Bob Carr | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | James Whitney Dunn |
| Succeeded by | Dick Chrysler |
| Constituency | 6th district (1983–1993) 8th district (1993–1995) |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Charles E. Chamberlain |
| Succeeded by | James Whitney Dunn |
| Constituency | 6th district (1975–1981) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Milton Robert Carr (1943-03-27)March 27, 1943 Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | August 27, 2024(2024-08-27) (aged 81) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Madison (BS, JD) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Milton Robert Carr (March 27, 1943 – August 27, 2024) was an American lawyer, academic, and politician fromMichigan.
Carr served in theU.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's6th and8th congressional districts for eight terms and one term, respectively. Carr's career in the U.S. House had a two-year hiatus in which he had lost his seat toJim Dunn in 1980 before being reelected to Congress in 1982.
Following his career in Congress, Carr becameof counsel at a Washington, D.C.–based communicationslaw firm in 2005.[1] He was involved with theUnited States Association of Former Members of Congress, where he served on the board of directors.
Carr was born inJanesville, Wisconsin, on March 27, 1943.[2] He received aB.S. from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison,Madison in 1965 and aJ.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1968. He did graduate work atMichigan State University inEast Lansing, Michigan, and was admitted to the Wisconsinbar in 1968 and to the Michigan bar in 1969. He commenced practice inLansing, Michigan, and served as Michigan assistant attorney general, from 1970 to 1972.[2]
Carr first ran as aDemocrat forMichigan's 6th congressional district in 1972, facing eight-term Republican incumbentCharles E. Chamberlain. Chamberlain narrowly defeated Carr by 97,666 votes (50.68%) to 95,029 (49.32%) in what was otherwise a strong Republican year, which persuaded Chamberlain to retire in 1974, when he was succeeded by Carr.[3][4]
Carr represented the district in theU.S. House for the94th and to the two succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 1981. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1980 to the97th Congress, being defeated byJames Whitney Dunn. Two years later, he defeated Dunn and was elected to the98th Congress and subsequently re-elected five times. The last two years he representedMichigan's 8th congressional district after the redistricting in 1993. In1994, he was the Democrats' nominee forUnited States Senate in Michigan, losing toSpencer Abraham.[2]
Early in his Congressional career, Carr was described by a columnist forThe Detroit News as "the classic angry young man."[2] He called for the resignation of DemocraticU.S. House SpeakerCarl Albert on national television,[5] but Carr later expressed regret for his early attacks on the Congressional leadership and called them "sheer, naive stupidity."[2] After taking office in 1975 Carr was named to theHouse Armed Services Committee, where he focused his attention on ending U.S. involvement in thewar in Southeast Asia. On March 12, 1975, with the influential help ofHouse Democratic Caucus ChairmanPhillip Burton, Carr authored a resolution that passed the Caucus by 189–49 effectively cutting off further military assistance toSouth Vietnam or toCambodia in fiscal year 1975.[6][7]
After losing and regaining his seat in the 1980 and 1982 elections, respectively, he was named to theHouse Committee on Appropriations, lowered his profile, and focused his attention on budget and spending issues.[2] He became chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation, where he pioneered the use of economic-based criteria and ranks toearmarks requested by members of Congress for their districts.[2]
Carr gave up his seat in the House torun for Senate in 1994, winning the Democratic primary but losing to RepublicanSpencer Abraham in the general election.[8][9]
Carr became anadjunct professor atGeorge Washington University'sGraduate School of Political Management and a senior adviser at theBrookings Institution's Brookings Executive Education. He also assisted in the Brookings Institution Fellows program and worked as a consultant in Washington.[2] Prior to his tenures at George Washington University and the Brookings Institution, he worked at the Dow Lohneslaw firm in Washington, D.C.[5]
Carr was a member of the board of directors of theUnited States Association of Former Members of Congress. Carr was also a member of the ReFormers Caucus ofIssue One.[10]
Carr had a daughter.[5]
In 2006 or 2007, Carr was diagnosed withmultiple myeloma. He was successfully treated withchemotherapy,bortezomib,steroids, and astem cell transplant.[11][12] He was subsequently involved in advocating for funding for cancer research and was featured in theCancer Progress Report 2012.[11] He was later diagnosed withesophageal cancer.[5]
Carr died in Washington on August 27, 2024, at the age of 81.[2][5]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromMichigan (Class 1) 1994 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 6th congressional district 1975–1981 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 6th congressional district 1983–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 8th congressional district 1993–1995 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
