Julia Carson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana | |
| 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 theIndiana Senate from the 34th district | |
| In office November 3, 1976 – November 30, 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Marie Lauck |
| Succeeded by | Billie Breaux |
| Member of theIndiana 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 (1938-07-08)July 8, 1938 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 15, 2007(2007-12-15) (aged 69) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Resting place | Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum, Section 78, Lot 172 39°49′23″N86°10′20″W / 39.823165°N 86.172244°W /39.823165; -86.172244 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Divorced |
| Alma mater | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
Julia May Carson (néePorter; July 8, 1938 – December 15, 2007) was an American politician who served as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives forIndiana's 7th congressional district from 1997 until she died in 2007 (numbered as the 10th District from 1997 to 2003).[1] Carson was the first woman and firstAfrican American to represent Indianapolis in the U.S. Congress. She was also the second African American woman elected toCongress fromIndiana, afterKatie Hall, and her grandsonAndré Carson succeeded to her seat following her death.
Carson was born inLouisville, Kentucky. Her mother, Velma V. Porter, was an unmarried teenager. Velma and Julia moved toIndianapolis, while Julia was still a girl. Velma worked as adomestic worker to support them. To help her family, Julia took on various part-time jobs, including waiting tables, delivering newspapers, and harvesting crops. She graduated fromCrispus Attucks High School in 1955.[2] She continued in part-time work while attendingMartin University in Indianapolis andIndiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. She was a member ofZeta Phi Beta sorority.
In 1965, while a single mother and working as a secretary atUAW Local 550, Carson was hired away by newly elected congressmanAndrew Jacobs Jr., a Democrat, to do casework in his Indianapolis office. When his electoral prospects looked dim in 1972 (which turned out to be a Republican landslide), Jacobs encouraged Carson to run for theIndiana 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 was a part-time position, and 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 DemocratJoseph W. Summers to run for her house seat, as she successfully ran for theIndiana Senate. She won re-election and ultimately served in the Indiana Senate for 14 years, sitting on its finance committee and eventually holding the minority whip position before retiring in 1990.[5][6] Carson andKatie Hall (a fellowDemocrat but fromLake County who also won an election that year) became the first African American women to win election to the Indiana Senate; the first African American to sit in that body had been Virginia-born civil rights attorneyRobert Lee Brokenburr, aRepublican who had died in 1974 and who represented part of Marion County for most of the period 1941–1964.[7]
In 1990, Carson won election as the Trustee forCenter Township (downtown Indianapolis), seemingly a step down from her legislative post, but with a considerable budget and administrative responsibilities. Carson assumed responsibility for runningwelfare in central Indianapolis and instituted a workfare program.[4] During Carson's six years as the Center Township Trustee, she created a $6 millionsurplus and erased the office's $20 million debt.[8] The county's auditor (a Republican) noted Carson "wrestled that monster to the ground."[9] Jacobs proclaimed Carson "not only took cheats off the welfare rolls, shesued them to get the money."
When Jacobs retired in 1996, Carson ran as his replacement in the 10th Congressional District, winning 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 RepublicanVirginia Murphy Blankenbaker, a state senator and stockbroker who, like Carson, was a grandmother withliberal views onabortion and thedeath penalty. Although the district was 68% white and conservative-leaning, each raised similar sums of money, but Carson won, with 53 percent of the vote versus 45 percent for Blankenbaker. Soon after that, Carson underwent double heart bypass surgery on January 4, 1997, which years later produced complications. Carson was sworn into office from her hospital bed on January 9, 1997, and could not travel to Washington, D.C., until early March.[1]
Carson won reelection with little difficulty in 1998 and 2000. Her 2000 campaign attracted PresidentBill Clinton 's personal appearance, drawing 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 aboardAir Force One with PresidentGeorge 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 2000census, 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 defeatedEric Dickerson in the2006 election 54 percent to 46 percent, a narrow 8-point margin in a year when most incumbent Democrats skated to victory.[10] In the same election, Democratic challengers toppled Republican incumbents in three Indiana districts much more conservative than Carson's. Carson was a member of theCongressional Black Caucus. She was one of the 31 who voted in the House not to count theelectoral votes fromOhio in the2004 presidential election.[11] Notably Carson never lost an election throughout her entire career in both state and federal politics.
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 experienced, and on constituent service. She won re-election rather handily during the next four elections. However, some criticized her for being somewhat unpredictable, particularly in votes foranti-terrorism bills and normaltrade relations withChina. Carson was one of the last representatives to support trade normalization with China in 2000 (because of its human rights record) and opposed theIraq War resolution in 2002.
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 and could identify with many of their health problems. In the 108th Congress (2003–2005), Carson left Veterans Affairs to accept the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee assignment. 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 awardRosa Parks theCongressional Gold Medal in 1999 and 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 ofbureaucratic bottlenecks on childhealth insurance; and commemorating authorKurt 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 theIndianapolis International Airport, which opened on November 12, 2008. She was the first recipient of theFrank 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. RepresentativeBarney Frank, D-Massachusetts.
On September 29, 2007, theIndianapolis Star reported that Carson had been an in-patient at Indianapolis's Methodist Hospital for eight days.[13] She was being treated for an infection in her leg near the area where a vein was removed in 1996 during double bypass heart surgery. Year-to-date, Carson had participated in 87 percent of the House votes, but had missed 42 of 77 votes during the month. Carson had battledlung cancer before. Still, it had gone intoremission before being re-diagnosed during the leg vein treatment, as theStar announced on November 25.[8] She died on December 15, at the age of 69; her death was announced by her friend, former U.S. RepresentativeAndrew Jacobs Jr.[14]
On December 21, Carson's casket was taken to theIndiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis by horse-drawn military caisson. She became the ninth Hoosier to lie in repose at the Statehouse Rotunda. An early-morning service was held in the statehouse, with remarks by Indiana GovernorMitch Daniels and Carson's grandson, CouncilmanAndré Carson.[15] Thousands of Hoosiers paid last respects, visiting the casket and attending an evening ceremony in the Statehouse. Celebrants included Jacobs, the ReverendJesse Jackson, Indianapolis MayorBart Peterson (D), U.S. RepresentativeBrad Ellsworth (D-Ind.), U.S. RepresentativeBaron Hill (D-Ind.), U.S. RepresentativeSheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), U.S. RepresentativeDiane Watson (D-Calif.) and formerGary, Indiana mayorRichard Hatcher.Rudolph M. Clay, the then-incumbent mayor of Gary, presented a key to the city to the Carson family.
Carson's funeral was held at Eastern Star Baptist Church on December 22.[16] Speakers at included Governor Daniels (R), both U.S. SenatorRichard Lugar (R-Ind.) andEvan Bayh (D-Ind.), former U.S. SenatorBirch Bayh (D-Ind.), U.S. RepresentativePete Visclosky (D-Ind.), U.S. RepresentativeStephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio), Indiana House SpeakerB. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend), Indianapolis Mayor Peterson, radio host and Hoosier nativeTavis Smiley, and MinisterLouis Farrakhan. Carson was buried inCrown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis; the graveside ceremony included a three-volley salute.
She married after graduating and had two children, Sam and Tonya. She later divorced.[1]
During her life, Carson was named theIndianapolis Star Woman of the Year in 1974 and 1991 and was inducted into the Indiana Public Schools Hall of Fame in 2006. A commemorative bust honoring her was unveiled in the Indiana statehouse in 2014,[17] and she was also remembered during Indiana's celebration of Women's History month in 2015.[18] Indianapolis named its local government center to honor Carson in 1997 andits transit center to honor her in 2016.Ivy Tech Community College named its new library and community space in Indianapolis to honor Carson in 2011.[19] Julia Carson's papers are held in the library of Indiana University in Indianapolis.[20] Indianapolis also wanted to award landmark status to her former home.
A special election was held on March 11, 2008, to determine Carson's replacement in Congress.[21] Although he had won his first elective office (as an Indianapolis city councilman) only weeks before Carson's death, her grandsonAndré Carson won the election, defeating Republican state representativeJon Elrod and Libertarian Sean Shepard. André Carson won the May 2008 Democratic Primary for Congress against six opponents. U.S. SenatorBarack Obama (D-Illinois) had endorsed Carson before his primary victory.
| 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% | Na'Ilah 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% |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 10th congressional district January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2003 | District eliminated inreapportionment |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 7th congressional district January 3, 2003 – December 15, 2007 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
