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Vic Snyder

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Vic Snyder
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arkansas's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byRay Thornton
Succeeded byTim Griffin
Member of the Arkansas Senate
In office
January 14, 1991 – January 3, 1997
Preceded byDoug Brandon
Succeeded byPhil Wyrick
Constituency23rd district (1991–1993)
16th district (1993–1997)
Personal details
Born
Victor Frederick Snyder

(1947-09-27) September 27, 1947 (age 77)
Medford, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBetsy Singleton Snyder
Children4
Residence
EducationWillamette University (BA)
Oregon Health & Science University (MD)
University of Arkansas, Little Rock (JD)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/service United States Marine Corps
Years of service1967–1969
RankCorporal
Unit1st Marine Division
Battles/warsVietnam War

Victor Frederick Snyder (born September 27, 1947) is an American physician, lawyer, and politician who was the U.S. representative for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War at the rank of corporal.

Early life, education and career

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Vic Snyder was born in Medford, Oregon. He is a graduate of Medford High School (1965) and attended college at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma. In 1967, after two years of college, Snyder volunteered for the United States Marine Corps. He served in South Vietnam with Headquarters Company of the US 1st Marine Division during the Vietnam War. He served for two years and attained the rank of corporal. Snyder earned a degree in Chemistry in 1975 from Willamette and earned his M.D. degree from the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center (now Oregon Health & Science University) in Portland, Oregon in 1979.

Snyder moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and served his residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. In 1982 after completing his residency he worked as a family practice physician for 15 years. During this time he travelled overseas to volunteer his medical services at Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand, Salvadoran refugee camps in Honduras, and Ethiopian refugee camps in Sudan, as well as a Catholic mission hospital in Sierra Leone. From 1985 to 1988 Snyder attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law to obtain his J.D. degree while still maintaining his medical practice.

Arkansas Legislature

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In 1990, Snyder successfully ran for a seat in the Arkansas legislature and served in that body until 1996. In the Arkansas legislature, Snyder stepped into one of his earliest legislative controversies when he attempted to repeal the state's aged "Sodomy Laws". Ultimately, however, his efforts failed, and the sodomy laws stayed in effect until the state Supreme Court struck it down in Jegley v. Picado in March 2001. He also challenged the power of the Arkansas Highway Commission.[1]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Committee assignments

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Snyder focuses on many traditionally liberal issues, including a particular interest in support for veteran's and military families. He has a fairly liberal voting record for being an elected politician from the South and otherwise conservative-leaning Arkansas. Snyder voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, restrictions on abortion, banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributors, bankruptcy reform, drilling in ANWR, and on October 10, 2002, he was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq; despite this, he regularly voted to fund the needs of soldiers stationed in Iraq. In addition, Snyder was one of only two Congressmen to vote against prosecuting Saddam Hussein.

On issues of free and expanded trade, Snyder differs with his party, especially his Southern populist colleagues. He has also opposed legislation cracking down on Wal-Mart, which is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Political campaigns

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Comedian Stephen Colbert with Snyder, whose district became "Better Known" on February 15, 2007

Snyder was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and was reelected in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008.

Snyder announced on January 15, 2010 that he would retire at the conclusion of his term which ended in 2010. A SurveyUSA poll released January 15, 2010 showed him trailing his Republican challenger, Tim Griffin, by 17 points, although this was early in the polling cycle.[2]

During the 2008 presidential campaign, like most Arkansas Democrats, Snyder endorsed former U.S. Senator and former First Lady of Arkansas Hillary Clinton (D-New York) for President.

Electoral history

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Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District House Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vic Snyder 114,841 52.35%
Republican Bud Cummins 104,548 47.65%
Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District House Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vic Snyder 100,334 57.97% +5.62%
Republican Phil Wyrick 72,737 42.03% −5.62%
Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District House Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vic Snyder 126,957 57.54% −0.43%
Republican Bob Thomas 93,692 42.46% +0.43%
Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District House Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vic Snyder 142,752 92.92% +35.38%
Independent Ed Garner 10,874 7.08% +7.08%
Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District House Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vic Snyder 157,419 58.00% −34.92%
Republican Marvin Parks 113,968 42.00% +42.00%
Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District House Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vic Snyder 124,705 60.54% +2.54%
Republican Andy Mayberry 81,288 39.46% −2.54%
Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District House Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vic Snyder 212,303 76.54% +16.00%
Green Deb McFarland 64,398 23.22% +23.22%
Independent Danial Suits 665 0.24% +0.24%

Personal life

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Snyder, in 2003 married The Reverend Betsy Singleton, then a United Methodist minister at Little Rock's Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church. They have four children, all boys, named Penn, Aubrey, Wyatt, and Sullivan. The latter three are triplets.[citation needed]

Snyder’s congressional papers are housed at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Center for Arkansas History and Culture.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Teske, Steven. "Victor F. Snyder". CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Kraushaar, Josh (January 15, 2010). "Vic Snyder retiring - The Scorecard". Politico.Com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  3. ^ "Victor F. Snyder Congressional Papers". University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
1997-2011 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
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