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| Lacey Davenport | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Universal Press Syndicate |
| Created by | Garry Trudeau |
Lacey Davenport is a fictional character inGarry Trudeau's comic stripDoonesbury. She is often said to be based onMillicent Fenwick, aRepublican member ofCongress fromNew Jersey, although Trudeau has denied this link.[1]
She and Dick Davenport, her husband, were first introduced as attendees at aWalden College Alumni Reunion in 1974. The two had been "living in sin" for decades, and finally decided to get married. Lacey later became a major character when she ran as the Republican candidate for a seat in theUnited States House of Representatives in the mid-1970s, serving adistrict comprising theSan Francisco Bay Area. Her opponents in theelection wereVirginia "Ginny" Slade, who ran as anindependent, and theincumbent, Congressman Ventura, the Democratic nominee.
For a while the race was close, but with Lacey and Ginny fighting over votes, their mutual opponent (whom they both found to be highly immoral) was unifying his support and coming out ahead. Deciding that anything was better than having him win, and that Lacey was more qualified than herself, Ginny dropped out of the race and supported Lacey, who won. Lacey was challenged again for her seat in Congress in 1986 by Clyde, who had been Ginny's boyfriend, and later her husband. Davenport won re-election.
Dick Davenport, abird watcher, died in 1986 due to a massive coronary brought on by observing the possibly extinctBachman's warbler, managing to snap a photo before collapsing. This death scene has been noted as a particularly memorable one.[2][3]
In many ways, Lacey represented Trudeau's idea of a perfectpolitician. Although she was a member of the Republican Party, and was fiscally quiteconservative, she was nevertheless a very liberal character at heart. Although she was very wealthy and traveled in thehighest social circles, Lacey's devotion to herconstituents was unbreakable. In some ways, she seemed naive to how dishonest her colleagues in Congress could be. In 1990, she announced she was resigning over theSavings and Loan crisis, in order to set an example. Instead of following her lead, most assumed she was dying. Only after the elections that same year did Lacey return to Congress, winning the election as awrite-in candidate.
The personal loyalty she inspired was demonstrated in other ways as well.Joanie Caucus went to work for her after graduation and stayed in her employ for many years, even though she was a die hardDemocrat. After a discussion with Joanie, Lacey retired from Congress in 1997 after serving many years. By this time she was suffering fromAlzheimer's disease, and could scarcely remember any recent events.She mistook ahomeless woman,Alice P. Schwarzman, for her late sister Pearl, and ended upwilling all her money to her.
Lacey herself died in 1998.[4] Lacey's spirit was collected by her late husband, and he led her toheaven. Since then she has made sporadic ghostly appearances.
Garry Trudeau has killed off enough characters to fill a cartoon cemetery, but perhaps his most memorable death came in 1986, when Congresswoman Lacey Davenport's husband Dick, an inveterate bird-watcher, suffered a massive coronary while photographing the rare Bachman's Warbler.
