Vitter, David Bruce (1961-…), served as a member of the United States Senate from 2005 to 2017. Vitter, a Republican, represented Louisiana. Before joining the Senate, Vitter served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vitter was born on May 3, 1961, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University in 1983. In 1985, he received a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Oxford University in England, where he studied as a Rhodes scholar. He graduated from Tulane University School of Law in 1988.
After graduating from law school, Vitter began practicing business law with a private firm in New Orleans. He remained in the practice until 1999. From 1995 to 1998, he also taught at the law schools of Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans.
Vitter’s political career began in 1991, when he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He won reelection in 1995. As a state representative, Vitter helped bring about the passage of a term-limits bill and a repeal of the state inheritance tax.
In 1999, Vitter won a special election to fill a vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won reelection in 2000 and 2002. As a U.S. representative, Vitter was known for his conservative voting record. He supported a national missile defense system and federal income tax reform. His accomplishments included providing easier access to prescription drug coverage for military retirees.
In 2004, Vitter did not run for reelection to the House. Instead, he campaigned for, and was elected to, a seat in the U.S. Senate. Vitter was reelected in 2010. In 2014, Vitter began campaigning for the Louisiana governorship in the 2015 election. He lost the November 2015 election to Democratic state Representative John Bel Edwards. Vitter did not seek reelection to the Senate in 2016.
