Todd Rokita (R-IN-4)i
Todd Rokita, Congressman
House links: Todd Rokita (R-IN-4)i 
Campaign links: Todd Rokita (R-IN-4)i
Theodore Edward “Todd” Rokita
Todd Rokita Congressional Candidate Indiana District 4
Biography of Todd Rokita from House.gov
As the Representative of Indiana’s Fourth Congressional District, Todd Rokita is working to bring balanced budgets and a strong economy to Indiana.
Previous to his service in Congress, Representative Rokita served as Indiana’s Secretary of State. As Secretary, he effectively redefined and modernized the Secretary of State’s office to provide Hoosier investors, businesses, and voters vastly better service and to promote Indiana’s economic vitality and prosperity for the future. He was President of the National Association of Secretaries of State and a leader in nationwide election reforms. Representative Rokita is committed to ensuring an open, collaborative approach to government.
As a Member of Congress, Representative Rokita is working to bring the same sort of open- reform minded government to Washington D.C.
Representative Rokita sits on the Steering Committee, essentially the board of directors for the House Republicans. In this capacity Representative Rokita provides Indiana with a voice in leadership decisions and helps determine committee assignments.
As a Member of the influential House Budget Committee, Representative Rokita is working to bring the same sort of reform minded government to Washington D.C., focusing on fixing America’s debt crisis through common-sense changes to all parts of the federal government. He is committed to maintaining the core values of limited government, constitutionalism and free enterprise.
Representative Rokita also serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee, where his top priorities are ensuring regulatory reform for Hoosier job creators and a strong educational system guarantees local control while preparing our children to compete in a global economy.
Representative Rokita and his wife Kathy welcomed their first child, Theodore James Rokita, in February of 2008 and their second son, Ryan Cooper Rokita, in February of 2010. The family resides near Clermont and worships at St. Malachy Parish. Rokita is also a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Munster.
Biography of Todd Rokita from Hoosiers for Rokita
Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita is a natural leader who for seven years has run a responsive and reform-orientated state office that has contributed to real improvements in the lives of many Hoosiers.
He is a committed pro-life conservative, an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment and a fiscal hawk with a proven record of accomplishment as Secretary of State. He runs his office on the same general fund dollars (unadjusted for inflation) that Evan Bayh did in 1987, but with improved service to Hoosiers.
He has traveled to each county in Indiana at least once every year while in office and is deeply familiar with the people and issues of the 4th District. He and his wife Kathy made the 4th District their home five years ago. They share a personal commitment to the citizens of Indiana and a tenacious dedication to making Indiana a better place for all Hoosiers, including their two sons (their 2nd is expected to arrive any day now!).
An Accomplished Leader
Todd believes the best way to reduce the national debt and generate good jobs, strengthen our national and homeland security and nurture an environment based on conservative family values is to ask his neighbors in the 4th Congressional District for the opportunity to serve them in Congress.
Todd believes government will work best and serve citizens most effectively if it is limited, and if it embraces commonsense innovations and modern technologies. Todd has effectively redefined and modernized the Secretary of State’s office to empower Hoosier investors, businesses and voters like never before. He is committed to ensuring an open, collaborative approach to government and fostering Indiana’s economic strength and prosperity for the future by getting government out of the way — particularly of job-generating small business entrepreneurs.
He has earned praise from across Indiana and nationally due to his leadership in the areas of election reform, combating investment fraud and other white collar crimes, civic involvement and establishing Indiana as a vibrant economic force in a global economy.
Todd consistently chooses principle over politics, opting to boldly push for policy changes he knows are right, even if it means going against members of his own party. An example is his “Rethinking Redistricting” program — a campaign to end gerrymandering so that when legislative district boundaries are redrawn every ten years, the voters get to choose their elected representatives and not the other way around.
A Real Reformer
As Indiana’s chief election official, Todd has overseen Indiana elections during a decade that was among the most significant in terms of sweeping, innovative reforms in generations.
All the while, he has been a vigilant defender of the integrity of the vote. He led the charge to require photo ID at Indiana’s polling places, a law he vigorously defended all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the law — agreeing that Indiana is paving the road to better voter confidence for states by preventing voter fraud. In 2010, the Indiana Supreme Court rejected a similar lawsuit in which Todd was again named as the defendant.
Through Todd’s initiatives, Indiana has become a leader throughout the country in voting reform and legislation, and he is often invited by leaders in other states and members of Congress to speak on election security issues, and was elected by his peers to serve as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) from 2007-2008.
Among the efficiencies now in place in Indiana due to Todd’s leadership is a 21st century online service center for the more than 300,000 businesses registered through his office. This best-in-the-nation real-time Internet portal gives Indiana entrepreneurs the ability to create and grow a business without spending valuable time navigating bureaucracy.
As chair of the Business Law Survey Commission, Todd worked with leading private sector attorneys, professors and corporate leaders to modernize and streamline Indiana’s business laws to keep pace with the changing nature of commerce, effectively improving the state’s business climate for new businesses looking for a home.
Fighting Fraud and Scam Artists
His Securities Division has taken the enforcement of Indiana’s investment and mortgage laws to new heights. The division seeks out the worst-of-the-worst white-collar criminals and works with law enforcement partners across the state to bring justice on behalf victims of financial crimes. In 2004, he created the Prosecution Assistance Unit, a highly specialized investigations team that has helped successfully prosecute 37 cases, resulting in nearly 300 years time sentenced in prison for the criminals. In all, through Todd’s tenure the Securities Division has worked to see more than $51 million dollars in restitution be awarded to victims of investment and mortgage fraud.
He also created Indiana Investment Watch, the first statewide investor education program to teach Hoosiers how to be smarter and safer investors by avoiding pitfalls created by scam artists.
Background
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wabash College, where he had the distinction of being an Eli Lilly Fellow, he went on to obtain a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis. After law school, he worked as a practicing attorney for several years before serving as General Counsel to former Indiana Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy and later as Deputy Secretary of State.
The Rokitas reside on Indianapolis’ west side, where they worship at St. Mary Parish.
Additional Memberships, Awards and Activities
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
- Aspen-Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership
- Board of Advisors of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC)
- Board of Directors for the St. Vincent Foundation
- Board of Trustees for St. Joseph’s College of Indiana.
- Civil Air Patrol
- Council of State Governments Toll Fellowship Program
- Director’s Circle of the Indiana Council for Economic Education
- Employers in Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
- Friend of Foreign Service Medal from the Taiwanese government
- Indiana State Bar Association
- Indianapolis Business Journal “40 under 40″
- Indianapolis Choice Award from the Indianapolis Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
- Knights of Columbus
- Merit Award from the International Association of Commercial Administrators (IACA)
- National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)
- Executive Board Member (2008-2009)
- President (2007-2008)
- Treasurer (2005-2006)
- Past chair, Standing Committee on Voter Participation
- National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Statesman of the Year
- National Rifle Association.
- Paul Samuelson Enterprise Award for Community Leaders from Indiana Council for Economic Education (ICEE)
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