Biography:

Lois Capps was born in Ladysmith, Wis., and grew up in Wyoming and Montana.

She received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., in 1959. In 1964, she earned a master's degree in religion from Yale University. She earned a second master's degree, in education, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1990.

She met her late husband, Walter Capps, while he was a student at Yale Divinity School. They were married for 37 years and had a son and two daughters. One of the daughters, Lisa, died in February 2000 of cancer.

After he was elected to Congress in 1996, Walter Capps died of a heart attack in October 1997.

Past Campaigns:

Lois Capps won a special election in March 1998 to succeed her late husband, Walter, who died of a heart attack in October 1997.

Capps was re-elected to the House in November 1998.

In 2000, she beat former Santa Barbara County Supervisor Mike Stoker with 53 percent of the vote.

She was re-elected in 2002.

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