Jean Carnahan
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| Jean Carnahan | |
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| In office January 3, 2001 – November 25, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | John Ashcroft |
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| Succeeded by | Jim Talent |
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| Born | December 20, 1933 Washington D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Governor Mel Carnahan, (deceased) |
| Religion | Baptist |
Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan (born December 20, 1933) is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. A Democrat, she was appointed to the Senate to fill the seat of her posthumously elected husband, becoming the first woman to represent Missouri in the Senate.
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[edit] Biography
Born Jean Anne Carpenter in Washington, D.C. to a working-class family, she was determined to go to college. She worked through the year while attending George Washington University. She graduated in 1955 with a degree in Business and Public Administration — the first in her family to graduate from high school and college. She is an alumna of Kappa Delta sorority. She married Mel Carnahan in 1954.
As Mel Carnahan entered politics, Jean Carnahan was his political partner for several decades. Mel Carnahan was elected Governor of Missouri, serving 1993 – 2000. Mrs. Carnahan was an activist First Lady — an advocate for on-site day care centers for working families, childhood immunization, abuse centers, the arts, and Habitat for Humanity.
Mr. Carnahan was running in 2000 for a Senate seat from Missouri against incumbent John Ashcroft. Only three weeks before election day, he was killed in a plane crash (along with his son, Randy Carnahan, who piloted the plane, and Chris Sifford, a campaign advisor). Due to the short time before the election, Missouri election law did not allow his name to be removed from the ballot. Acting Governor Roger B. Wilson announced that he would appoint Jean Carnahan if her husband were to win the election posthumously.
The unusual circumstances made it a strange race. Out of respect, John Ashcroft suspended his campaign during the mourning period for Mel Carnahan. Jean Carnahan did not actively campaign, but she did accept Gov. Wilson's offer and filmed one campaign commercial. It had been a close race, and sympathy may have worked in the Carnahans' favor.[citation needed] Mel Carnahan posthumously won the election by a slim margin — only 48,000 votes out of 2.36 million cast (51-48%) — and Mrs. Carnahan was appointed to the Senate in 2001. Though she had been politically active for her entire adult life, she had never held public office. Under Missouri law, she would only serve until a special election could be held in 2002.
In 2002, Jean Carnahan ran as an incumbent for a full term, but was defeated in a close race by Republican James Talent; the margin was only 22,000 votes, 49.8%-48.6%.
The 2004 elections proved better for the Carnahan family, when Senator Carnahan's son, Russ, was elected to Congress, and her daughter, Robin, was elected Missouri's Secretary of State.
Since losing her Senate race, Jean Carnahan has continued as an activist and author. She has written four books and numerous opinion pieces.
She is among the former Missouri First Ladies who have participated in the cherry blossom tree planting in Marshfield, Missouri.
[edit] Electoral history
- 2002 Race for U.S. Senate (Special Election to fill remainder of term)
- Jim Talent (R), 50%
- Jean Carnahan (D) (inc.), 49%
- 2000 Race for U.S. Senate
- Mel Carnahan (D), 51% (posthumously elected; Jean Carnahan appointed to fill seat)
- John Ashcroft (R) (inc.), 48%
[edit] Books by Jean Carnahan
- (1998) If Walls Could Talk: The Story of Missouri’s First Families. MMPI ISBN 0-9668992-0-2.
- (1999) Christmas at the Mansion. MMPI ISBN 0-9668992-1-0.
- (2000) Will You Say a Few Words?. Walsworth Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8262-1513-0.
- (2004) Don’t Let the Fire Go Out!. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 0-8262-1513-0.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Bio by Fired Up Missouri
- Online News Hour account of the 2000 election
- Online News Hour account of the 2002 election
| Preceded by John Ashcroft |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Missouri 2001–2002 Served alongside: Kit Bond |
Succeeded by Jim Talent |
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