Rudolph Chester Yakym III[1] (/ˈjɑːkɪm/ YAH-kim; born February 24, 1984)[2] is an American politician and businessman who is the member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Indiana's 2nd congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Rudy Yakym | |
|---|---|
 Yakym in 2022 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office November 14, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Jackie Walorski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rudolph Chester Yakym III February 24, 1984 South Bend, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Sallyann Freet (m. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Indiana University South Bend (AS, BS) University of Notre Dame (MBA) |
| Website | House website |
Early life and education
editYakym was born in South Bend, Indiana, on February 24, 1984.[3] He earned an associate's degree in business and a Bachelor of Science in finance and business administration from the Indiana University South Bend.[4] In 2019, he earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.[5]
Career
editIn 2010 and 2011, Yakym worked as a sales manager for Omnicity, a broadband company. In 2011 and 2012, he was the Finance Director for Jackie Walorski's congressional campaign.[6] From 2013 to 2019, he was a vice president at the Bradley Company, a commercial real estate business. In 2015, then-Governor Mike Pence nominated Yakym to serve as a member of the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission.[7] Since 2019, Yakym has been the director of growth initiatives at Kem Krest, a logistics and supply chain organization.
U.S. House of Representatives
editElection
editAfter Walorski died in a car accident in August 2022, Yakym declared his candidacy in Indiana's 2nd congressional district special election to succeed her. He was selected as the Republican nominee by the district's GOP precinct committee members to serve both the remainder of Walorski's term and a full two-year term beginning in January 2023.[2] Winning the nomination on the first ballot amid a field of 12 candidates, Yakym defeated contenders including former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill and state Representatives Curt Nisly and Christy Stutzman. He defeated the Democratic nominee, Goshen teacher Paul Steury, and Libertarian nominee William Henry in the general election[8] with over 64% of the vote.[9]
Positions
editIn a 2024 interview, Yakym stated that his most important issues were inflation and border security.[10]
Also in 2024, Yakym sent a letter to 136 presidents of colleges regarding their positions on encampments protesting the Israel-Hamas war.[11]
Committee assignments
editFor the 118th Congress:[12]
Personal life
editYakym married his wife, Sallyann Freet, in 2006.[13] She is a teacher at Elkhart Christian Academy.[14] They have three children. He is a practicing Baptist and serves as the head usher at the New Life Baptist Church in Osceola, Indiana.[14]
Electoral history
edit- 2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rudy Yakym | 125,222 | 64.6 | ||
| Democratic | Paul Steury | 62,726 | 32.4 | ||
| Libertarian | William Henry | 5,782 | 3.0 | ||
| Total votes | 193,730 | 100.0 | |||
References
edit- ^ "2019-05-19 University of Notre Dame Commencement Program" (PDF). University of Notre Dame archives. p. 36. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Rudy Yakym gets GOP nod to replace late US Rep. Walorski". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ^ "About". Rudy Yakym. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
- ^ "Foundations: A Publication for Alumni & Friends of Indiana University South Bend" (PDF). Indiana University South Bend. 2016.
- ^ Notre Dame Law School (2019-09-30). "Public Interest Month 2019: Learn All About Careers in Government and Public Interest". NDLS Posters.
- ^ Lurea, Anne (2022-08-20). "Rudy Yakym named GOP congressional nominee". WSBT. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ^ "King gets new term at election division; Yakym to judicial commission". The Statehouse File. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ^ "Indiana's 2nd congressional district: Democrat Paul Steury". WVPE. November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Indiana Second Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. 8 November 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ Anchor, Julianna Furfari, WSBT 22 Evening (2024-08-12). "One-on-one interview: Inflation and border are biggest concerns for Congressman Rudy Yakym". WSBT. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Cordi, Peter (2024-09-06). "Rudy Yakym 'presses' 136 universities on anti-Israel encampments - Washington Examiner". Retrieved 2024-10-01.
- ^ "Rudy Yakym III". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ "Rep. Rudy Yakym - R Indiana, 2nd, In Office - Biography | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
- ^ a b "Special Election Rudy Yakym". Retrieved November 9, 2022.