Robert Michael Duncan (born 1951) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2007 to 2009. Throughout his career, he has served on the boards of a variety of public- and private-sector organizations. Duncan was chairman, president, and CEO of Inez Deposit Bank in Inez, Kentucky, which merged with First State Bank in February 2021.[2][3] He is a member of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service and previously served as its chairman.[4]
Mike Duncan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service | |
| In office September 13, 2018 – February 9, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Thurgood Marshall Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Ron Bloom |
| Governor of the United States Postal Service | |
| Assumed office September 13, 2018 | |
| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Thurgood Marshall Jr. |
| Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority | |
| In office May 18, 2009 – May 2010 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | William B. Sansom[1] |
| Succeeded by | Dennis C. Bottorff |
| Chair of the Republican National Committee | |
| In office January 19, 2007 – January 30, 2009 Serving with Mel Martínez (2007)* | |
| Preceded by | Ken Mehlman |
| Succeeded by | Michael Steele |
| Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority | |
| In office March 2006 – May 18, 2011 | |
| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Peter Mahurin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Michael Duncan 1951 (age 72–73) Oneida, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Joanne Duncan |
| Relatives | Robert (son) |
| Education | University of the Cumberlands (BA) University of Kentucky (JD) |
| *Duncan served as National Chair of the RNC while Martínez served as General Chair from January 19, 2007 – October 19, 2007. | |
Early life and career
editDuncan was born in Oneida, Tennessee. He is active in numerous professional and nonprofit organizations. He served as chairman of a state university[5] and serves as chairman of the board of trustees at Alice Lloyd College, a private four-year liberal arts college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky.[6] He has served as chairman for the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky, a $30 million state-of-the-art regional center emphasizing telecommunications, training, and development. President George W. Bush appointed him to the President's Commission on White House Fellows in 2001.
Career
editChairman of the Republican National Committee
editA lifelong Republican, Duncan was a delegate to the 1972, 1976, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 Republican National Conventions and is one of the few persons ever to serve on the four standing convention committees. Duncan served as treasurer and general counsel of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from July 10, 2002, until his election as chairman. In January 2007, he was elected Chairman of the RNC, replacing Ken Mehlman, and served until January 30, 2009, when he withdrew from renomination to the chairmanship.[7]
RNC re-election bid
edit- RNC chairman vote
Source: CQPolitics,[8] and Poll Pundit[9]
| Candidate | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Steele | 46 | 48 | 51 | 60 | 79 | 91 |
| Katon Dawson | 28 | 29 | 34 | 62 | 69 | 77 |
| Saul Anuzis | 22 | 24 | 24 | 31 | 20 | Withdrew |
| Ken Blackwell | 20 | 19 | 15 | 15 | Withdrew | |
| Mike Duncan | 52 | 48 | 44 | Withdrew |
- Candidate won that Round of voting
- Candidate withdrew
- Candidate won RNC Chairmanship
Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority
editPresident George W. Bush nominated him to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board; he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in March 2006.[10] He was subsequently elected to serve as the 15th chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority in May 2009 and served until May 2010, when he was replaced by banker Dennis C. Bottorff.[11]
Governor of the United States Postal Service
editOn September 13, 2018, he became a member of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.[12] On December 5, 2019, he was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve another full term ending in December 2025.[13]
Duncan was involved in the selection of Louis DeJoy as U.S. postmaster general amid the 2020 presidential election.[14] DeJoy did not go through the normal vetting process for postmaster general; two separate search firms were used by the USPS board, and neither firm mentioned DeJoy in their list of candidates.[14] After DeJoy's appointment, postal service leadership implemented measures that led to delays in mail delivery and raised concerns about voting-by-mail in the 2020 election amid the coronavirus pandemic.[14]
Senate Leadership Fund
editDuncan is on the board of the Senate Leadership Fund, which is a super PAC tied to Mitch McConnell.[14]
Other roles
editDuncan also served as director of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank Cincinnati Branch. From 1989 to 1991, during a sabbatical, he worked in the Bush White House as assistant director of Public Liaison. He also served in the Bush administration as a member of the President's Commission on White House Fellows starting in 2001.
Education
editDuncan holds degrees from the University of the Cumberlands and the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Personal life
editDuncan and his wife, Joanne, are 1974 graduates of the University of Kentucky College of Law. Duncan received his undergraduate degree from Cumberland College (now the University of the Cumberlands). They reside in Inez in Martin County in eastern Kentucky. They have one child, Rob, an assistant United States attorney in Lexington, Kentucky, who is married to Valerie Ridder, originally from Springfield, Missouri. The Duncans are the principal owners of two community banks with five offices in eastern Kentucky.[15][16] His son, Robert M. Duncan Jr., has been United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky from 2017.[17]
On September 10, 2012, Duncan became the new president and CEO of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE).[18][19]
References
edit- ^ Parker, Sarah (February 12, 2009). "Former RNC chair to head up TVA". CNN. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ "Contact Us". Inez Deposit Bank. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016.
- ^ "Inez Deposit Bank". US Bank Locations. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ "Postal leadership: Robert M. Duncan". United States Postal Service. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ "Mike Duncan Biography". gop.com. Republican National Committee. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved February 1, 2009.
- ^ Alice Lloyd College Catalog 2006–2008 (PDF). Pippa Passes, KY: Alice Lloyd College. 2006. p. 149. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
- ^ Burns, Alexander (January 30, 2009). "It's Steele!". The Politico. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
- ^ CQ Politics (January 30, 2009). "Republican Choose Michael Steele as Party Chairman". Archived from the original on February 3, 2009.
- ^ PollPundit.com (January 30, 2009). "RNC Chairman Vote: Live Coverage". Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
- ^ Boyd, Gordon (February 12, 2009). "Former RNC head elected TVA Board of Directors chairman". WVLT-TV. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
- ^ De Lombaerde, Geert (April 16, 2010). "Bottorff to chair TVA". NashvillePost.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ "Chairman and USPS Board of Governors, Robert M. Duncan". about.usps.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Robert M. Duncan, of Kentucky, to be Governor of the United States Postal Service)". Senate.gov. December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Rutenberg, Jim (September 30, 2020). "How Trump's 'Voter Fraud' Lie Is Disenfranchising Americans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ "Robert (Mike) Duncan 2004 Hellard Award Winner" (PDF) (Press release). Kentucky Long Term Policy Research Center. October 21, 2004. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ Alessi, Ryan (February 2, 2007). "3 GOP hopefuls in spotlight". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
- ^ "Two Central Kentucky men getting federal posts from Trump". Lexington Herald Leader. August 3, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Izadi, Elahe (August 16, 2012). "American Crossroads Chair Named New CEO of Clean Coal Association". National Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ Wartman, Scott (September 7, 2012). "GOP Leader Mike Duncan Takes Over Clean Coal Group". NKY.com. Gannett. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
