Representative Dana Rohrabacher

Dana Tyrone Rohrabacher (ROR-ə-BAH-kər; born June 21, 1947) is an American former politician who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California from January 3, 1989, to January 3, 2019, spanning 15 consecutive terms in Congress. Over the course of his three decades in the House, he represented districts in coastal Orange County, including California’s 48th congressional district during the last three terms of his tenure. A member of the Republican Party, he was defeated for reelection in 2018 by Democrat Harley Rouda by a margin of 7.2%, ending a long congressional career during which he became known for his outspoken views on foreign policy, including strong pro-Russia and pro-Vladimir Putin opinions that drew national attention and led Politico to describe him as “Putin’s favorite congressman.”

Rohrabacher was born on June 21, 1947, in Coronado, California, the son of Doris M. (née Haring) and Donald Tyler Rohrabacher. He grew up in Southern California and graduated from Palos Verdes High School in Palos Verdes Estates, California. He attended Los Angeles Harbor College before transferring to California State University, Long Beach, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1969. He later pursued graduate studies at the University of Southern California, receiving a master’s degree in American Studies. During his college and graduate school years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Rohrabacher supplemented his income and pursued creative interests as a folk singer and as a writer for the Orange County Register, experiences that helped shape his communication skills and public profile.

Rohrabacher’s early professional career was closely tied to the rise of Ronald Reagan in national politics. He served as assistant press secretary to Reagan during the former California governor’s 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns, working on messaging and media relations. After Reagan’s election to the presidency, Rohrabacher joined the White House staff, serving from 1981 to 1988 as a speechwriter and special assistant to President Reagan. In that role, he was involved in articulating administration policy and is credited with playing a leading role in the formulation and promotion of the Reagan Doctrine, which supported anti-communist movements abroad during the final decade of the Cold War.

In 1988, Rohrabacher left the Reagan administration to seek elective office, running for the U.S. House seat vacated by Republican Representative Dan Lungren in coastal Orange County. With fundraising assistance from his friend Oliver North, he won the Republican primary with a plurality of 35% and went on to win the general election with 64% of the vote, entering Congress on January 3, 1989. Over the next three decades, he built a reputation as a staunch conservative, particularly on foreign policy, national security, and immigration, while also taking libertarian-leaning positions on some civil liberties issues. He twice faced serious primary challenges, in 1992 and 1998. After redistricting in 1992, he prevailed in a three-candidate Republican primary with 48% of the vote, and in 1998 he won an open primary with 54%. In subsequent general elections he continued to win reelection by comfortable margins, including a 53–43% victory over Democrat Debbie Cook in 2008 and a 62–38% win over Democrat Ken Arnold in 2010.

Following statewide redistricting, Rohrabacher announced in 2012 that he would run in the newly drawn 48th Congressional District, which encompassed much of coastal Orange County. He described the new district as “a good fit” that would allow him to continue serving his constituents and the country effectively. He won election in the 48th District with 61% of the vote and subsequently secured reelection there, at one point winning with 64% of the vote and in another cycle with 59%, reflecting his continued electoral strength in the region. Throughout his House career, he participated actively in the legislative process, serving on committees and caucuses that reflected his interests in foreign affairs, science, and space policy, and he was a prominent voice on issues involving U.S.–Russia relations, Afghanistan, and global democracy movements. His strong advocacy for closer ties with Russia and his favorable comments about Vladimir Putin, however, drew bipartisan scrutiny and media attention, contributing to questions about his relationship with Russian officials.

Rohrabacher’s long tenure in Congress coincided with significant developments in American and global politics, and he was frequently involved in high-profile debates. In March 2018, CNN reported that Erik Prince, a former intern in Rohrabacher’s office during his freshman term in 1990 and a close political ally, hosted a fundraiser for him at Prince’s home in Virginia on March 18, 2018, with expected attendees including Oliver North. Later that year, on October 12, 2018, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC closely associated with House Speaker Paul Ryan, had omitted Rohrabacher’s race from its initial round of broadcast television advertising in Southern California, prompting speculation about national Republican support. Rohrabacher’s campaign disputed this characterization, stating that the super PAC had already spent about $2.4 million on his behalf and had an additional $1 million in media buys scheduled. In the November 2018 general election, Democrat Harley Rouda defeated Rohrabacher, ending his 30-year service in the House of Representatives.

Over the course of his political career, Rohrabacher also faced ethical and legal controversies. He was charged with improper use of campaign contributions in connection with a 1995 California State Assembly election. In that case, he provided some of his congressional campaign funds to his campaign manager, Rhonda Carmony—who would later become his wife—to promote a decoy Democratic candidate intended to siphon votes from another Democratic contender. He was found guilty of violating state campaign finance rules and was fined $50,000. On November 4, 2005, the Los Angeles Times reported that Rohrabacher had been paid $23,000 for a 30-year-old screenplay he had written, raising questions about whether the payment was for the script itself or for introductions he made to congressional and federal officials on behalf of producer Joseph Medawar. Rohrabacher maintained that the introductions were made in good faith and were consistent with assistance he routinely provided to legitimate causes, and that the matter only drew scrutiny because of Medawar’s alleged fraudulent activities. In May 2006, shortly before Medawar pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding investors of $3.4 million, Rohrabacher announced through his press secretary that he would return the $23,000 (approximately $35,874 in 2024 dollars).

Following his departure from Congress in January 2019, Rohrabacher left elected office after three decades of service representing coastal Southern California. His congressional career, marked by staunch conservatism, a prominent role in Reagan-era foreign policy debates, and controversial positions on Russia and other international issues, reflected the evolving political landscape of both his party and his Orange County constituency during a significant period in modern American history.