Jim Bob Duggar Explained

Jim Bob Duggar
Birth Name:James Robert Duggar
Birth Date:18 July 1965
Birth Place:Springdale, Arkansas, U.S.
Occupation:Realtor, businessman, investor, television personality, author
State House:Arkansas
District:6th
Term Start:January 11, 1999
Term End:January 13, 2003
Predecessor:Louie McJunkin
Successor:Jodie Mahony
Children:19, including Josh, Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy-Anna
Party:Republican

James Robert Duggar (born July 18, 1965) is an American politician and television personality. He appeared on the reality series 19 Kids and Counting, which aired from 2008 to 2015. From 1999 to 2003, he was a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Early life

Duggar was born in Springdale, now the fourth largest city in Arkansas, the son of James Lee "Jimmy Lee" Duggar (1936–2009) and the former Mary Lester (1941–2019), who owned a real estate brokerage agency.[1] Duggar has an older sister, Deanna (b. 1962).[2] [3] He graduated from Shiloh Christian School.[4]

Career

Duggar is a licensed realtor and owns several commercial properties in his local area as an investor.[5] [6]

Political career

From 1999 to 2003, Duggar served in the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 6, which was located in northern Washington County.[7] [8] [9] He first won election in 1998, defeating Kathy McFetridge with 56% of the vote.[10] He was re-elected by a wider margin in 2000.[11] Duggar was vice chair of the House Corrections and Criminal Law Subcommittee and also participated in the committees on Insurance and Commerce and Judiciary.[12]

In 2002, rather than seeking reelection to the state House, Duggar ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary election for the United States Senate. He was defeated by the incumbent Senator Tim Hutchinson by a lopsided vote of 71,576 to 20,546.[13] [14] In 2006, Duggar unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the District 35 seat in the Arkansas State Senate.[15] He lost to his opponent, Bill Pritchard, by two hundred votes.

In 2021, Duggar announced his second candidacy for the State Senate, now running in the 7th District. The election was triggered after the incumbent Republican, Lance Eads, resigned. Duggar finished third out of four candidates in the Republican primary, with 15.3% of the vote.[16] [17]

Marriage and children

On July 21, 1984, Duggar married Michelle Annette Ruark.[18] Together, the couple has 19 children: Joshua ("Josh") (b. 1988), twins Jana and John-David (b. 1990), Jill (b. 1991), Jessa (b. 1992), Jinger (b. 1993), Joseph (b. 1995), Josiah (b. 1996), Joy-Anna (b. 1997), twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah (b. 1998), Jason (b. 2000), James (b. 2001), Justin (b. 2002), Jackson (b. 2004), Johannah (b. 2005), Jennifer (b. 2007), Jordyn (b. 2008), and Josie (b. 2009). Duggar and his wife also have had permanent guardianship of his wife's great-nephew Tyler Hutchins (b. 2008), since November 2016. The family was featured on the reality series 19 Kids and Counting from 2008 to 2015.

Duggar and his family are Independent Baptist Christians. They are members of the Institute in Basic Life Principles organization (aka IBLP and Advanced Training Institute),[19] a homeschooling program run by Christian minister Bill Gothard.[20] [21] [22] Duggar's oldest daughter, Jana Duggar, is a leader at the IBLP's "Journey to the Heart" youth ministry.[23]

Josh Duggar molestation report

In 2006, Jim Bob Duggar told the Arkansas State Police that his oldest son, Josh, had molested five underage girls,[24] including family members, in the early 2000s when he was 14–15 years old.[25] [26] [27] [28] [29] The alleged abuse involved touching their breast and genital regions on multiple occasions while they slept and in a few cases while they were awake.[26] [30] [31] [32] Jim Bob Duggar had been prompted to speak to police after producers of The Oprah Winfrey Show told authorities they had received allegations against Josh Duggar.[33] Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar told police they had sent Josh away for several months in 2003 and that, upon his return home, Jim Bob had taken him to Arkansas State Trooper Jim Hutchens, a family acquaintance, for a "stern talk". Because of this 2003 contact with police, the three-year statute of limitations had expired by the time of the December 2006 police investigation, and Josh Duggar was not formally charged with any crime.

The public did not learn about this until 2015, when Josh Duggar's public admission of his behavior caused TLC to cancel the reality show 19 Kids and Counting.[34] In a joint statement to People magazine following the public revelation, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar said: "Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God. We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles every day."

TLC rebooted the Duggar's reality show as Counting On later in 2015, focusing on the older Duggar children and their spouses and children. This show, too, was canceled in 2021 after Josh Duggar was arrested.[35] On December 9, 2021, Josh Duggar was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography.[36]

Books

Duggar and his wife have written two books together, both published by Howard Books. The first is titled The Duggars: 20 and Counting!, which was released on December 2, 2008. Their second is A Love That Multiplies, which was released June 7, 2011.[37]

Other political activities

In 2008, Duggar and his wife endorsed former Governor Mike Huckabee in his campaign for the Republican presidential primaries.[38] In January 2012, the Duggars endorsed Republican former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania for president.[39]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.manta.com/c/mm4hmqm/good-neighbor-realty "Good Neighbor Realty, Mary Duggar"
  2. http://blogs.discovery.com/duggars/2009/02/prayers-for-grand-pa-jim-duggar.html "Prayers for "Grand Pa" Jim Duggar."
  3. http://signonsandiego.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Counting+their+blessings+|+The+San+Diego+Union-Tribune&expire=&urlID=16768982&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.signonsandiego.com%2Funiontrib%2F20060105%2Fnews_lz1c05duggar.html&partnerID=616 "Counting their blessings"
  4. Web site: The Duggar Kids Don't Go to Traditional College, but Did Jim Bob Duggar?. April 25, 2018 .
  5. Web site: 13 Children Add Up To Asset For Challenger . Rengers, Carrie . Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . September 9, 2001 . https://archive.today/20140605183329/http://epaper.ardemgaz.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3AArticleToMail&Type=text%2Fhtml&Path=ArDemocrat%2F2001%2F09%2F09&ID=Ar00235 . June 5, 2014 . January 1, 2017 . dead .
  6. News: Meet the Duggar family – all 19 of them. https://web.archive.org/web/20110718021452/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20134584/ns/today-parenting_and_family/t/meet-duggar-family-all-them#.Tv7WLnFbfDc. dead. July 18, 2011. Celizic. Mike. September 21, 2007. MSNBC. December 31, 2011. New York, US.
  7. Web site: Memorial Ceremony Held by Jim Bob, Michelle Duggar for Jubilee Shalom . Patrick . Galen . December 13, 2011 . MJB Star . December 31, 2011 . Ontario, Canada . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120112042504/http://www.mjbstar.com/celebrities/2011/12/13/memorial-ceremony-held-by-jim-bob-michelle-duggar-for-jubilee-shalom/ . January 12, 2012.
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20021030025402/http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/data/districts/repmap.asp Arkansas House District Map as of 2002
  9. News: Mom pregnant with 18th child. Considine. Bob. May 9, 2008. MSNBC. December 31, 2011. New York, USA. https://web.archive.org/web/20120208050154/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24537885/ns/today-today_people/t/fuller-house-arkansas-mom-pregnant-th-child#.Tv7T6XFbfDc. February 8, 2012. dead. mdy-all.
  10. Web site: 1998 Election Results. Arkansas Secretary of State.
  11. Web site: 2000 Election Results. Arkansas Secretary of State.
  12. Web site: Representative Jim Bob Duggar. Arkansas Legislature. https://web.archive.org/web/20021107050807/http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/scripts/ablr/members/members3b.asp?mcode=6. November 7, 2002.
  13. Web site: Certification Report: 2002 Preferential Primary Non-Partisan Judicial . May 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150107101703/http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/historicalElectionResults/Documents/2002_Preferential_Primary_Non-Partisan_Judicial.pdf . January 7, 2015 . dead . mdy-all.
  14. News: Senator Wins in Arkansas. Staff reporter. The New York Times. May 23, 2002. February 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20081207025021/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E4DA1E38F930A15756C0A9649C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FH%2FHutchinson%2C%20Tim. December 7, 2008. dead. mdy-all.
  15. Web site: Duggar runs for Springdale state Senate seat . Doug Thompson . Arkansas News Bureau . March 29, 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235013/http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/03/29/News/335335.html . September 26, 2007.
  16. Web site: Jim Bob Duggar announces state Senate run. October 29, 2021.
  17. Web site: 2021-12-15. Arkansas District 7 State Senate special election primary unofficial results: Parks wins Democrat race, two Republicans face run-off. 2021-12-15. KNWA FOX24. en-US.
  18. Web site: Family Scrapbook . Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar Family . January 25, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120124094820/http://duggarfamily.com/content/family . January 24, 2012 .
  19. Book: Duggar, Michelle & Jim Bob. A love that multiplies. 2011. Howard Books. Nashville, Tenn.. 978-1-4391-8381-6. 228, 275, 276, 281.
  20. Web site: Bill Gothard placed on administrative leave. World. February 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140304074519/http://www.worldmag.com/2014/02/bill_gothard_placed_on_administrative_leave. March 4, 2014. live. mdy-all.
  21. Web site: A Time of Transition: A Statement From the Board of Directors. IBLP. . June 17, 2014. August 1, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140809015946/http://iblp.org/news/time-transition. August 9, 2014. live. mdy-all.
  22. Web site: Hathaway . Jay . The Duggar Homeschool Program's Terrifying Advice on Sexual Assault . Gawker . 25 May 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150524234344/http://gawker.com/the-duggar-homeschool-programs-terrifying-advice-on-sex-1706406324 . May 24, 2015.
  23. http://duggarsblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/recap-busy-duggars-and-duggar-on-her-own.html "A Duggar on Her Own"
  24. http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/bombshell-duggar-police-report-jim-bob-duggar-didn-t-report-son-josh-s-alleged-sex-offenses-for-more-than-a-year-58906 Josh Duggar sex scandal reported
  25. News: Duggars reeling from Josh's sex-abuse scandal . USA Today . May 21, 2015 . September 1, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180121111605/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/05/21/duggars-reeling-from-joshs-sex-abuse-scandal/27741883/ . January 21, 2018 . live . mdy-all .
  26. News: Josh Duggar apologizes amid molestation allegations, quits Family Research Council . The Washington Post . Abby . Ohlheiser . May 22, 2015 . September 1, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170904232803/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/05/21/josh-duggar-apologizes-resigns-from-family-research-council-amid-molestation-allegations/ . September 4, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
  27. News: Josh Duggar Responds to Child Molestation Claims: 'I Acted Inexcusably' . Time . Maya . Rhodan . May 21, 2015 . May 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150523160828/http://time.com/3893414/josh-duggar-molestation-accusation/ . May 23, 2015 . live . mdy-all .
  28. Web site: Josh Duggar Child Molestation Accusations: 19 Kids & Counting Star Responds. May 21, 2015. people.com. October 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180708215318/https://people.com/article/josh-duggar-molestation-accusations-duggars-respond. July 8, 2018. live. mdy-all.
  29. Web site: Josh Duggar Involved In Underage Sex Scandal: Report. May 19, 2015. ibtimes.com. October 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160403161442/http://www.ibtimes.com/19-kids-counting-star-josh-duggar-involved-underage-sex-scandal-after-jim-bob-turned-1930280. April 3, 2016. live. mdy-all.
  30. Web site: Heavily redacted police report re Duggar case. May 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150522073215/http://imgur.com/a/zqPMi. May 22, 2015. live. mdy-all.
  31. Web site: Duggar Son Allegedly Admitted to Sexually Molesting Minor Girls, Including Sisters. tmz.com. May 21, 2015 . October 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160930154812/http://www.tmz.com/2015/05/21/josh-duggar-sex-scandal-sexually-molested-minor-girls-sisters-19-kids-and-counting-tlc/. September 30, 2016. live. mdy-all.
  32. Web site: The Web Has Known About Josh Duggar for Years. When Did TLC Find Out? . Allie . Jones . gawker.com . October 8, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161019153507/http://defamer.gawker.com/the-web-has-known-about-josh-duggar-for-years-when-did-1706258269 . October 19, 2016 .
  33. Web site: O'Connor. Brendan. Josh Duggar Confirms Teen Molestation Reports. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160909072215/http://gawker.com/josh-duggar-confirms-teen-molestation-reports-1706150395. September 9, 2016. October 8, 2016. gawker.com.
  34. News: Caulfield. Philip. July 16, 2015. TLC cancels '19 Kids and Counting' amid Duggar abuse scandal. Daily News. New York. live. July 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150716215648/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/tlc-cancels-19-kids-counting-duggar-abuse-scandal-article-1.2294251. July 16, 2015. mdy-all.
  35. News: D’Zurilla. Christie. June 30, 2021. TLC finally cancels Duggar series 'Counting On' after Josh Duggar's child-porn arrest. Los Angeles Times. 18 November 2021.
  36. Web site: Josh Duggar found guilty in child sex abuse image trial. NBC News. December 10, 2021 .
  37. Book: Duggar . Michelle . Duggar . Jim Bob . A Love That Multiplies: An Up-Close View of How They Make it Work . . 978-1-4391-8381-6 . June 7, 2011.
  38. Web site: '19 Kids' stars dump Santorum for Huckabee. msnbc.com. October 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306032523/http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/duggars-19-kids-stars-dump-santorum-huckabee. March 6, 2016. live. mdy-all. May 6, 2015.
  39. Web site: O'Brien. Michael. Santorum wins support of TLC's Duggar clan. MSNBC. NBCUniversal. January 2, 2012. January 3, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120103103726/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/02/9899530-santorum-wins-support-of-tlcs-duggar-clan. January 3, 2012. mdy-all.