Former Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack
Former Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack was thrust into the political spotlight after the January 1998 death of her husband, Rep. Sonny Bono. With no political experience, she ran for his seat because, she said, "This is what Sonny would want me to do." She served from 1998 until 3013. She changed her name from Mary Bono to Mary Bono Mack after her 2007 marriage to fellow GOP Rep. Connie Mack of Florida. Describing herself as a "mainstream conservative" like her late husband, Bono Mack reached out to moderate voters by softening the traditional pro-business Republican stance with concerns for the environment. She chaired the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade and is co-chair of the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force, which is investigating how to clean up and protect the endangered lake. She also chaired the Women's Policy Committee, which was created to give Republican women a stronger voice in the House. Bono Mack co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse to draft policies to tackle prescription drug abuse. She favors repealing the 2010 health care reform bill, increasing American energy production and cutting federal spending. Mary wrote the forward to Bradley DeHaven’s book, The Addict Among Us.
