Biography:

Jim Leach was born in Davenport, Iowa. He graduated from Davenport High School in 1960. He received a bachelor's degree in 1964 from Princeton University and a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in 1966. He also studied at the London School of Economics.

He served on the staff of Rep. Donald H. Rumsfeld, R-Ill., 1965-66. He then worked as a foreign service officer assigned to the State Department, 1968-69, and to the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, 1970-73. He was an aide in the Office of Economic Opportunity, 1969-70. He was a member of the U.S. delegation to the Geneva Disarmament Conference, 1971-72, and to the United Nations in 1972.

He was president of Flamegas Companies, Inc., a family-owned energy business, 1973-76. He was a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Des Moines, 1975-76.

Leach was first elected to the U.S. House in 1976.

He and his wife, Elisabeth, have two children. He recently moved to Iowa City.

Past Campaigns:

Jim Leach was elected to the U.S. House in 1976 with 52 percent of the vote, ousting incumbent Democratic Rep. Edward Mezvinsky. He defeated Democrat Jan Zonneveld in 1992 with 69 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 1994, defeating Democrat Glen Winekauf with 60 percent of the vote.

In 1996, he was re-elected with 53 percent of the vote against Democrat Bob Rush. In 1998, he defeated Rush with 57 percent of the vote.

In 2000, he defeated Gregory T. Guy, Davenport, Iowa, in the Republican primary for the 1st District. Leach won re-election in 2000 with 62 percent of the vote.

He was re-elected in 2002.

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