Mel Carnahan

Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene Carnahan
51st Governor of Missouri
In office
January 11, 1993 – October 16, 2000
Lieutenant Roger B. Wilson
Preceded by John Ashcroft
Succeeded by Roger B. Wilson
43rd Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
In office
January 9, 1989 – January 11, 1993
Governor John Ashcroft (R), (1989-1993)
Preceded by Harriett Woods
Succeeded by Roger B. Wilson
40th State Treasurer of Missouri
In office
January 12, 1981 – January 14, 1985
Preceded by Jim Spainhower
Succeeded by Wendell Bailey
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
In office
1963–1967
Personal details
Born February 11, 1934(1934-02-11)
Birch Tree, Missouri, USA
Died October 16, 2000(2000-10-16) (aged 66)
Goldman, Missouri, USA
Resting place Carson Hills Cemetery

Ellsinore, Missouri

Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Jean Carnahan
Alma mater George Washington University (B.A.)
University of Missouri (J.D.)
Profession lawyer
Religion Baptist
Military service
Service/branch United States Air Force
Rank US-OF1A.svg First Lieutenant

Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S. Senate, after which he was elected posthumously to the office.

Contents

Family life and education

Carnahan was born in Birch Tree, Missouri. His father was A. S. J. Carnahan, who served eight terms in the United States House of Representatives as the Representative from Missouri's 8th congressional district. His only sibling, Robert Carnahan, was president of the Missouri Association of Realtors.

Carnahan graduated from high school in Washington, D.C., and earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from George Washington University. He entered the United States Air Force, rising ultimately to first lieutenant, and served as a special agent for the Office of Special Investigation. He received a J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law in Columbia, Missouri, in 1959.

Carnahan married Jean Carpenter in Washington, D.C. on June 12, 1954. They had four children: Russ Carnahan, a member of the United States House of Representatives; Tom Carnahan, founder of Wind Capital Group which builds wind farms; Robin Carnahan, who was elected in 2004 as Missouri Secretary of State; and Roger "Randy" Carnahan, who piloted the plane and perished in the same crash that killed his father

Political career

Carnahan's political career started as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives representing the Rolla area. In 1980, Carnahan was elected Missouri State Treasurer. He served in that post from 1981 to 1985. In 1984 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri, losing the Democratic primary election to then-Lieutenant Governor Kenneth Rothman, who lost the general election that year to state Attorney General John Ashcroft.[1]

In 1988 he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. In 1992, he faced Saint Louis Mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl in the Democratic primary for governor. He won the Democratic nomination by a wide margin and went on to easily defeat Republican state Attorney General William L. Webster in the general election. He was elected as Governor of Missouri on November 3, 1992 and re-elected for a second term on November 5, 1996, defeating Republican state Auditor Margaret Kelly.

2000 Senate election and death

In 2000, Mel Carnahan ran for U.S. Senate, opposing the incumbent Republican, John Ashcroft. It was a heated, intense campaign in which Carnahan traveled all over the state to garner support in what was a very close race. Early on October 16, 2000, just three weeks before the election and the night before a presidential debate to be held at Washington University in St. Louis, the twin-engine Cessna airplane piloted by the Governor's son, Randy, crashed on a heavily forested hillside during a rainstorm and foggy conditions near Goldman, Missouri, about 35 miles south of St. Louis. All three occupants of the plane - Governor Carnahan, his son Randy, and Chris Sifford, campaign advisor and former chief of staff to the governor - died in the crash.

Shortly afterward, Lieutenant Governor Roger B. Wilson succeeded Mel Carnahan to fill the Governor's office until January 2001. Because Missouri election law would not allow for Mel Carnahan's name to be removed from the November 7, 2000 ballot, Jean Carnahan, his widow, became the Democratic candidate unofficially. Governor Wilson promised to appoint her to the senate seat if vacant as a result of Mr. Carnahan's being elected, and the campaign continued using the slogan "I'm Still With Mel." A Senate first, the deceased Carnahan won by a 2% margin. Mrs. Carnahan was then appointed to the Senate and served until, in a special election in November 2002, she was narrowly defeated by James Talent, a Republican.

Carnahan is not the only candidate to have died during a U.S. Senate race in recent decades. Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota was killed in a plane crash in 2002, 11 days before his U.S. Senate election. Representative Jerry Litton, also of Missouri, died in a plane crash in 1976 on the day he was nominated by his party. Richard "Dick" Obenshain of Virginia died in a plane crash in 1978 shortly after receiving the Republican nomination. In the California State Senate race of 2010, voters in the Long Beach district re-elected Jenny Oropeza, who had died of illness the month previously.[2]

Personal life

Carnahan and his family were active members of the First Baptist Church of Rolla, where he served as an ordained deacon and member of the building committee. In 1984, he risked his political career by taking a public stand against Missouri ballot issues, Amendments 5 and 7, which would legalize parimutuel betting and create a state lottery. He was one of only a handful of state elected officials to take such a position; however, both amendments passed.

References

Political offices
Preceded by
Jim Spainhower
State Treasurer of Missouri
January 12, 1981–January 14, 1985
Succeeded by
Wendell Bailey
Preceded by
Harriett Woods
Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
January 9, 1989–January 11, 1993
Succeeded by
Roger B. Wilson
Preceded by
John Ashcroft
Governor of Missouri
January 11, 1993–October 16, 2000
Succeeded by
Roger B. Wilson
Party political offices
Preceded by
Betty Cooper Hearnes
Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Missouri
1992, 1996
Succeeded by
Bob Holden
Preceded by
Alan Wheat
Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from Missouri (Class 1)
2000
Succeeded by
Jean Carnahan

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mel Carnahan — Melvin Eugene „Mel“ Carnahan (* 11. Februar 1934 in Birch Tree, Missouri; † 16. Oktober 2000 nahe Hillsboro, Missouri) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker der Demokratischen Partei. Von 1993 bis 2000 war er Gouverneur des US Bundesstaates… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Carnahan Family — The Carnahan Family is a prominent political family from Missouri. Members of the family have served in the United States House of Representatives, in the United States Senate and in various state offices in Missouri. Notable members of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Carnahan — Caranahan ist der Familienname folgender Personen: A. S. J. Carnahan (1897–1968), US amerikanischer Politiker Jean Carnahan (* 1933), US amerikanische Politikerin und Schriftstellerin Joe Carnahan (* 1969), US amerikanischer Drehbuchautor und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mel Hancock — Melton D. „Mel“ Hancock (* 14. September 1929 in Cape Fair, Stone County, Missouri; † 6. November 2011 in Springfield, Missouri[1]) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker. Zwischen 1989 und 1997 vertrat er den Bundesstaat …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jean Carnahan — Infobox Senator |name=Jean Carnahan nationality=American jr/sr=United States Senator state=Missouri party=Democratic term start=January 3 2001 term end=November 25 2002 preceded=John Ashcroft succeeded=Jim Talent date of birth=birth date and… …   Wikipedia

  • Jean Carpenter Carnahan — Jean Carnahan Jean Anne Carnahan (* 20. Dezember 1933 in Washington D. C. als Jean Carpenter) ist eine ehemalige demokratische Senatorin des US Bundesstaates Missouri sowie Schriftstellerin …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Robin Carnahan — (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician, daughter of Missouri politicians Mel and Jean Carnahan and the current Missouri Secretary of State. She is a member of the Democratic Party.Early life and careerCarnahan grew up in Rolla, Missouri …   Wikipedia

  • Jean Carnahan — Jean Anne Carnahan (* 20. Dezember 1933 in Washington D. C. als Jean Carpenter) ist eine ehemalige demokratische Senatorin des US Bundesstaates Missouri sowie Schriftstellerin. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • A. S. J. Carnahan — Albert Sidney Johnson Carnahan (January 9, 1897 March 24, 1968) was an American politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives for southwestern Missouri for 14 years, as well as the first member of the Carnahan Family… …   Wikipedia

  • Russ Carnahan — Infobox Congressman name = Russ Carnahan date of birth = birth date and age |1958|07|10 place of birth = Columbia, Missouri occupation= attorney alma mater= University of Missouri residence= St. Louis, Missouri state = Missouri district = 3rd… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”