Newt Gingrich

Newton Leroy Gingrich (; born Newton Leroy McPherson; June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author from the state of Georgia who served as the 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. He represented Georgia's 6th congressional district as a Republican from 1979 until his resignation in 1999. In 2012, Gingrich was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomination. A teacher of history and geography at the University of West Georgia in the 1970s, Gingrich won election to the United States House of Representatives in November 1978, the first Republican in the history of Georgia's 6th congressional district to do so. He served as House Minority Whip from 1989–95, and Speaker of the House from 1995–99. A co-author and architect of the "Contract with America", Gingrich was a major leader in the Republican victory in the 1994 congressional election. In 1995, Time named him "Man of the Year" for "his role in ending the four-decades-long Democratic majority in the House". As House Speaker, Gingrich oversaw passage by the House of welfare reform and a capital gains tax cut in 1997. The poor showing by Republicans in the 1998 Congressional elections, a reprimand from the House for Gingrich's ethics violation, and pressure from Republican colleagues, resulted in Gingrich's resignation from the speakership on November 6, 1998. He resigned altogether from the House on January 3, 199