Charles R. Jonas
| Charles Raper Jonas, Sr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from North Carolina's 9th Congressional District From: January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973 | |||
| Predecessor | James "Jim" Broyhill | ||
| Successor | Jim Martin | ||
| Former U.S. Representative from North Carolina's 8th Congressional District From: January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1969 | |||
| Predecessor | Alvin P. Kitchin | ||
| Successor | Earl B. Ruth | ||
| Former U.S. Representative from North Carolina's 10th Congressional District From: January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1963 | |||
| Predecessor | Hamilton C. Jones | ||
| Successor | Basil Whitener | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Annie Elliott Lee | ||
| Religion | Methodist[1] | ||
Charles Raper Jonas, Sr. (December 9, 1904 – September 28, 1988) was a conservative Republican from North Carolina who was the first member of his party in twenty-two years to be elected from the state into the U.S. House of Representatives since the departure of his father Charles A. Jonas along with George M. Pritchard from Congress in 1931. Serving in the House for two decades, he was known as "Mr. Republican."[2]
U.S. House of Representatives
In 1952, Jonas was elected to the U.S. House amidst the Eisenhower landslide in the concurrent presidential race that year, defeating incumbent Democrat Hamilton C. "Ham" Jones by over 20,000 votes.[3][4] He easily won re-election in 1954 and 1956, though returned to the House by a much narrower margin in the 1958 midterms.[5]
Jonas was early on a member of the House Appropriations Committee, where he was known for his fiscal conservatism and efforts to achieve a balanced budget.[3] He frequently introduced legislation requiring a reduction of the national debt by one percent every year, though such bills were consistently defeated.
During the 1964 presidential election, Jonas supported the nomination of strongly conservative Barry Goldwater to head the GOP ticket against President Lyndon B. Johnson.[6] However, following a Goldwater address in North Carolina during the spring that year, the state GOP convention failed to pass a resolution committing its delegates to the Arizona senator due to being outmaneuvered. Jonas in turn introduced a resolution which "endorsed" Goldwater; it passed by a voice vote.[6]
Jonas' civil rights record was mixed; he voted against major civil rights legislation from 1957 to 1968, though supported the 24th Amendment which outlawed poll taxes in all federal-level elections.[7]
Legacy
Jonas has the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building named after him.[8]
References
- ↑ Joice to Jonelle. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ↑ Charles Raper Jonas. Prabook. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 October 1, 1988. CHARLES JONAS DIES. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ↑ NC - District 10 Race - Nov 04, 1952. Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ↑ Candidate - Charles Raper Jonas. Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 March 1, 1964. GOLDWATER LOSES DELEGATES’ TEST; North Carolina Rejects Vote Pledge but Backs Him. The New York Times. Archived version available here. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ↑ Fascinating Politics (September 29, 2021). The Republican Families of Old North Carolina. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ↑ Charles R. Jonas Federal Building, Charlotte, NC. U.S. General Services Administration.
