John Ashcroft

Election to the U.S. Senate

In 1994 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri, where he became a leading opponent of the Clinton Administration's Clipper encryption restrictions.

Related Topics:
1994 - U.S. Senate - Clinton Administration - Clipper

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He briefly considered running for president, but on January 5, 1999, Ashcroft announced that he would not seek the presidency and would instead defend his Senate seat in his 2000 reelection. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/01/05/president.2000/ashcroft/

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Ashcroft ran for reelection in 2000 against then-Governor Mel Carnahan, who died in an airplane crash about two weeks before the election. Due to Missouri state election laws, Carnahan's name could not be removed from the ballot, and his wife, Jean Carnahan, announced that she would serve in her husband's place should he be elected. Carnahan won the election with her late husband's name still on the ballot. Following his defeat, Ashcroft was nominated as U.S. Attorney General by president-elect George W. Bush in December 2000. Despite some contention from Democrats, Ashcroft was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 58-42.

Related Topics:
2000 - Mel Carnahan - Jean Carnahan - U.S. Attorney General - President-elect - George W. Bush - December - Senate

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Ashcroft worships in the Assembly of God church. Whenever he was sworn in to any political office, he had himself annointed (using cooking oil when no holy oil was available).

Related Topics:
Assembly of God - Annointed - Cooking oil

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