Democrat Heath Shuler is a former entrepreneur and professional football player, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina's 11th Congressional District.http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=57781   He was elected in the 2006 general election when he defeated eight-term incumbent Charles Taylor.http://election.townhall.com/election-2010/state/NC/candidate/joseph-heath-shuler Shuler ran on the platform of protecting North Carolinian values, protecting domestic jobs, and developing sustainable energy sources.http://heathshuler.com/free_details.asp?id=9   

During his tenure in Congress, Shuler has served on several committees and subcommittees. He is a member of the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he sits on the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.http://shuler.house.gov/committees-caucuses.shtml Shuler serves as the whip of the Blue Dog Coalition.http://shuler.house.gov/committees-caucuses.shtml http://shuler.house.gov/committees-caucuses.shtml 

Shuler was born in Swain County, North Carolina on December 31, 1971.http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=57781 He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Tennessee.http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=57781 While at UT, Shuler selected to multiple All-America teams, earned the title Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and NCAA Male Athlete of the Year; he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.http://shuler.house.gov/about/bio.shtml  He played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, and Oakland Raiders before retiring due to injury.http://shuler.house.gov/about/bio.shtml Shuler returned to North Carolina where he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2006.http://shuler.house.gov/about/bio.shtml  He resides in North Carolina with his wife, Nikol, and their two children, Navy and Island.http://heathshuler.com/free_details.asp?id=9 

As chair of the House Subcommittee on Rural Development, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, Shuler has developed legislature to cut taxes for small businesses and increase investment in rural business development.http://heathshuler.com/free_details.asp?id=9 He sponsored the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009 (H.R. 2352); the legislation works with the Small Business Administration to provide entrepreneurs with technical assistance and management training.http://heathshuler.com/free_details.asp?id=9 As a whip for the Blue Dog Coalition, Shuler has worked to lower the government budget and enact a Pay-As-You-Go system to reduce government spending.http://heathshuler.com/free_details.asp?id=9 He stepped outside of party lines when he voted against President Barack Obama's proposed health care reform bill and stimulus package.http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house/north-carolina/11