Stutzman is a fourth-generation farmer who grew up on a farm located in both St. Joseph County,Michigan and LaGrange County,Indiana. He graduated from Lake Area Christian High School located in Sturgis,Michigan in 1994. He attended Glen Oaks Community College (in 1999) and Tri-State University,currently known as Trine University (from 2005 to 2007). He did not graduate from either school.[citation needed] As co-owner with his father,Albert,he runs Stutzman Farms,farming 4,000 acres (16km2) in the Michiana area. He is also owner of Stutzman Farms Trucking.[3]
First elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2002 at the age of 26,Stutzman served as the youngest member of the legislature until 2006. In 2009,he was elected to the Indiana Senate representing the 13th district. He ran for the Republican nomination for the 2010 U.S. Senate election in a bid to replace retiring incumbent Evan Bayh,but was defeated in the Republican primary by former U.S. Senator Dan Coats.[4]
Stutzman was elected in a November 2,2010 special election to fill the rest of resigning Representative Mark Souder's term. He was simultaneously elected to a full two-year term to expire in 2013.
Stutzman consistently received 90% ratings or above from the Chamber of Commerce and other small business associations for his support of pro-business legislation. In 2008 he won the Small Business Champion Award[12] from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He was cited as a Taxpayer Friendly State Legislators by Indiana WatchDog[13] an independent,volunteer organization.
He served as the ranking member of the Indiana State Senate Utilities and Technology Committee and helped to pass alternative energy incentive legislation in Indiana.
In 2006 he served as the chairman of the Indiana Public Policy Committee taking strong stands for conservative values on controversial issues.[citation needed]
Government waste
Stutzman advocates for more accountability in state government operations. He co-authored a bill to establish the Hoosier Grace Commission which passed in 2003. The commission helped eliminate wasteful state government spending and has brought fraud and/or scandals to public awareness.[14]
Affordable Care Act
In Congress,Stutzman has opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In September 2013,he advocated attaching a measure defunding the Act to must-pass legislation funding the federal government.[15]
After the government subsequently shut down,Stutzman remarked that the issue at stake was no longer merely the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,and Republicans would need some concession in order to reopen the government.[16]
Taxes
In 2010,Stutzman signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.[17]
Incumbent U.S. Representative Mark Souder (R) resigned after admitting to an affair. This event occurred after he won the Republican primary on May 4. On June 12, Republicans from Indiana's third district met in Columbia City to choose Souder's replacement. Stutzman won decisively on the second ballot.[18] He defeated the Democratic candidate in both the general election and the special election to fill the remainder of Souder's term (both held on the same day).
2012 U.S. House campaign
Stutzman defeated his Democratic opponent Kevin Boyd by a 67%–33% margin.[19]
2014 U.S. House campaign
Stutzman defeated his Democratic opponent Justin Kuhnle by 66% - 27% margin. Libertarian candidate Scott Wise received 7%.[20]
On May 9, 2015, Stutzman announced he would run in 2016 for the U.S. Senate seat he had failed to be nominated for in 2010. He was endorsed by the Club for Growth[21] and Senator Rand Paul.[22] Stutzman was defeated by fellow Republican Todd Young in the primary election.[21]
Stutzman and his wife, Christy, have two sons, Payton and Preston. On May 8, 2018, Christy Stutzman won the Republican primary to represent Indiana's 49th State House district.[27][28] On November 6, 2018, Christy was elected to the State House.[29] Stutzman is a Baptist.[30]
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