Rush Holt Jr.
Rush Holt Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 12th district | |
| In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Pappas |
| Succeeded by | Bonnie Watson Coleman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rush Dew Holt Jr. October 15, 1948 Weston, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Margaret Lancefield |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
|
| Education | Carleton College (BS) New York University (MS, PhD) |
| Signature | |
| Website | AAAS website |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Calcium absorption lines and solar activity: a systematic program of observations (1981) |
| Doctoral advisor | H. Henry Stroke |
Rush Dew Holt Jr. (born October 15, 1948) is an American scientist and politician who served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 12th congressional district from 1999 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party and son of former West Virginia U.S. Senator Rush D. Holt Sr. He worked as a professor of public policy and physics, and during his tenure in Congress he was one of two physicists and the only Quaker there.
Holt sought the Democratic nomination in the 2013 special primary election to fill the seat of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, who died in office on June 3, 2013. He lost the nomination to Newark Mayor Cory Booker. Holt announced on February 18, 2014 that he would not seek re-election to the U.S. House that year.
In February 2015, Holt became chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. He served in that role until his retirement in September 2019.