BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Emanuel Cleaver
| Emanuel Cleaver | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 5th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Karen McCarthy |
| 51st Mayor of Kansas City | |
| In office 1991–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Berkley |
| Succeeded by | Kay Barnes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Emanuel Cleaver II October 26, 1944 Waxahachie, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Dianne Cleaver |
| Alma mater | Prairie View A&M University St. Paul School of Theology |
| Religion | Methodism |
Emanuel Cleaver II (born October 26, 1944) is a United Methodist pastor, American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives. Cleaver currently represents Missouri's 5th congressional district, where he's served since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and in January 2010, Cleaver became chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Cleaver previously served on the Kansas City Council from 1979 to 1991, until he was elected Mayor of Kansas City, serving from 1991 to 1999. In 2004, Cleaver was elected to Missouri's 5th congressional district, where his district includes the southern three-fourths of Kansas City, including all of the city south of the Missouri River. It also includes most of the city's suburbs in Jackson County.
Early life, education and career
Cleaver was born in Waxahachie, Texas, the son of Marie (née McKnight) and Lucky G. Cleaver.[1] He grew up in public housing inWichita Falls, Texas. He graduated from Prairie View A&M University where he became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Cleaver then moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he founded a branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and received a Master of Divinity degree from St. Paul School of Theology.
Cleaver has been the pastor at the St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City Missouri from March 1972 until June 28, 2009.[2]
Early political career
Cleaver served as Kansas City Councilman from 1979 to 1991 and as mayor of Kansas City for two terms from 1991 until 1999. He is the first African American mayor of Kansas City. During the last days of his tenure as Mayor, Reverend Cleaver agreed to an international visit to London, England. On the invitation of UK NGO Operation Black Vote he assisted in campaigning for increased electoral participation in the elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. His visit culminated in a keynote speech atWestminster City Hall alongside British political figures including Ken Livingstone, Simon Hughes and Lee Jasper. Cleaver is a cousin to exiled KC Black Panther leader Pete O'Neal. In 1997, Cleaver attempted unsuccessfully to obtain a pardon for O'Neal from President Clinton.[3]
U.S. House of Representatives
After the compromise Budget Control Act deal had been reached to resolve the 2011 United States debt ceiling crisis in August 2011, Cleaver wrote on Twitter calling it a "sugar-coated Satan sandwich".[4]
Committee assignments
Caucus membership
- Congressional Black Caucus (Chair)
- Congressional Cement Caucus
Tenure
During his tenure, Cleaver has voted with the Democratic party 95.8% of the time.[5] He has been recognized as a Congressman who is "not shy about earmarks", and has brought many tax dollars back to Kansas City.[6]
Cleaver has called for ethics charges against Representatives Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters to be dropped, saying "The process has been tainted."[7]
Loan default
On April 6, 2012, the Kansas City Star reported that Bank of America had sued Cleaver Company LLC over a commercial real estate loan for a Grandview car wash. In a lawsuit filed March 30, Bank of America said Cleaver, his wife Dianne, and the company owed over $1.46 million on the loan.[8][9]
Office attack
On September 11, 2014 around 2:50 a.m. what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of Cleaver's Kansas City office. He was in Washington D.C. at the time and no staff members were present during the attack.[10]
Political campaigns
In late 2003, Karen McCarthy, who had represented the 5th district since 1995, announced her retirement. Despite having served in city government for 20 years, including eight years as mayor, Cleaver initially posted weak numbers in the Democratic primary and general elections. Cleaver went on to defeat former Clinton Administration official Jamie Metzl in the Democratic primary by a margin of 60-40 percent. In the general election, Republican Jeanne Patterson used her own fortune to fund her candidacy and made the race far more competitive than conventional wisdom would suggest for the district, which has long been reckoned as the second-most Democratic district in Missouri. The Democrats have held this seat for all but eight years since 1909, and without interruption since 1949. By comparison, McCarthy won 65 percent in 2002.
Cleaver has been reelected twice with some opposition. In 2010, Jacob Turk (Republican) received 45 percent of the vote, with Cleaver receiving 53 percent. In 2012, Cleaver received 60 percent of the vote, with Turk receiving 37 percent. [11]
2008 Presidential election
During the course of the Democratic Presidential Primary, Cleaver endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton.[12] Cleaver claimed that African American superdelegates who supported Clinton were subjected to harassment, threatened with primary opponents and called “Uncle Tom.” He said they were told, “You’re not black if you’re not supporting Barack Obama. … It's ugly.”[13] On March 30, 2008, he was interviewed on The Sunday Edition on CBC Radio and said he realized he was on the losing team: "Even though I don't expect the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Indianapolis Colts, I cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs." [14] According to BlackMissouri.com.,[15] U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois asked Cleaver, “If it comes down to the last day and you’re the only superdelegate? … Do you want to go down in history as the one to prevent a black from winning the White House?" “I told him I’d think about it," Cleaver explained. Cleaver said during the course of the primary he'd be shocked if Obama wasn't the next President but made it clear he still supported Clinton until she suspended her bid.
Electoral history
| Kansas City Mayoral election, 1991 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Nonpartisan | Emanuel Cleaver | 50,204 | 53 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bob Lewellen | 43,989 | 47 | |
| Kansas City Mayoral election, 1995 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Nonpartisan | Emanuel Cleaver | 51,057 | 55 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dan Cofran | 41,024 | 45 | |
| Missouri's 5th congressional district election, 2004[16] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 161,727 | 55.19 | |
| Republican | Jeanne Patterson | 123,431 | 42.12 | |
| Libertarian | Rick Bailie | 5,827 | 1.99 | |
| Constitution | Darin Rodenberg | 2,040 | 0.70 | |
| Total votes | 293,025 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Missouri's 5th congressional district election, 2006[17] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver (inc.) | 136,149 | 64.25 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 68,456 | 32.30 | |
| Libertarian | Randy Langkraehr | 7,314 | 3.45 | |
| Total votes | 211,919 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Missouri's 5th congressional district election, 2008[18] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver (inc.) | 197,249 | 64.37 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 109,166 | 35.63 | |
| Total votes | 306,415 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Missouri's 5th congressional district election, 2010[16] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver (inc.) | 102,076 | 53.32 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 84,578 | 44.18 | |
| Libertarian | Randy Langkraehr | 3,077 | 1.61 | |
| Constitution | Dave Lay | 1,692 | 0.88 | |
| Total votes | 191,423 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Missouri's 5th congressional district election, 2012[19] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver (inc.) | 200,290 | 60.5 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 122,149 | 36.9 | |
| Libertarian | Randy Langkraehr | 8,497 | 2.6 | |
| Nonpartisan | Andrew Feagle | 6 | 0.0% | |
| Nonpartisan | Andrew Thomas | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Total votes | 330,942 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Personal life
Emanuel Cleaver and his wife, Dianne, have four children. They reside in Kansas City.[20]
On June 25, 2000, a road in Kansas City was renamed Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard. The new route consisted of Brush Creek Blvd., E. 47th St., and the portion of Van Brunt Blvd. south of 31st St.[21]
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