Doug McDowell
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Doug McDowell | |
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| 34th President of Torisakia | |
| Assumed office June 6, 2016 | |
| Vice President | Brian Soto |
| Preceded by | Rosalind Dupond |
| Minister of Economic Development | |
| In office June 6, 2008 – June 5, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Anthony Mabon |
| Succeeded by | Robert Cherry |
| Senator from Dorrsville | |
| In office June 6, 2004 – June 5, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Lance Houle |
| 21st Mayor of Dorrsville | |
| In office March 3, 1998 – June 5, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Roeney |
| Succeeded by | Ted Dodds |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Douglas Alvin McDowell February 6, 1967 Eheimwell, Dorrsville, Torisakia |
| Political party | New Democratic Party of Torisakia |
| Spouse | Lola Nowell (m. 1998) |
| Children |
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| Parent(s) | Stewart McDowell Rosannah McDowell |
| Alma mater | University of Dorrsville (BS in Econ.) Willams Brice University (MS in Econ. Dev.) Bibi Business School (MS in Econ. & Pol. Analysis) |
| Signature |  |
Douglas Alvin McDowell (born February 6, 1967) is a Torisakian politician and economist serving as the 34th President of Torisakia. Born in Eheimwell, Dorrsville, McDowell is a graduate of the University of Dorrsville, Williams Brice University, and Bibi Business School, earning a Bachelors of Science in Economics and two Masters of Science in Economic Development and Policy Analysis in total. Prior to his presidency, McDowell was the Minister of Economic Development under President Johnson Crandall from 2008 to 2014. He also served as a senator in the Torisakia Senate, representing the Dorrsville constituency from 2004 to 2008. McDowell's first major office in politics was that of Mayor of Dorrsville, which he attained in 1998 and held until he was elected to the Senate in 2004.
McDowell gained national attention during his campaign to represent Dorrsville in the Torisakia Senate in 2004 as a member of the New Democratic Party, where he defeated incumbent Cindy Castillo on March 2 of that year. McDowell attempted to run for president in 2008, behind significant support from many New Democrats in Dorrsville and Crandall-Kian Logan. He had success early on in the New Democratic primaries, but he could not keep up with the campaigns of Johnson Crandall, who was the de facto leader of the New Democratic Party, and Darryl Guffey, who represented the party in the 2004 Torisakia Federal Election. McDowell ended his campaign on March 25, 2008, and endorsed Crandall for president. McDowell later worked for Crandall's campaign as a financial advisor, and helped Crandall formulate many of his early economic policies used to promote his campaign. Crandall won the 2008 Torisakia Federal Election with nearly overwhelming support. A few days later, Crandall named his cabinet members, and selected McDowell to be his Minister of Economic Development, citing his "work ethic and dedication" during Crandall's campaign.
As Minister of Economic Development, McDowell was primarily responsible for forming and regulating policies regarding the socioeconomic development of Torisakia, as well as managing the financial policy of the government. In 2009, McDowell formulated what would become President Crandall's "Big Boom" economic policy, which consisted of mandating a progressive income tax, lowering tarrifs on imports, creating stronger relationships with trade partners, and promoting the use of renewable resources for cost-efficiency. This policy led to an economic boom in Torisakia between late 2009 to early 2013. During this time, income inequality fell to a record low, the use of low cost, clean energy such as hydroelectricity skyrocketed, and the overall employment rate in the country rose nearly 10 percentage points. McDowell also aided in the balancing of the federal budget, maintaining a balance or budget surplus during 6 of his 7 years as minister. McDowell is also credited, along with the Ministry of Housing, with working with bankers and the loan industry to provide long-term, affordable home mortgages for citizens, leading to an increase in home sales and a decrease in the homeless population.
Following Crandall's last term in 2014, McDowell took an indefinite hiatus from politics. In his biography, McDowell: The Face of Torisakia, McDowell stated that this hiatus "stemmed from the growing stress of the social situation within the country. There was a rising sense of nationalism in the countr. It was too volatile. It was taking a toll on my overall health, both physically and mentally. I just needed time to settle in". McDowell later taught economics at the University of Dorrsville from mid-2014 until late 2015. On December 6, 2015, following the impeachment of then president Rosalind Dupond, McDowell announced that he would be campaigning for office, despite being out of politics for roughly a year. After Dupond was officially voted out in January 2016 and a referendum to hold another presidential election in March 2016 was passed, McDowell began heavily campaigning in multiple city-districts. Already having support in Dorrsville, Auerila, and Crandall-Kian Logan, McDowell attempted to win back many of the constituencies and city-districts that had sided with Dupond in the 2014 Torisakia Federal Election in hopes that the political turmoil caused by her presidency would be enough to flip them. McDowell's platform consisted of undoing many of the economic policies introduced by Dupond, increased inclusiveness of LGBT Torisakians, and greater support for Gonzalez Isle. This proved to be the winning key for McDowell as on March 3, 2016, McDowell won a landslide victory over acting president Ramon Gosnell to win the presidency, and was inaugurated four days later on March 7, 2016.
McDowell won re-election in the 2020 Torisakia Federal Election, defeating, primarily, Conservative Party candidate Todd Gould and extending his president for one more term.
Early life and career
Municipal career, 1998-2004
Mayor of Dorrsville
Legislative career, 2004-2008
Senator from Dorrsville (2004-2008)
Federal career, 2008-2014
Minister of Economic Development
Presidential campaigns
2008 presidential campaign
2016 presidential campaign
2020 presidential campaign
Presidency (2016-present)
First three weeks
Three weeks into McDowell's first term, the Gonzalez Isle Civil War officially started with Loyalist and Nationalist factions engaging in a firefight in Savedra, Gonzalez Isle. McDowell stated that he would not formally declare war on Gonzalez Isle, given that the Nationalists were simply insurgent terrorist groups, but that Torisakia would support the Gonzalez Isle government and the Loyalist factions in whatever way possible, preferably through diplomacy before force. As such, McDowell attempted to de-escalate the situation in Gonzalez Isle by talking with Nationalist faction leaders Nicolás Núñez and León Ureña, but these talks seemingly fell on deaf ears.