John Peter Spyros Sarbanes (born May 22, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has represented the third district of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives since 2007. The district includes the state capital of Annapolis, central portions of the city of Baltimore, and parts of Howard and Baltimore counties.

Early life, career, and family

John Sarbanes is the eldest son of former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes and Christine Dunbar Sarbanes, a teacher. He was born in Baltimore and graduated from the Gilman School there in 1980. He received a B.A. cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1984 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1988.

After college, Sarbanes clerked with Baltimore Judge J. Frederick Motz on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Sarbanes spent his professional legal career at the law firm of Venable LLP in Baltimore from 1989 to 2006, where was chair of health care practice from 2000 to 2006 and a member of the hiring committee from 1992 to 1996.

Sarbanes lives in Towson, Maryland with his three children and wife Dina, who he met at Harvard and wed in 1988.

Congressional career

Sarbanes sought the Democratic nomination for Maryland's third congressional district after then-incumbent representative Ben Cardin chose not to seek re-election in order to run for the United States Senate seat of John Sarbanes' father, Paul Sarbanes. The primary campaign included State Senator Paula Hollinger, former Baltimore City Health Commissioner Peter Beilenson, and former Maryland Democratic Party Treasurer Oz Bengur. Sarbanes won the nomination on September 12, 2006 with 31.9% of the vote.



His Republican opponent in the general election was Annapolis marketing executive John White. However, the 3rd is overwhelmingly Democratic, and has not been represented by a Republican since 1927. Few observers expected Sarbanes to have difficulty. On November 7, 2006, Sarbanes won the general election with 64% of the vote, while White received 34% of the vote and Libertarian Charles Curtis McPeek received 2%.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Health
• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
  • Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands

Election history

Year
Office
Election
Subject
Party
Votes
%
Opponent
Party
Votes
%
Opponent
Party
Votes
%
2006
Congress, 3rd district
General
John Sarbanes
Democratic
150,142
64.03
John White
Republican
79,174
33.76
Charles Curtis McPeek
Libertarian
4,941
2.11 References External links Congressman John Sarbanes official U.S. House website John Sarbanes for Congress official campaign website John Sarbanes Official Youtube Channel Official Youtube Channel Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia