Current:Home > ScamsFormer GOP Rep. George Nethercutt, who defeated House Speaker Tom Foley in 1994, dies at 79 -AssetScope
Former GOP Rep. George Nethercutt, who defeated House Speaker Tom Foley in 1994, dies at 79
View
Date:2025-04-18 02:25:45
SEATTLE (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt, who was a Spokane lawyer with limited political experience when he ousted Democratic Speaker of the House Tom Foley as part of a stunning GOP wave that shifted national politics to the right in 1994, has died. He was 79.
Nethercutt died Friday near Denver of progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare, neurodegenerative brain disease, his son said in an email Monday.
“He lived a life based in faith, family, community, and service, never sacrificing his principles as a statesman,” Elliott Nethercutt wrote.
The 1994 midterm elections, which came halfway through President Bill Clinton’s first term, were a resounding victory for Republicans, who won control of both houses of Congress for the first time since the early 1950s.
Nethercutt was the chairman of the Spokane County Republican Party and had served in the 1970s as chief of staff to Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens but had not run for office before challenging Foley.
Foley had represented the district for 30 years — the last five as speaker of the House. Nethercutt’s campaign ads focused on Foley’s opposition to term limits and pointed out that Foley had been in office since “Bonanza” was the top show on television.
Foley was the first speaker to lose a reelection bid since 1860.
Nethercutt joined other 1994 GOP candidates in signing the Contract With America, a list of conservative priorities promoted by Rep. Newt Gingrich and others. Among those priorities was adopting term limits; Nethercutt said he’d serve no more than three terms but broke that promise and served five before he gave up the seat to make an unsuccessful run against Democratic Sen. Patty Murray in 2004.
“George Nethercutt was a giant amongst men who served the people of Eastern Washington with honor and patriotism for a decade,” Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who now holds Nethercutt’s former seat, said in a Facebook post. “George was a man of character who led with kindness and conviction, and he was a person I proudly looked up to long before the day I was sworn in to represent the Fifth District we shared such a love for.”
Among his priorities in office were finding new international markets for farm products from eastern Washington, securing federal money for Fairchild Air Force Base, and supporting research grants to Washington State University.
Like many other Republicans elected in the 1994 wave, he had a conservative voting record and supported impeaching Clinton for lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
He became a lobbyist following his tenure in Congress and worked with his George Nethercutt Foundation, which advanced civics education through scholarships, competitions and educational trips to Washington.
Nethercutt attended memorial services for Foley when he died in 2013, and two years ago, he joined the advisory board of Washington State University’s Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service.
He also established a fund at the university to create the George Nethercutt Endowed Lecture Series on Civic Engagement.
“Since 2008, my foundation has promoted civic education among students, so they are prepared to engage with our democratic system — a system that depends on the participation of informed citizens, open dialogue, and compromise to function properly,” Nethercutt said at the time.
Nethercutt was born in Spokane in 1944 and graduated from Washington State University before graduating from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1971. As a law school student, he briefly clerked for Foley’s father, Ralph Foley, who was a Spokane County Superior Court judge.
Nethercutt is survived by his wife, Mary Beth Nethercutt, whom he married in 1977; two children, Meredith Nethercutt Krisher and Elliott Nethercutt; sister Nancy Nethercutt Gustafson; brother John Irving Nethercutt; and granddaughter Holly Beth Krisher.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Long before gay marriage was popular, Kamala Harris was at the forefront of the equal rights battle
- Costly drop mars Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers' otherwise sterling day
- 'The Life of Chuck' wins Toronto Film Festival audience award. Is Oscar next?
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Apple Intelligence a big draw for iPhone 16 line. But is it enough?
- Four Downs and a Bracket: Billy Napier era at Florida nears end with boosters ready to pay buyout
- Laverne Cox, 'Baby Reindeer' star Nava Mau tear up over making trans history at Emmys
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Why Sofía Vergara Was Surprised by Her History-Making Emmy Nomination for Griselda
Ranking
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- How many points did Caitlin Clark score? Rookie has career high in win over Dallas Wings
- 'Miss our families': Astronauts left behind by Starliner share updates from the ISS
- What We Do in the Shadows Gifts for All…but Not You, Guillermo
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Quinn Ewers injury update: Texas football QB enters locker room, Arch Manning steps in
- Quentin Johnston personifies Jim Harbaugh effect for 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers
- Mike Lindell's company MyPillow sued by DHL over $800,000 in allegedly unpaid bills
Recommendation
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
Caitlin Clark returns to action: How to watch Fever vs. Wings on Sunday
CMA Awards snub Beyoncé, proving Black women are still unwelcome in country music
Florida State is paying Memphis $1.3 million for Saturday's loss
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Small Bay Area earthquake shakes San Jose Friday afternoon
Apple Intelligence a big draw for iPhone 16 line. But is it enough?
4 wounded at Brooklyn train station when officers shoot man wielding knife