James Barcia

James Allan Barcia (born February 25, 1952) is an American Democratic politician from Michigan. He has served successively in the Michigan House of Representatives, the Michigan Senate, the United States House of Representatives and then again the Michigan Senate, from which he was term-limited in January 2011.[2][3] He has served as County Executive of Bay County, Michigan, since January, 2017.

James Barcia
Bay County Executive
Assumed office
January 1, 2017
Preceded byThomas L. Hickner
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 31st district
In office
January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2010
Preceded byKen Sikkema
Succeeded byMike Green
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 5th district
In office
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003
Preceded byJ. Bob Traxler[1]
Succeeded byDale Kildee
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 34th district
In office
January 1, 1983 – December 31, 1992
Preceded byJerome T. Hart
Succeeded byJoel Gougeon
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 101st district
In office
January 1, 1977 – December 31, 1982
Preceded byColleen Engler
Succeeded byThomas L. Hickner
Personal details
Born
James Allan Barcia

(1952-02-25) February 25, 1952
Bay City, Michigan
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseHattie
Alma materSaginaw Valley State University (BA)
ProfessionPublic administration

Early life and education

Barcia was born in Bay City, Michigan, and graduated from Bay City Central High School. He received a B.A. from Saginaw Valley State University in 1974. He was staff assistant to United States Senator Philip A. Hart of Michigan in 1971. Barcia also was a community service coordinator for the Michigan Blood Center, between 1974 and 1975, and he was an administrative assistant to Michigan state representative Donald J. Albosta, from 1975 to 1976.

Career

Barcia was a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives, from 1977 to 1983. He left the House after being elected to the Michigan Senate, where he served until he resigned in 1993 to enter the United States House of Representatives.

Barcia's Congressional District from 1993 to 2002

Barcia was elected as a Democrat from Michigan's 5th congressional district to the 103rd Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1993, to January 3, 2003. Like many Michigan Democrats outside of Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Flint, Barcia was quite moderate. He was opposed to abortion and gun control, and had a lifetime rating of 54 from the American Conservative Union—the highest of any Democrat from Michigan at the time.

After the United States 2000 Census, Barcia's district was dismantled by the Republican-controlled state legislature. Most of his district's territory was shifted to the 10th District, but his home in Bay City was merged with the neighboring 9th District of fellow Democrat Dale Kildee. The new district retained Barcia's district number (the 5th), but was geographically more Kildee's district. Under the circumstances, Barcia opted to run for his old seat in the State Senate and won.

On October 10, 2002, Jim Barcia was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

With Kildee announcing his retirement July 2011, Barcia considered running for his congressional seat in 2012.[4]

In 2016, Barcia won a heated election to the position of Bay County Executive, after winning the Democratic primary against long-time incumbent Thomas L. Hickner in August. During the campaign, Barcia was accused of hiding campaign funds[5] and using a misleading TV ad.[6][7]

References
  1. Due to redistricting, most of what had been the 8th district, where J. Bob Traxler served in Congress from, became the 5th district. Barcia was elected to succeed Traxler for the 103rd Congress in this re-drawn 5th congressional district.
  2. Michigan Legislative Service Bureau (2006). Michigan Manual 2005-2006. Lansing, MI: Legislative Council, State of Michigan. p. 129. ISBN 1-878210-06-8. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  3. Michigan Senate Democrats (2007). "Michigan Senate Democrats: About Jim Barcia". Archived from the original on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  4. Andrew Dodson adodson@mlive. com (19 July 2011). "Former State Sen. Jim Barcia 'strongly considering' running for Rep. Dale Kildee's House seat". MLive.com. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  5. Andrew Dodson adodson@mlive. com (27 July 2016). "Bay County executive incumbent accuses opponent of hiding campaign funds". MLive.com. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  6. Andrew Dodson adodson@mlive. com (31 July 2016). "Bay County campaign ad catches U.S. senators by surprise". MLive.com. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  7. "County Executive". www.baycounty-mi.gov. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
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