Cedric Richmond | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2011 | |
| Director of theWhite House Office of Public Engagement | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – May 18, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Adrian Saenz |
| Preceded by | Timothy Pataki |
| Succeeded by | Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – May 18, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Jared Kushner Stephen Miller Ivanka Trump |
| Succeeded by | Julie Rodriguez Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | G. K. Butterfield |
| Succeeded by | Karen Bass |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromLouisiana's2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 15, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Cao |
| Succeeded by | Troy Carter |
| Member of theLouisiana House of Representatives from the 101st district | |
| In office January 6, 2000 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Naomi White Farve |
| Succeeded by | Wesley T. Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cedric Levan Richmond (1973-09-13)September 13, 1973 (age 52) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Morehouse College (BA) Tulane University (JD) |
Cedric Levan Richmond (born September 13, 1973)[1] is an American attorney, politician, and political advisor who is a senior adviser to theDemocratic National Committee. A member of theDemocratic Party, Richmond represented the 101st district in theLouisiana House of Representatives from 2000 to 2011. Richmond was a member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromLouisiana's2nd congressional district from 2011 to 2021. His district included most ofNew Orleans. He was formerly asenior advisor to the president and was the first director of theWhite House Office of Public Engagement during thepresidency of Joe Biden.
From 2017 to 2019,[2] Richmond chaired theCongressional Black Caucus.[3][4] Beginning with his third term, he was the only Louisiana Democrat serving in either chamber of theUnited States Congress. In 2019, he was named the first national co-chair ofJoe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.[5] On September 5, 2020, he was named a co-chair ofBiden's presidential transition.[6][7] On November 17, 2020, Richmond announced he would leave Congress in January 2021 to serve asSenior Advisor to the President and director of theWhite House Office of Public Liaison, which Biden renamed the White House Office of Public Engagement.[8][9][10]
Richmond was born in New Orleans in 1973 and raised inNew Orleans East, where he attended public schools. His father died when he was seven years old. His mother was a public school teacher and small business owner. Richmond graduated fromBenjamin Franklin High School. He earned aBachelor of Arts fromMorehouse College, and aJuris Doctor fromTulane School of Law. He also completed an executive program atHarvard University'sJohn F. Kennedy School of Government.[11] While at Morehouse, Richmond playedcollege baseball as apitcher for theMorehouse Maroon Tigers in theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.[12] He married Raquel Greenup in 2015.[13]
Richmond was elected and served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 101st district (Orleans Parish) from 2000 to 2011.[14] He was elected shortly after his 27th birthday and was one of the youngest legislators ever to serve in Louisiana when he took office. He served as the chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary and as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, House Executive Committee, and the Legislative Audit Advisory Council.[15]
Richmond was elected to the US House of Representatives fromLouisiana's 2nd congressional district for the first time in 2010. He took office in 2011. He was reelected in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. In 2012, Richmond publicly opposed a plan for Louisiana to redirect federal hurricane-recovery funds towardSuperdome renovations, specifically raising concerns about the priorities of theLouisiana Stadium and Exposition District's facility funding.[16]
On June 9, 2014, Richmond introduced theHonor Flight Act, a bill that would direct theTransportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a process for providing expedited and dignifiedpassenger screening services forveterans traveling on anHonor Flight to visitwar memorials that had been built to honor their service.[17]
That year Richmond defended hisRepublican colleagueVance McAllister, who had become embroiled in an allegedadultery scandal. Richmond said that he associated the controversy around McAllister with "gotcha moments" in which the "two parties in this country have gone overboard...and taken joy in the pain of their supposed opponents".[18]
Richmond was one of a few Democrats who voted to authorize theKeystone XL pipeline.[19] In 2020, he was described as the fifth-biggest recipient of money fromfossil fuel donors among House Democrats. TheLeague of Conservation Voters gave him one of the lowest ratings of all Democratic members of Congress.[20]
Richmond was active in theCongressional Black Caucus. On November 30, 2016, he was elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for the115th United States Congress.[21]
On December 18, 2019, Richmond voted for thefirst impeachment of Donald Trump.[22]
Richmond came in third place in the seven-candidate primary election for the Democratic nomination forLouisiana's 2nd congressional district, behind U.S. RepresentativeWilliam J. Jefferson and television newscasterHelena Moreno. During a primary debate, Richmond accused Moreno of drug use, and she criticized him for his disqualification from the 2005 New Orleans City Council "D" district election.[23]
Later in 2008, theLouisiana Supreme Court suspended Richmond's law license for six months in a 5–2 decision. It found that he had falsified a sworn statement claiming more than two years of residency in New Orleans's "D" district in order to be eligible for the district's city council seat.[24]
Richmond challenged Republican incumbentJoseph Cao forLouisiana's 2nd congressional district. Richmond was the first candidate in the 2010 elections to have PresidentBarack Obama appear in a television ad on his behalf.[25]
Most analysts considered Richmond a strong favorite to retake this seat for the Democrats, even in what was forecast to be a Republican year nationally. With aCook Partisan Voting Index of D+25, the second district was the most Democratic district in the country to be represented by a Republican. Richmond won the November 2 election with 65% of the vote.[26]
Richmond's campaign received almost $113,000 from the oil and gas sector, which donated more than any other sector to his campaign.[19] He was reelected with 63.6% of the vote.
In January 2017, Richmond became involved in an argument with Republican lawmakers over whether a particular painting should continue to hang in theUnited States Capitol. The painting shows police officers apprehending suspects, and the police are depicted as pigs. It was painted by someone from Richmond's district who had won a local award, and Republicans objected to it.[28] Richmond said that escalating the issue might "open up Pandora's Box" because there are other paintings that some people might also find offensive.[29]
In March 2017, Richmond was criticized for making a crude joke about a controversial photograph ofKellyanne Conway kneeling on the Oval Office couch. Richmond appeared to compare Conway toMonica Lewinsky, saying, "I really just want to know what was going on there, because she really looked kind of familiar there in that position there. But don't answer. And I don't want you to refer back to the '90s." Richmond later said the joke was not meant to be sexual.[30] "Since some people have interpreted my joke to mean something that it didn't. I think it is important to clarify what I meant", he said in a statement. "Where I grew up saying that someone is looking or acting 'familiar' simply means that they are behaving too comfortably."[30]
Richmond played in the annualCongressional Baseball Game. He was the starting Democratic pitcher for each of the five years since his election and the Democrats won each game. He had a 2.85earned run average, 1.67walks plus hits per inning pitched and 45strikeouts in his 27 innings pitched in that span. In 2016,Joe Barton, the Republican teammanager, called him the best player to ever participate in the game.[31] Richmond lost his first game in 2016, a day after participating through the night in the2016 United States House of Representatives sit-in.[12]
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Richmond was a national co-chair of theJoe Biden 2020 presidential campaign.[32] On November 17, 2020, he announced that he would join the Biden administration asSenior Advisor to the President and director of theWhite House Office of Public Liaison.[8][9] His resignation became official on January 15, 2021.[33] His departure triggered a2021 special election.[34]Justice Democrats criticized Richmond's appointment, alleging that he was one of the top Democratic recipients of donations from the fossil fuel industry.[35]
In an interview before theinauguration of Joe Biden, Richmond noted his potential work in reaching out toconservatives in different parts of the country.[36] Richmond was reported to be working with the Biden administration on addressingreparations for slavery.[37]
Richmond resigned from the White House on May 18, 2022, to become a senior adviser at theDemocratic National Committee.[38][39]
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District November Election, 2016[40]
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Cutno | Democratic | 28,855 (10%) | Defeated |
| Melvin Holden | Democratic | 57,125 (20%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 198,289 (70%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-November Election, 2014[40]
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Brooks | No Party | 16,327 (7%) | Defeated |
| Samuel Davenport | Libertarian | 15,237 (7%) | Defeated |
| Gary Landrieu | Democratic | 37,805 (17%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 152,201 (69%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-November Election, 2012[40]
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josue Larose | Republican | 11,345 (4%) | Defeated |
| Caleb Trotter | Libertarian | 6,791 (2%) | Defeated |
| Dwayne Bailey | Republican | 38,801 (14%) | Defeated |
| Gary Landrieu | Democratic | 71,916 (25%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 158,501 (55%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-Democratic Party, 2010[41]August 28, 2010
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene Green | Democratic | 2,497 (10%) | Defeated |
| Gary Johnson | Democratic | 1,911 (8%) | Defeated |
| Juan LaFonta | Democratic | 5,166 (21%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 14,622 (60%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-Democratic Party, 2008[41]
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, November 2, 2004
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Carter | Democratic | 9,286 (13%) | Defeated |
| Troy Carter | Democratic | 5,797 (8%) | Defeated |
| William J. Jefferson | Democratic | 17,510 (25%) | Run-off |
| Byron L. Lee | Democratic | 8,979 (13%) | Defeated |
| Helena Moreno | Democratic | 13,795 (20%) | Run-off |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 12,095 (17%) | Defeated |
| Kenya J. H. Smith | Democratic | 1,749 (3%) | Defeated |
Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 2007[41]
October 20, 2007
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric L. Richmond | Democratic | 2,944 (73%) | Elected |
| Roland Barthe | Democratic | 1,107 (27%) | Defeated |
Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 2003[41]
October 4, 2003
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 6,943 (78%) | Elected |
| Willie Jones Jr. | Democratic | 1,906 (22%) | Defeated |
Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 1999[41]
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 23, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wesley T. Bishop | Democratic | 1,241 (14%) | Defeated |
| Naomi White Farve | Democratic | 1,835 (21%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 3,480 (40%) | Run-off |
| Eddie Scott | Democratic | 2,119 (24%) | Run-off |
Second Ballot, November 20, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 3,980 (63%) | Elected |
| Eddie Scott | Democratic | 2,361 (37%) | Defeated |
The painting has inflamed tensions on Capitol Hill between the two parties.The Hill asked Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, if the painting would need someone to monitor it around the clock to prevent further removals. "No," Richmond replied. "We might just have to kick somebody's ass and stop them, though."
Richmond said any escalation of the issue might "open up Pandora's Box." "I'm looking at some paintings that people could probably find some offense to," he said. "So you just open up Pandora's Box to, I think, anarchy when it comes to the art around this building." "I think it would be a bad move. I think politically it would be an awful move to do that," he continued.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromLouisiana's 2nd congressional district 2011–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus 2017–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Director of theWhite House Office of Public Engagement 2021–2022 | Succeeded by Adrian Saenz (Acting) |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
Director of theOffice of Public Liaison | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
