Irene Baker
| Edith Irene Bailey Baker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District From: March 10, 1964 – January 3, 1965 | |||
| Predecessor | Howard Baker, Sr. | ||
| Successor | John J. Duncan, Sr. | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Howard Baker, Sr. (died 1964) | ||
Edith Irene Bailey Baker (November 17, 1901 – April 2, 1994), usually referred to as Irene Baker, was a Republican from Tennessee who briefly represented the state's second congressional district in the United States House of Representatives during the 1960s. She succeeded her late husband Howard Baker, Sr., who died in office.
She was the stepmother of Tennessee senator Howard Henry Baker, Jr.[1]
U.S. House of Representatives
After Howard H. Baker, Sr., the incumbent U.S. representative for Tennessee's 2nd district, died at the age of sixty-one in early January 1964 from a heart attack,[2] she ran for the seat with the backing of the state GOP. Baker campaigned on her late husband's record, stating:[2]
| “ | I am for full employment at Oak Ridge, in the coal mining regions, in more industry for the district, for a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility and for a reduction in taxes based on a reduction in federal expenditures. | ” |
Baker also supported school prayer.[2] After potential Republican opponents in the primary chose not to run, she faced Democrat Willard Yarbrough (no relation to the Texas senator), the Knoxville News-Sentinel assistant city editor,[3][4] in the general election.[5] Baker easily won the general election in the traditional Republican stronghold, defeating Yarbrough by twelve points.[2][6]
In the House, Baker advocated for fiscal conservatism and opposed the spending programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson.[2] She sought to help coal miners in her district and supported the Tennessee Valley Authority, a New Deal agency established under Franklin D. Roosevelt. An advocate of increasing cost-of-living for recipients of Social Security, which she thought was compromised by the risks of inflation, Baker stated on the House floor:
| “ | I feel that we owe it to Social Security beneficiaries to increase their benefits. [The economy] is not their fault. | ” |
Baker voted against the final House passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[7] Little is known about her stances on civil rights; she retired that year from the House rather than run for a full term,[2] and thus didn't vote on other civil rights legislation. Baker was succeeded by former Knoxville mayor John Duncan, Sr.
See also
- Louise Goff Reece, who also succeeded her late husband in the House for the neighboring 1st congressional district
References
- ↑ Nancy Kassebaum and Howard Baker. The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 BAKER, Irene Bailey. US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ↑ EDITOR IS SEEKING TENNESSEE SEAT; In Contest With the Widow of Representative Baker. The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ↑ Congresswoman Irene Baker. The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ↑ TENNESSEE AREA TO VOTE TUESDAY; Rep. Baker's Widow Running for House in 2d District. The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ↑ TN District 2 - Special Election Race - Mar 10, 1964. Our Campaigns. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ↑ H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION (H. RES. 789) PROVIDING FOR HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
