John Carter (Texas)
John Rice Carter ( born November 6, 1941 in Houston, Texas ) is an American politician and former judge. He is a member of the Republican Party and in 2003 representatives of the 31 Congressional District of Texas in the House of Representatives of the United States. He is the reigning Republican Conference Secretary.
Biography
John Carter made 1964 an undergraduate degree in history at Texas Tech University. At the University of Texas at Austin, he studied law and graduated it in 1969 with the degree of Juris Doctor.
After studying Carter worked as legal counsel for the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives from Texas. Then he ran a private law firm in Round Rock. In 1981, Carter was appointed as a judge for the 277th Judicial District in Williamson County. A year later he was elected to this position, which he was the first Republican to be elected to a position countyweite in Williamson County.
Carter resigned from the judgeship in 2001 to run for the newly created 31st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. After he was second in the primaries, he defeated Peter Wareing in the ballot - which was tantamount to election in this Republican stronghold.
Originally represented Carter a district that stretched from the outskirts of Austin's up to the suburbs of Houston and College Station with Texas A & M University with included. By changing the district boundaries in 2003, Carter now represents a district that stretches from the suburbs to the north to Austin to Stephenville. In District 31, now lies Fort Hood, site of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
Carter is best known as the author of a law that makes it easier to detect identity theft and the harsh penalties for offenders provides. The law was signed by President George W. Bush in 2004.
Carter is a member of the Committee on Investments, where he is active in the subcommittees for homeland security and military agencies. On 17 November 2006 he was elected by his party colleagues for Republican Conference Secretary.
He is married to Erika Carter. With her he has the adult children Gilianne, Johnny, Teddy and Danielle. Carter is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.