Blunt, Roy D.

Blunt, Roy D., 1950–, U.S. politician, b. Niangua, Mo., grad. Southwest Baptist Univ. (B.A. 1970), Southwest Missouri State Univ. (M.A. 1972). A Missouri county clerk and elections offficer from 1973 to 1984, he later served as state secretary of state (1984–93 and president of Southwest Baptist Univ. (1993–96). Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 1996, he became majority whip in 1999 and succeeded Tom DeLay as majority leader in 2005 when the latter stepped aside temporarily because he had been indicted. Although Blunt is as conservative as DeLay, he has, unlike his predecessor, generally avoided the spotlight and controversy.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

• • Cite
  • Print