Emanuel Cleaver | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2018 | |
| Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Lee |
| Succeeded by | Marcia Fudge |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri's5th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Karen McCarthy |
| 51stMayor of Kansas City | |
| In office 1991–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Berkley |
| Succeeded by | Kay Barnes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Emanuel Cleaver II (1944-10-26)October 26, 1944 (age 81) Waxahachie, Texas, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Dianne Cleaver |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Prairie View A&M University (BS) Saint Paul School of Theology (MDiv) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website |
Cleaver presents theCongressional Black Caucus substitute for the FY2013 federal budget. Recorded March 28, 2012 | |
Emanuel Cleaver II (born October 26, 1944) is an American politician andUnited Methodist pastor serving as theU.S. representative forMissouri's 5th congressional district since 2005. A member of theDemocratic Party, he previously served as the 51stmayor of Kansas City, Missouri, from 1991 to 1999, becoming the first Black person to hold that role.
Cleaver represents a district that primarily consists of the inner ring of the Kansas City metropolitan area, including nearly all of Kansas City and some of its suburbs in Clay and Jackson counties, including North Kansas City, Gladstone, Independence, Lee's Summit, and some of Blue Springs. He chaired theCongressional Black Caucus from 2011 to 2013.
In his 11th term in Congress as of 2025[update], Cleaver previously served three terms on the Kansas City Council from 1979 to 1991, until he was electedmayor, serving two terms from 1991 to 1999.
Emanuel Cleaver II was born on October 26, 1944, inWaxahachie, Texas.[1] He grew up in public housing inWichita Falls, Texas. He graduated fromPrairie View A&M University, where he was a member ofAlpha Phi Alpha fraternity, in 1972.[1][2] Cleaver then moved toKansas City, Missouri, where he founded a branch of theSouthern Christian Leadership Conference[3] and received aMaster of Divinity degree fromSt. Paul School of Theology.[4]
Cleaver was the pastor at the St. James United Methodist Church inKansas City, Missouri, from 1972 to 2009.[5]
Cleaver served as a Kansas City councilman from 1979 to 1991 and asmayor of Kansas City from 1991 until 1999.[3] He was Kansas City's first African American mayor.[6]
David Helling, an opinion columnist for theKansas City Star, wrote of Cleaver's tenure as mayor: "Kansas City's first African-American mayor defined the modern concept of the job: a professional staff, high visibility and a clear agenda. He was also a moral leader. His speech at a local rally after theRodney King verdict averted a riot and was his finest moment. Yet Cleaver's actual record as mayor is spotty. Tax and spending initiatives floundered at the polls, and City Hall scandal was common. The crime rate was far too high."[7]
Cleaver is a cousin of exiled Kansas CityBlack Panther leaderPete O'Neal. In 1997, Cleaver unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a pardon for O'Neal from PresidentBill Clinton.[8] Cleaver is also a cousin of the lateEldridge Cleaver, another prominent figure in the Black Panther Party.[9]
For the119th Congress:[10]
During his tenure, Cleaver has voted with theDemocratic Party 95.8% of the time.[16] He has been recognized as "not shy about earmarks" and has brought many federal tax dollars back to Kansas City.[17] As of 2022, he had voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time, according toFiveThirtyEight.[18]
Cleaver has called for ethics charges against fellowU.S. RepresentativesCharlie Rangel andMaxine Waters to be dropped, saying, "The process has been tainted."[19]
After the compromiseBudget Control Act deal had been reached to resolve the2011 debt-ceiling crisis, Cleaver called the deal a "sugar-coated Satan sandwich".[20]
On December 18, 2019, Cleaver voted for both articles of impeachment against PresidentDonald Trump and is one of only two Missouri House members to do so, along withLacy Clay.[21]
On September 11, 2014, around 2:50 a.m., what appeared to be aMolotov 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.[22]
In late 2003,Karen McCarthy, who had represented the 5th congressional district since 1995, announced her retirement. Though he served in city government for 20 years, including eight as mayor, Cleaver initially posted weak numbers in the Democratic primary and general elections, but defeated formerClinton Administration officialJamie Metzl in the Democratic primary, 60%-40%. In the general election,Republican Jeanne Patterson made the race far more competitive than conventional wisdom would suggest for the district, which has long been reckoned as Missouri's second-most Democratic district, behind theSt. Louis-based1st. The Democrats have held this seat for all but eight years since 1909, and without interruption since 1949. McCarthy won 65% of the vote in 2002.
During the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, Cleaver endorsedHillary Clinton.[23] He claimed that African Americansuperdelegates 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 supportingBarack Obama' … It's ugly."[24] On March 30, 2008, Cleaver said he realized he was on the losing team: "Even though I don't expect theKansas City Chiefs to beat theIndianapolis Colts, I cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs."[25] According toBlackMissouri.com.,[26]U.S. RepresentativeJesse Jackson Jr. ofIllinois 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 theWhite House?" Cleaver said, "I told him I'd think about it." Cleaver said during the primary he'd be shocked if Obama wasn't the next president but made clear he still supported Clinton until she suspended her bid.
Cleaver voted to provideIsrael with support following theOctober 7 attacks.[27][28]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Emanuel Cleaver | 50,204 | 53 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bob Lewellen | 43,989 | 47 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Emanuel Cleaver | 51,057 | 55 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dan Cofran | 41,024 | 45 | |
| 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 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 136,149 | 64.25 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 68,456 | 32.30 | |
| Libertarian | Randy Langkraehr | 7,314 | 3.45 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 197,249 | 64.37 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 109,166 | 35.63 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 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 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 200,290 | 60.52 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 122,149 | 36.91 | |
| Libertarian | Randy Langkraehr | 8,497 | 2.57 | |
| Write-In | Others | 6 | 0.00 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 79,256 | 51.59 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 69,071 | 44.96 | |
| Libertarian | Roy Welborn | 5,308 | 3.46 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 190,766 | 58.83 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 123,771 | 38.17 | |
| Libertarian | Roy Welborn | 9,733 | 3.00 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver | 175,019 | 61.67 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 101,069 | 35.61 | |
| Libertarian | Alexander Howell | 4,725 | 1.66 | |
| Green | Maurice Copeland | 2,091 | 0.74 | |
| Constitution | E. C. Fredland | 876 | 0.31 | |
| Write-in | 5 | 0.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver (incumbent) | 207,180 | 58.79 | |
| Republican | Ryan Derks | 135,934 | 38.57 | |
| Libertarian | Robin Dominick | 9,272 | 2.63 | |
| Write-in | 44 | 0.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver (incumbent) | 140,688 | 61.02 | |
| Republican | Jacob Turk | 84,008 | 36.44 | |
| Libertarian | Robin Dominick | 5,859 | 2.54 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emanuel Cleaver (incumbent) | 199,900 | 60.22 | |
| Republican | Sean Smith | 120,957 | 36.44 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Wayne | 6,658 | 2.01 | |
| Green | Michael Day | 4,414 | 1.33 | |
Emanuel Cleaver and his wife, Dianne, have four children. They reside in Kansas City.[29]
In 2000, a road in Kansas City was renamedEmanuel 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.[30]
In 2012,Bank of America sued Emanuel and Dianne Cleaver and Cleaver Company LLC, alleging that the company had defaulted on a $1.46 million commercial real estate loan obtained a decade earlier for aGrandview car wash.[31][32][33] In 2013, the lawsuit was settled.[33] Cleaver's congressional wages weregarnished to repay the money owed.[34]
In June 2023, Emanuel Cleaver officiated the wedding of fellow Democratic Congressman and formerHouse Majority LeaderSteny Hoyer, and Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at theBrookings Institution.[35]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Kansas City 1991–1999 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri's 5th congressional district 2005–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus 2011–2013 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 45th | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
