[edit]

On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[27][28] The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill.[28] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[29] It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the protection of the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Barrow joined with the majority of the Democratic party and voted in favor of the bill.[27][28]

#### Government shutdown[edit]

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201.[30] At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference.[31] Barrow voted to approve the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.[32]

The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[33] The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Barrow voted for HR 2775.[34]

#### Pay during government shutdown[edit]

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

Barrow declined to accept his salary while the government was shutdown.[35]

#### 2013 Farm Bill[edit]

See also: United States Farm Bill 2013

The comprehensive farm bill failed in the House due largely in part to the votes of 8 Democratic House members who joined the Republican majority to vote down the measure.[36] Reps. Peterson, Barrow, Sanford Bishop, Cheri Bustos, Sean Maloney, Mike McIntyre, Bill Owens, and Tim Walz were the 8 Democratic members who voted to reject the bill.[36] According to analysis by OpenSecrets.org, many of these Democratic members have received significant political contributions from agricultural organizations that benefit from crop insurance subsidies.[36]

### Immigration[edit]

#### Morton Memos Prohibition[edit]

Barrow voted in favor of House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224-201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines.[22]

##### King Amendment[edit]

In June 2013, the House approved an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security spending bill that would end the department's discretion policies by cutting off funding for the proposed DREAM Act, which would have temporarily halted the deportations of young immigrants if they had served in the military or were attending college. This vote overturned an executive order signed by President Obama that formalized a process for the "Dreamers" to remain in the U.S.[37][28][38]

The amendment, offered by Rep. Steve King (R) of Iowa, passed the House by a vote of 224-201 and was approved mostly along party lines. However, three Democrats supported the amendment and six Republicans opposed it, while nine members did not vote.[38]Barrow was one of the three Democratic members who voted in favor of the amendment.[28]

The amendment would effectively demand the government force out "Dreamers" who came to the U.S. as children.[38] It contrasted with comprehensive immigration reform efforts, including proposed DREAM Act style legislation, and would resume the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children.[39] The amendment was the first immigration-related vote in either chamber of Congress in 2013, and it blocked many of the provisions that were mirrored in the Senate’s Gang of Eight bill.[40][38]

### Healthcare[edit]

#### Healthcare Reform Rules[edit]

Barrow voted in favor of House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines.[22]

#### Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act[edit]

Barrow voted in favor of HR 2009 - Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act of 2013. The bill passed through the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 232-185. The bill would prevent the IRS and Treasury Secretary from enforcing the powers provided to them in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The vote largely followed party lines.[22]

### Social issues[edit]

#### Amash amendment[edit]

Barrow voted against House Amendment 413 - Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the Patriot Act. The amendment failed on July 4, 2013, by a vote of 205-217. The amendment would have prohibited the collection of records by the National Security Agency under the Patriot Act. Both parties were split on the vote.[22]

### Previous congressional sessions[edit]

#### Fiscal Cliff[edit]

Barrow voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 16 Democrats who voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.[41]

##### Frequency of Voting with Democratic Leadership[edit]

According to a July 2010 analysis of 1,357 votes cast from January 1, 2009 to June 16, 2010, Barrow has voted with the House Democratic leadership 93.5% of the time.[42] That same analysis reported that he also voted with party leadership 95.5% of the time in 2010.

##### Washington Post Analysis[edit]

A separate analysis from The Washington Post, concludes that Barrow was a reliable Democratic vote, voting 94.0% of the time with the majority of other Democrats in the House of Representatives.[43]

##### Specific Votes[edit]

Barrow supported the auto bailout.[44] As of September 13, 2010: 56 percent of Americans disapproved of the auto bailout, while 43 percent supported it.[45]

In addition, Barrow voted for the stimulus bill.[46] A total of 57 percent of U.S. voters believed that the stimulus had hurt the economy (36 percent) or had no impact (21 percent). Only 38 percent believed the stimulus helped the economy.[47]

Barrow also voted in favor of the "Cash for Clunkers" bill.[48] According to a June 2009 Rasmussen Reports poll, 54 percent of likely U.S. voters opposed Cash for Clunkers, while 35 percent supported it.[49]

## Issues[edit]

### National security[edit]

#### American response in Syria[edit]

See also: United States involvement in Syria

Barrow said on September 3, 2013, "Any proposal should outline what we hope to achieve, and how we expect to achieve it, but we should not authorize anything that could draw us into another land war. It's important for Congress to debate the issue and vote on it, and the sooner the better. In fact, Congress should immediately return to Washington to get this debate underway."[50]

## Campaign donors[edit]

### Comprehensive donor history[edit]

* * *

The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

* * *

John Barrow (Georgia) campaign contribution history

Year | Office | Result | Contributions
2012 | U.S. House (Georgia, District 12) |  | $2,876,917
2010 | U.S. House (Georgia, District 12) |  | $1,951,721
2008 | U.S. House (Georgia, District 12) |  | $2,299,743
2006 | U.S. House (Georgia, District 12) |  | $2,489,080
2004 | U.S. House (Georgia, District 12) |  | $1,852,567
Grand total raised | $11,470,028
Source: [[51] Follow the Money]

### 2014[edit]

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Barrow's reports.[52]

John Barrow (2014) Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
April Quarterly[53]| April 15, 2013| $66,947.58| $436,133.63| $(63,549.96)| $439,531.25
July Quarterly[54]| July 15, 2013| $439,531.25| $483,576.84| $(93,643.48)| $829,464.61
October Quarterly[55]| October 13, 2013| $829,464.61| $274,443.23| $(77,879.31)| $1,026,028.53
Year-end[56]| January 31, 2014| $1,026,028| $301,665| $(96,317)| $1,231,376
April Quarterly[57]| April 15, 2014| $1,231,376| $292,722| $(81,851)| $1,442,247
July Quarterly| July 15, 2014| $1,514,163.00| $465,814.00| $(108,587.00)| $1,871,413.00
| | | Running totals|
| | | $2,254,354.7| $(521,827.75)|

#### Defense contractors[edit]

According to a July 2013 Politico report, Barrow made the top 10 list of Hill members receiving defense industry contributions. As of July 2013, Barrow had received more than $39,000 from top defense firms.[58]

### 2012[edit]

Barrow won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Barrow's campaign committee raised a total of $2,876,917 and spent $2,880,362.[59] This is more than the average $1.5 million spent by House winners in 2012.[60]

#### Cost per vote[edit]

Barrow spent $20.70 per vote received in 2012.

U.S. House, Georgia District 12, 2012 - John Barrow (Georgia) Campaign Contributions

Total Raised | $2,876,917
Total Spent | $2,880,362
Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $1,173,442
Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $1,173,442
Top contributors to John Barrow (Georgia)'s campaign committee
Southern Co| $23,479
Blue Cross/Blue Shield| $20,500
Coca-Cola Co| $18,000
Cox Enterprises| $17,750
Microsoft Corp| $17,500
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms| $413,035
Health Professionals| $175,800
Leadership PACs| $133,500
Oil & Gas| $106,400
Insurance| $95,750

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.

|

Breakdown of the source of Barrow's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

### 2010[edit]

Barrow won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. During that re-election cycle, Barrow's campaign committee raised a total of $1,951,721 and spent $1,905,568 .[61]

U.S. House, Georgia District 12, 2010 - John Barrow (Georgia) Campaign Contributions

Total Raised | $1,951,721
Total Spent | $1,905,568
Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $250,534
Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $246,792
Top contributors to John Barrow (Georgia)'s campaign committee
Southern Co| $16,600
Reznick Group| $15,920
McKesson Corp| $15,000
General Dynamics| $13,250
Cox Enterprises| $12,550
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms| $301,283
Health Professionals| $135,200
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products| $78,127
Oil & Gas| $68,800
Electric Utilities| $68,100

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.

|

Breakdown of the source of Barrows' campaign funds before the 2010 election.

## Personal Gain Index[edit]

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

* Changes in Net Worth
* The Donation Concentration Metric

### PGI: Change in net worth[edit]

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Barrow's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $1,501,004 and $6,016,000. That averages to $3,758,502, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Barrow ranked as the 95th most wealthy representative in 2012.[62] Between 2004 and 2012, Barrow's calculated net worth[63] decreased by an average of 5 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[64]

John Barrow Yearly Net Worth

Year| Average Net Worth
2004| $6,170,135
2012| $3,758,502
Growth from 2004 to 2012:| -39%
Average annual growth:| -5%[65]
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[66]

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

### PGI: Donation Concentration Metric[edit]

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Barrow received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Lawyers/Law Firms industry.

From 2003-2014, 33.69 percent of Barrow's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[67]

John Barrow (Georgia) Campaign Contributions

Total Raised | $13,838,859
Total Spent | $11,934,451
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms| $2,444,783
Health Professionals| $697,575
Leadership PACs| $658,068
Candidate Committees| $432,300
Real Estate| $428,905
% total in top industry| 17.67%
% total in top two industries| 22.71%
% total in top five industries| 33.69%

## Analysis[edit]

### Ideology and leadership[edit]

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Barrow was a "centrist Democrat," as of July 29, 2014. This was the same rating Barrow received in June 2013.[68]

### Like-minded colleagues[edit]

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.[69]

Barrow most often voted with:

* Lou Barletta
* Henry Cuellar

Barrow least often voted with:

* Justin Amash
* Jan Schakowsky

|

### Lifetime voting record[edit]

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Barrow missed 86 of 7,448 roll call votes from January 2005 to July 2014. This amounts to 1.2 percent, which is better than the median of 2.5 percent among current congressional representatives as of July 2014.[70]

### Congressional staff salaries[edit]

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Barrow paid his congressional staff a total of $919,591 in 2011. He ranked 33rd on the list of the lowest paid Democratic representative staff salaries and ranked 164th overall of the lowest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Georgia ranked 24th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[71]

#### Staff bonuses[edit]

According to an analysis by CNN, Barrow was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. Barrow's staff was given an apparent $29,094.44 in bonus money.[72]

### National Journal vote ratings[edit]

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

#### 2013[edit]

Barrow ranked 201st in the liberal rankings in 2013.[73]

#### 2012[edit]

Barrow ranked 187th in the liberal rankings in 2012.[74]

#### 2011[edit]

Barrow ranked 183rd in the liberal rankings in 2011.[75]

### Voting with party[edit]

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

#### 2014[edit]

Barrow voted with the Democratic Party 67.1 percent of the time, which ranked 197th among the 204 House Democratic members as of July 2014.[76]

#### 2013[edit]

John Barrow voted with the Democratic Party 80.1 percent of the time, which ranked 197th among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.[77]

## Personal[edit]

Barrow is the father of two children, James and Ruth, and lives in Savannah.[3]

## See also[edit]

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## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* Georgia Secretary of State

* Social media:
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Biographies:
* U.S. Congress
* Political profiles:
* GovTrack
* CongressMerge
* Project Vote Smart
* Financial (federal level):
* FEC contributions
* OpenSecrets.org
* LegiStorm.com
* Interest group ratings:
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* Issue positions:
* On The Issues
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* Public statements:
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* Voting record:
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* Media appearances:
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* Media coverage:
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* Official Youtube channel

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Justice Benham to retire in March, upending GA Supreme Court race," December 5, 2019
2. ↑ Politico, "House Elections Results," accessed November 11, 2014
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Congressman John Barrow Representing Georgia's 12th Congressional District, "John Barrow," accessed October 27, 2011
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `prim`
5. ↑ The Hill, "NRCC, promising to 'stay on offense,' targets seven Dems," accessed January 16, 2013
6. ↑ FairVote, "NRCC Targets Foreshadow Power of Partisanship in 2014 Elections," accessed January 18, 2013
7. ↑ Public Policy Polling, "Georgia Miscellany," accessed December 7, 2012
8. ↑ Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "DCCC Chairman Steve Israel Announces 2013-2014 Frontline Members," accessed March 5, 2013
9. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Results," accessed 2012
10. ↑ New York Times, "House Race Ratings," accessed October 3, 2012
11. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
12. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
13. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
14. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
15. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
16. ↑ John Barrow's 2018 campaign website, "Press Release: John Barrow Running for Georgia Secretary of State," September 25, 2017
17. ↑ CQ.com, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed March 3, 2013
18. ↑ U.S. House of Representatives, "Committee Assignments," accessed March 29, 2014
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Congressman John Barrow Representing Georgia's 12th Congressional District, "John's Committees and Subcommittees Assignments," accessed October 27, 2011
20. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013
21. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 Project Vote Smart, "John Barrow Key Votes," accessed September 30, 2013
23. ↑ The Library of Congress, "Bill Summary & Status - 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) - H.R.624," accessed August 27, 2013
24. ↑ Clerk of U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 31: H.R. 2642," accessed February 12, 2014
25. ↑ Politico, "House clears farm bill," accessed February 12, 2014
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 NY Times, "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers," accessed February 12, 2014
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 CNN.com, "House passes compromise $1.1 trillion budget for 2014," accessed January 20, 2014
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 21," accessed January 20, 2014 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name "vote" defined multiple times with different content
29. ↑ Roll Call, "Omnibus Sails Through the Senate," January 16, 2014
30. ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
31. ↑ Buzzfeed, "Government Shutdown: How We Got Here," accessed October 1, 2013
32. ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
33. ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
34. ↑ U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 550," accessed October 31, 2013
35. ↑ Washington Post, "Which lawmakers will refuse their pay during the shutdown?" accessed October 2, 2013
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Open Secrets, "Agribusiness and the Farm Bill: Wayward Dems Benefit from Contributions," accessed July 19, 2013
37. ↑ LA Times, "GOP rejects Dream Act-like deportation deferrals," accessed June 10, 2013
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 Huffington Post, "Steve King Amendment passes House to deport more dreamers," accessed June 10, 2013
39. ↑ Fox News, "House votes to resume deporting young DREAM Act immigrants," accessed June 10, 2013
40. ↑ Huffington Post, "Steve King's Amendment to the Immigration Bill worsens the GOP's Latino problem," accessed June 10, 2013
41. ↑ U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013
42. ↑ A Line of Sight, "2010 House Dem Voting Report," accessed 2010 (timed out)
43. ↑ Washington Post, "U.S. Congress Votes Database, 111th Congress," accessed 2011
44. ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 690," accessed December 10, 2008
45. ↑ Gallup, "Among Recent Bills, Financial Reform a Lone Plus for Congress," accessed September 13, 2010
46. ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 46," accessed January 28, 2009
47. ↑ Rasmussen, "38% Say Stimulus Plan Helped Economy, 36% Say It Hurt," accessed August 24, 2010
48. ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 314," accessed June 9, 2009
49. ↑ Rasmussen, "54% Oppose “Cash for Clunkers” Plan To Spur Purchase of Greener Cars," accessed June 23, 2009
50. ↑ 11 Alive.com, "Georgia lawmakers explain their positions on Syria," accessed September 5, 2013
51. ↑ Open Secrets, "John Barrow," accessed April 5, 2013
52. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "John Barrow 2014 Summary reports," accessed July 23, 2013
53. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly" accessed July 23, 2013
54. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly" accessed July 23, 2013
55. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2013
56. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Year End Report," accessed February 11, 2014
57. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed April 21, 2014
58. ↑ Politico, "Top 10 Hill recipients of defense contributions," accessed July 11, 2013
59. ↑ Open Secrets, "John Barrow 2012 Election Cycle," accessed February 20, 2013
60. ↑ Open Secrets, "Election 2012: The Big Picture Shows Record Cost of Winning a Seat in Congress," accessed June 19, 2013
61. ↑ Open Secrets, "John Barrow 2010 Election Cycle," accessed October 27, 2011
62. ↑ OpenSecrets, "John Barrow (D-GA), 2012," accessed February 18, 2014
63. ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).
64. ↑ This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.
65. ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.
66. ↑ This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.
67. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. John Barrow," accessed September 23, 2014
68. ↑ GovTrack, "Barrow," accessed July 29, 2014
69. ↑ OpenCongress, "Rep. John Barrow," archived February 28, 2016
70. ↑ GovTrack, "John Barrow," accessed July 29, 2014
71. ↑ LegiStorm, "John Barrow," accessed 2012
72. ↑ CNN Politics, "Congressional bonuses in a time of cuts," accessed March 8, 2013
73. ↑ National Journal, "2013 Congressional Vote Ratings," accessed July 29, 2014
74. ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," accessed February 27, 2013
75. ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," accessed February 23, 2012
76. ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
77. ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014

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