Julia Carson
Julia Carson | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana | |
In office January 3, 1997 – December 15, 2007 | |
Preceded by | Andrew Jacobs Jr. |
Succeeded by | André Carson |
Constituency | 10th district (1997–2003) 7th district (2003–2007) |
Member of the Indiana Senate from the 34th district | |
In office November 3, 1976 – November 30, 1990 | |
Preceded by | Marie Lauck |
Succeeded by | Billie Breaux |
Member of the Indiana House of Representatives from the 45th district | |
In office November 8, 1972 – November 3, 1976 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Joseph W. Summers |
Personal details | |
Born | Julia May Porter July 8, 1938 Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
Julia May Carson (née Porter; July 8, 1938 – December 15, 2007) was an American politician who served as a member of the
Early life, education and family life
Carson was born in
Career
In 1965, while a single mother and working as a secretary at UAW Local 550, Carson was hired away by newly elected congressman Andrew Jacobs Jr., a Democrat, to do casework in his Indianapolis office. When his own electoral prospects looked dim in 1972 (which turned out to be a Republican landslide), Jacobs encouraged Carson to run for the Indiana House of Representatives, which she did. She won election from the central Indianapolis district in 1972, and re-election.[3] She served as a delegate for four years and rose to become assistant minority caucus chair. The legislature being a part-time position, Carson also worked as the human resources director at an electric company from 1973 to 1996.[1] She also once operated a clothing store, which failed and saddled her with debt for several years.[4]
In 1976, at the urging of fellow Democrats, Carson arranged for prominent local businessman and fellow Democrat
In 1990 Carson won election as the Trustee for
Congressional elections
When Jacobs retired in 1996, Carson ran as his replacement in what was then the 10th Congressional District, and won the Democratic Party's endorsement, 49 percent to 31 percent, despite being heavily outspent in the primary by party chairman Ann DeLaney.
In the general election Carson faced Republican
Carson won reelection with little difficulty in 1998 and 2000. Her 2000 campaign attracted a personal appearance by President Bill Clinton that drew thousands to the Indiana State Fairgrounds. In 2003, Carson helped win $11 million in federal funding for transportation initiatives in Indianapolis, including highway expansion, street improvements, and improved public transportation. In 2005, Carson sponsored the $40 billion Amtrak re–authorization bill (the National Defense Rail Act), which provided for new rail lines including high–speed rail corridors. In 2006, Carson traveled from Washington, D.C. to Indianapolis aboard Air Force One with President George W. Bush to appear at the Indiana Black Expo.
Her health (including asthma, hypertension and diabetes) became an issue in tighter-than-expected races beginning in 2002. After Indiana lost a Congressional district following the 2000 census, her district was renumbered as the 7th District and included slightly more registered Republicans than its predecessor. In a heated campaign that led to Carson leaving the stage in protest in the final pre-election debate with Republican public affairs specialist Brose McVey, she won re-election 53 percent to 44 percent. Carson won re-election by about 11 points in 2004, defeating Republican Andrew Horning and Libertarian Barry Campbell.
Carson defeated
House record
Carson won re-election numerous times, although redistricting added 100,000 people, many of them Republicans, to her district. She focused on issues that affected working–class Americans, many of which she personally experienced, as well as on constituent service. She won re-election rather handily during the next four elections, although some criticized her for being somewhat unpredictable, particularly votes for
During the 105th Congress (1997–1999), Carson received posts on the Banking and Financial Services Committee (later renamed Financial Services) and the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and continued in those positions during the 106th and 107th Congresses. The Roudebush VA Medical Center was in her district, and she often visited recuperating veterans, as well as could identify with many of their health problems. In the 108th Congress (2003–2005), Carson left Veterans' Affairs to accept an assignment on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Amtrak's largest repair facility was near Indianapolis, and she would sponsor Amtrak's largest reauthorization bill in 2005. Carson helped create the Indiana Mortgage and Foreclosure Hotline to counsel homeowners and potential buyers about the mortgage process, noting that although Indiana had one of the country's highest homeownership rates in 2001, it experienced a record number of foreclosures in 2004. She also regularly sponsored children's safety, health, and nutrition legislation, including comprehensive gun safety legislation (protecting children by requiring safety locks on handguns) in 1999.[1]
Carson's legislative record included leading Congress to award Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999, and in 2005 allowing the civil rights icon to become the first woman to lie in state in the U.S. Capital Rotunda.[1] Carson also cosponsored, with (Republican) Sen. Richard Lugar, the removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks on child health insurance; and commemorating author Kurt Vonnegut (H.RES.324[12]). Other Congressional accomplishments included critical funding to revitalize Indianapolis's Fall Creek Neighborhood (which today includes some of the finest examples of reclaimed urban landscape in the U.S.). Carson also supported the new terminal for the Indianapolis International Airport, which opened November 12, 2008. She was the first recipient of the Frank O'Bannon Award from Indiana Stonewall Democrats. Carson also co-sponsored the Equal Employment Non-Discrimination Act and was a member of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Equality Caucus in the U.S. House led by U.S. Representative Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts.
Illness and death
On September 29, 2007, the
On December 21, Carson's casket was taken to the
Carson's funeral was held at Eastern Star Baptist Church on December 22.[16] Speakers at included Governor Daniels (R), both U.S. Senator Richard Lugar ( R-Ind.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh (D-Ind.), U.S. Representative Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.), U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio), Indiana House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend), Indianapolis Mayor Peterson, radio host and Hoosier native Tavis Smiley, and Minister Louis Farrakhan. Carson was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis; the graveside ceremony included a three-volley salute.
Legacy
During her life, Carson was named the
Committees and subcommittees
- Committee on Financial Services (ranked 10th of 32 Democrats)
- United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
- United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
- Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
Electoral history
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996
|
Julia Carson | 85,965 | 53% | Virginia Murphy Blankenbaker
|
72,796 | 45% | Kurt St. Angelo | Libertarian | 3,605 | 2% | * | |||
1998
|
Julia Carson | 69,682 | 58% | Gary A. Hofmeister | 47,017 | 39% | Fred C. Peterson | Libertarian | 2,719 | 2% | * | |||
2000
|
Julia Carson | 91,689 | 59% | Marvin B. Scott | 62,233 | 40% | NaIlah Ali | Libertarian | 2,780 | 2% |
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002
|
Julia Carson | 77,478 | 53% | Brose A. McVey | 64,379 | 44% | Andrew M. Horning | Libertarian | 3,919 | 3% | * | |||
2004
|
Julia Carson | 121,303 | 54% | Andrew Horning | 97,491 | 44% | Barry Campbell | Libertarian | 4,381 | 2% | ||||
2006
|
Julia Carson | 74,750 | 54% | Eric Dickerson
|
64,304 | 46% |
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (2000–)#2000s
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
References
- ^ a b c d e f U.S. Congresswoman Julia Carson, U.S. House bio
- Indianapolis Star. Archived from the originalon December 19, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- ^ "Offices". March 3, 2015.
- ^ a b "Julia Carson | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
- ^ U.S. Congresswoman Julia Carson, U.S. House website
- ^ "Offices". March 3, 2015.
- ^ "History of the IBLC". Indiana House Democratic Caucus.
- ^ a b "Congresswoman has terminal cancer". CNN. November 25, 2007.
- ^ “Julia Carson,” Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 23 (Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc., 1999) as cited in U.S. House bio
- ^ "Indiana General Election November 7, 2007". Secretary of State of Indiana. November 6, 2007.
- ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 7". Office of the Clerk. January 6, 2005.
- ^ "Honoring the life and accomplishments of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and extending the condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on the occasion of his death. (Introduced in House)". Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
- ^ Maureen Groppe (September 29, 2007). "Carson hospitalized with leg infection". The Indianapolis Star.
- Indianapolis Star, December 15, 2007. Accessed 2007-12-15.[dead link]
- ^ "WTHR - Indianapolis News and Weather -City paying respects to Julia Carson". Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
- ^ "Julia Carson Obituary - Indianapolis, IN | The Indianapolis Star". Legacy.com.
- ^ "IDOA: Julia May Porter Carson". www.in.gov. November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Bio" (PDF). www.in.gov. 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ Tuohy, John. "Transit center named for Julia Carson". Indianapolis Star.
- ^ "Julia Carson Papers, 1978-2007 | University Library". www.ulib.iupui.edu. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^ Executive Order 08-01 Archived February 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Mitch Daniels. January 7, 2008.
- ^ a b "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Archived from the original on July 25, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2008.
External links
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Profile at SourceWatch
- Julia Carson for Congress Archived February 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN