TRIBUTE TO STUART K. SPENCER

TRIBUTE TO STUART K. SPENCER

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E125-E126] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO STUART K. SPENCER ______ HON. KEN CALVERT of california in the house of representatives Thursday, February 13, 2025 Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to my good friend, Navy veteran, and acclaimed political adviser, Stuart (Stu) Spencer, who passed away in Palm Desert on Sunday, January 12, 2025. Stu was an incredibly influential and accomplished political leader in addition to being a personal friend, and he will be deeply missed. In 1927, Stu was born in Phoenix, Arizona. His family relocated to southern California just two years later. After high school, Stu enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served as a radar specialist onboard the USS Rocky Mount command ship. Following his discharge from the Navy, Stu earned a degree from California State University, Los Angeles. He worked as the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Alhambra for many years before leaping into the world of politics. After volunteering on various campaigns, Stu was hired by the Los Angeles County GOP as an organizer. The following year, Stu joined together with his partner, Bill Roberts, to establish the Spencer- Roberts political consulting firm. Over the many years since its formation, the firm would go on to manage more than 400 campaigns. In 1964, Stu managed the unsuccessful presidential primary campaign of Nelson Rockefeller, who ultimately lost to Barry Goldwater. His luck and life would change dramatically one year later when then-actor Ronald Reagan asked Stu to manage his longshot bid for governor in California. In a remarkable campaign guided by Stu, Reagan was elected governor in 1966 and then re-elected in 1970. In 1976, Stu had agreed to manage President Gerald Ford's election campaign before Reagan's decision to challenge Ford in a primary. Stu stayed loyal to Ford throughout that campaign but was asked by Reagan to manage his campaign for president in 1980. Throughout Reagan's eight years in the White House, Stu was a trusted aide close by his side. When he presented Stu with the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989, Reagan said ``he prevented more than a few poor decisions and aided in more than a few very good decisions.'' In 1993, Spencer was inducted into the Association of American Political Consultants Hall of Fame. [[Page E126]] Stu is survived by his beloved wife of 32 years, Barbara Spencer; two children from a previous marriage, Karen Spencer of Palm Desert and Steven Spencer of Dana Point; a stepdaughter, Debbie DeSilva of Carlsbad, and six grandchildren. I extend my personal and heartfelt condolences to the Spencer family, his friends, and everyone fortunate enough to know Stu. Although he may be gone, Stu's many contributions to our Nation have left an enduring legacy. ____________________