Character Application and Information Sheet
NS Nation Name: Jovuistan
Character Name: Marc Pender
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 59
Character Height: 6'1"
Character Weight: 197 lbs
Character Position/Role/Job: Governor of Texas (2003-present), Attorney General of Texas (1999-2003), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas' 8th Congressional District (1993-1999), Solicitor General of the United States (1985-1989)
Character Country/State of Birth: Texas
Character State of Residence: Texas
Character Party Affiliation: Republican
Faceclaim: Barnaby Joyce
Main Strengths: High name recognition as a Reagan official, (not-Clinton) impeachment Congressman, and Governor of a major state, loyal conservative base, savvy, humble upbringing, passionate
Main Weaknesses: Mixed record as Governor, history of alleged racism, lack of filter, stubborn, toxic to left-leaning voters
Biography: The Pender family had spent generations living a farm life near Beaumont, Texas. Marc Pender, for his part, was born on January 24th, 1948, and from a young age, he despised being stuck in a rural backwater. When he wasn't done farm jobs with the family, he spent his time reading books and newspapers. As America shifted into an era of great change in the sixties, Marc felt he deserved a role to play at the front of the American story. In particular, he viewed Democrats as weak agains the red menace and became a big fan of Goldwater's firebrand style of politics. Especially in light of what he saw as far-left trampling of the constitution, Marc became invested in becoming more politically and legally involved.
Marc, for all his good grades, was known to be a bit of a bully and fighter in school, being suspended at one point for getting into a brawl with a fellow student. Despite that, he was able to graduate and worked enough oddjobs to be able to be the first member of his family to attend college, staying close to home by enrolling in Lamar University in Beaumont. Studying political science, Marc put his school in a bit of controversy after he appeared among other residents in a local news segment reacting to the King Riots. He expressed his outrage at the behavior of the rioters, calling out "an army of blacks with nothing in their brains but shooting, looting, and burning." and claiming that the riots were an attack on America and her values. He was investigated for these comments, but the University President looked upon his views favorably and was able to push for only a light punishment.
With that out of the way, Marc graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts, and decided to fully pursue becoming a lawyer by enrolling in Texas Law at UT Austin. While there, he was a writer for the Texas Law Review and became a notable and hard-working student on the campus. He obtained his Juris Doctor magna cum laude in 1974. His first stint as a lawyer was serving as a law clerk for Judge James P. Coleman on the Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, whom the young Marc got along well with. A year later, he became a clerk for Homer Thornberry.
Following his time as a clerk, Marc entered government service by working in the Civil Division of the Department of Justice in 1977. A few years later in 1981, President Reagan promoted him to Assistant Attorney General of the division, and finally, he was appointed Solicitor General of the United States in 1985. He argued dozens of cases on behalf of the government to the Supreme Court, including Bowsher v. Synar, Bowen v. Kendrick, Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, among others. He would leave the position in 1989, and began seeking private practice.
With John Parnell, a friend and co-worker of his in the Department of Justice, he moved to The Woodlands, Texas, and founded Parnell & Pender PLLC, focusing on constitutional, commercial, and civil rights litigation. He notably argued before the Supreme Court in support of Lee in the Lee v. Weisman case. In 1992, with Cush Sr. slipping into unpopularity and (not-Clinton) on the rise, Marc became horrified at the possibility of such a promiscuous liberal running the White House. Thus, his experience in the Reagan administration allowed him to easily secure the nomination in Texas' 8th Congressional District, winning handily in the gerrymandered seat.
In the House, Marc became well-known as a staunch cultural and economic conservative and nationalist, being a proud co-sponsor of Don't Ask Don't Tell, a strong opponent of the Brady Bill, and voted against NAFTA, all in his first term. His ideals and fighter persona went over well with his largely Republican constituents, and he was easily re-elected time after time. He became a good friend of (not-Gingrich) and was arguably one of the most established figures outside of Congressional leadership. He was also noted as an architect of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 and was a big proponent of the numerous government shutdowns orchestrated by (not-Gingrich).
With the incumbent Democrat retiring, Texas Attorney General was up for grabs, and the Republicans saw Marc as someone who could rally them to victory. Marc, for his part, was beginning to become annoyed by Congress and took the Party's offer to run for the open position. After a hard-fought jungle primary against an Associate Justice of the state Supreme Court, Marc's strong campaigning was able to secure him a narrow victory in the race. With Texas a solid red state, he was able to win the general election and became the first Republican-elected Attorney General of Texas since Reconstruction. As he transitioned from one job to another, Marc gained national attention as he argued the case for (not-Clinton)'s impeachment during proceedings, calling for the President to be removed from office immediately for his moral failings and lying to the American people.
Attorney General Pender's tenure was largely defined by cracking down on government waste and corruption, particularly through his investigations into fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims. He also created the Texas Internet Bureau to investigate illegal internet practices. His time in office, however, would be met with controversy as he was blasted by civil rights groups for refusing to investigate a false drug bust and drug convictions in Tulia of 46 individuals, of which 43 were black.
The seat of the Governor of Texas was opened up in 2002, and Marc, seeking more power and influence, announced his candidacy early. While the drug bust scandal harmed his campaign, he was still able to use his name recognition and large conservative base to win the primary, and used the favorable midterm year to his advantage to win the general election with 55% of the vote.
His first term as Governor was defined for his tough-on-crime stance and his efforts to support businesses and cut down on big government. One of his first major policies was the creation of the Texas Enterprise Fund, which provided hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to Texas businesses. He cut taxes for corporations and Texans, although he faced criticism for doing so while Texas dealt with growing debt problems. His government resorted to borrowing money to pay for the Trans-Texas Corridor. He signed a bill that restricted non-economic damages in medical malpractice judgments and supported bills limiting abortion access. He was criticized for refusing to order a stay on the execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, being a staunch supporter of the death penalty. He also caused controversy by supporting and campaigning for Texas Proposition 2 in 2005, which defined marriage as only between one man and one woman.
Coupled with a Democratic wave year and several controversies, Marc faced a far more difficult re-election campaign in 2006. Facing opposition from three different candidates, he was only able to secure a win of 40% of the vote on election night, a small scare for Republicans in the state. Now in 2007 with the next presidential election heating up, Governor Pender was thought to be a potential candidate for the Republican nomination. He however declined, saying he wished to remain Governor of his state for several more years. Currently, he privately favors either Helms or Feyrer for the nomination, but things can change fast in the world of politics, and whatever happens, Marc hopes that he can use his position to have a say in the future of his party.
Other Info: Married to Alice McCray in 1974. Has 5 children.
I have read and accepted the rules of the roleplay: Jovuistan
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