Candidate for
United States Representative; District 23; Democratic Party

Congresswoman Lois Capps was sworn in on March 17, 1998 after her decisive victory in a special election to succeed her late husband, Congressman Walter Capps. She has since been elected three times and is campaigning once again to represent the 23rd Congressional District that stretches from the San Luis Obispo-Monterey County line through coastal Santa Barbara County to the City of Port Hueneme in Ventura County.

Capps serves on the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over numerous important issues, including health care. She also serves on House Budget Committee, which oversees the entire Federal Budget for Congress. As one of only three nurses in Congress, Capps has spearheaded the effort to address the nationwide nursing shortage. Additionally, Capps remains committed to preserving and strengthening Medicare and has helped draft a major proposal to bring affordable prescription drug coverage to all seniors.

As a mother, school nurse and teacher, Capps has spent many years in Santa Barbara County schools, and has been at the forefront of education issues. Capps has been a strong proponent of both school modernization efforts, class size reductions, connecting schools to the Internet and full funding for special education and IDEA.

Capps has led the effort against new offshore oil drilling, recognizing that any degradation of our pristine environment would adversely affect our tourist based local economies. She has also prided herself in working with environmentalists, farmers, ranchers and local business representatives to find common sense regional solutions that allow constructive dialog.

Before coming to Congress, Capps was a nurse and health advocate in the Santa Barbara School District. She directed the Santa Barbara County Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Project and the Child Enrichment Center. She was also a part-time instructor for the Early Childhood Education at Santa Barbara City College.

Capps was born in Ladysmith Wisconsin on January 10, 1938. She graduated with honors from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, with a B.S. on Nursing and her M.A. in Religion from Yale University while working as Head Nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital. In addition, she received an M.A. in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The daughter of a Lutheran minister, Capps' strong faith has kept her active in the local religious community, where she has been a member of the Grace Lutheran Church since 1964.

Capps was married to Walter Capps for 37 years. Their immediate family includes daughter Lisa, who passed away in February of 2000, her husband Nathan and their sons David and Walter; son Todd, his wife Julie and their son Aden; and daughter Laura.