SHORT BIO
- Served sixteen years in the state legislature, including as Majority leader and the unanimously elected Speaker of the House.
- Served two terms as State Chairman of the Republican Party.
- Co-founder of the Western States Coalition and past Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus.
- Spent twenty-eight years as a high school teacher in Utah, focusing on American History and Government.
- Married to Jeralynn Hansen Bishop. They are the parents of five and reside in Brigham City.
- Currently serving his fifth term as a member of the United States House of Representatives
- Serves on the House Rules Committee, Natural Resources Committee, and is Chairman of the House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.*On temporary leave from the House Armed Services Committee
LONG BIO
A public school teacher turned public servant, Rob Bishop represents Utah’s First Congressional District in the U.S. Congress.
Rob Bishop is a life-long resident of the First District, with the exception of two years he spent in Germany while serving a mission for the LDS Church. He was born and raised in Kaysville, Utah, where he graduated from Davis High School with High Honors. He later graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah with a degree in Political Science. He has been a resident of Brigham City since 1974.
Rob is married to Jeralynn Hansen, a former Miss Brigham City. They have five children. Shule (31) graduated from Utah State University, worked in DC for a time, and is now employed at Weber State University. Jarom (30) attended USU as well, gradutated from Creighton Law School, and is currently an attorney in the Ogden area. Zenock (28) is also a USU graduate and currently works in government. Maren (22) just finished up an LDS Mission in Wisconsin, and Jashon (20), who is also currently serving an LDS Mission, is in Texas.
Before coming to Congress, Rob was active in community theater, which is how he met his wife many years ago. As an avid baseball fan, Rob is a season ticket holder to the Salt Lake Bees and has coached in multiple leagues.
Rob is a devoted public servant. He has served his community in the State Legislature. During his sixteen years representing the Brigham City area, Rob distinguished himself as a leader. His last two years he was unanimously elected to serve as Speaker of the House. He also co-founded the Western States Coalition, a multi-state organization dedicated to protecting states’ rights and promoting Western interests and values.
Rob has served his political party for more than thirty years. Rob has worked at nearly every level of the Republican party, from precinct chair to member of the Republican National Committee, and has spent years working in every corner of this District. He has gone from Vice-Chair of the Davis County Teenage Republicans in 1968 to the advisor of the Utah Teenage Republicans in 1996. In 1997, he was elected Chairman of the Utah Republican Party. He served for two terms.
Rob has dedicated his life to teaching. He started teaching at Box Elder High School (BEHS) in Brigham City in 1974. From 1980 through 1985 he taught German and coached debate at Ben Lomond High School in Ogden, Utah, before returning to BEHS. Before retiring in December of 2002, he taught advanced placement courses in government and U.S. History, while serving as the Chair of the History Department at BEHS.
On January 7, 2003, Rob Bishop was sworn in as the new Congressman from Utah's First Congressional District, replacing the retiring Representative Jim Hansen. For his first term, he was appointed to serve on his top three choices for House Committees - the Armed Services Committee, the Resources Committee, and the Science Committee - all three of which handle critical issues for Utah's First District. In January 2005, Rob was sworn into a second term. He was subsequently appointed by the Speaker to serve on the powerful House Rules Committee, the legislative “gatekeeper” for all bills coming to the House floor. During the 111th Congress, Rob was instrumental in founding the 10th Amendment Task Force- a coalition of House Members committed to working toward disbursing power in Washington back to the people and states.
Rob is now in his fifth term in the House. At the request of Speaker of the House John Boehner, Rob will take a temporary leave from the House Armed Services Committee during the 112th Congress to once again serve on the powerful House Rules Committee. Rob will also continue serving on the Committee on Natural Resources and as Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
