Heather Wilson


Heather Wilson Heather A. Wilson (born December 30, 1960), American politician, was elected as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives in 2000 to represent the First Congressional District of New Mexico in a special election to replace the late Steve Schiff. Born in Keene, New Hampshire, she joined the United States Air Force at the age of seventeen, graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1982. A Rhodes Scholar, she continued her education at Oxford University, earning a Ph.D. in International Relations. Upon leaving the Air Force in 1989, she became Director for European Defense Policy and Arms Control on the National Security Council. She founded Keystone International, Inc. in 1991 to promote business development in the United States and Russia. Wilson was elected to the House in 1998, the first woman to represent New Mexico since Georgia Lusk. She was also the first female veteran to be elected to Congress. In the House, she serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Armed Services Committee. In 2004, Wilson generated some controversy when she denounced CBS and Viacom following Janet Jackson's halftime performance at Super Bowl XXXVIII in which Jackson revealed her nipple. Howard Stern ridiculed her for several days on his radio show. During Wilson's reelection campaign in 2004, her political opponent Richard Romero ran advertisements which suggested her votes in Congress aided Osama bin Laden because she had voted against a bill to force airlines to screen all baggage. Wilson won the election by a 10% margin over Romero, the same margin of victory she had against Romero in the 2002 election. Wilson, Heather

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