Heath Shuler

Joseph Heath Shuler (born December 31, 1971) is an American businessman, former NFL quarterback, and former U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district from 2007 to 2013. He was a member of the Democratic Party and the Blue Dog Coalition.

During his tenure in Congress, Shuler was known for challenging the leadership of his party, which he believed had moved too far to the left. In 2010, he ran against Nancy Pelosi for Minority Leader. He believed the challenge would add to his prominence as a leader of conservative and moderate Democrats. He was one of the leaders of the Blue Dog Democrats, whose numbers were severely reduced by Republican gains in the 2010 midterm elections. This left him with a lower profile in the national media than he had previously enjoyed.

Shuler’s congressional district covered the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. The largest city in the district is Asheville, which has voted strongly Democratic, in part influenced by retirees from Northeastern and Midwestern areas. On February 2, 2012, after the Republican-dominated legislature had redrawn boundaries of the 10th and 11th congressional districts, removing half of Asheville and making the district more Republican in terms of voter history, Shuler announced his retirement from the House. He did not seek re-election to a fourth term.