Frank Wolf (politician)

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Frank Rudolph Wolf (born January 30, 1939) is a former American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Virginia’s 10th district from 1981 to 2015. A Republican, he announced in December 2013 that he would retire and left office in January 2015, after 34 years in Congress.

Early life and career
Wolf was born in Philadelphia and grew up overcoming a speech impediment. He earned a BA in political science from Pennsylvania State University and a law degree from Georgetown University. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as a lawyer for the military. He began his political career in 1968 as a legislative assistant to Rep. Edward Biester and later worked for Interior Secretary Rogers Morton.

Election history
Wolf ran for Virginia’s 10th district several times before finally winning in 1980, riding the Reagan wave to defeat incumbent Democrat Joseph Fisher. He was re-elected many times, often easily; his races in 1994 and 2000 had no Democratic opposition, while 2006 and 2008 were closer. In 2012 he won re-election by 20% as the district leaned Republican in the presidential race.

District and focus
Over the years, Wolf’s district was redrawn multiple times, moving from a Northern Virginia base to include more areas west and south of Washington, D.C. In his final years the district covered parts of Fairfax and Loudoun Counties and surrounding areas. He focused on transportation, human rights, and gambling, and he chaired the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. He also helped form the Ahmadiyya Muslim Caucus and worked on reauthorizing the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Key positions and actions
Wolf voted in favor of the 2002 Iraq War and supported the Patriot Act. He opposed broad domestic surveillance warrants and favored limiting CIA interrogation oversight. He helped initiate the Iraq Study Group in 2006. On social issues, he opposed funding for abortion and Planned Parenthood and spoke against U.S. funding for international family planning. He spoke out against Uganda’s anti-gay bill in 2010 and supported traditional marriage positions in related policy efforts. He also worked on legislation related to District of Columbia civil contempt and other governance issues. He was active on China policy, advocating for human rights protections and opposing some trade concessions at times, and he supported efforts related to Darfur in Sudan.

Personal life
Wolf is married to Carolyn Stover and has five children. He remains noted for his long service as a prudent, moderate voice within the Republican Party, with a strong emphasis on human rights and international affairs.