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John Russell Carnahan (; born July 10, 1958) is an American politician from the state of Missouri. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa * Botswana Democratic Party * Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *De ...
, he served as the
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for from 2005 to 2013. At the time, the district included the southern third of the city of St. Louis (known as South City) and most of the southern St. Louis suburbs including most of Jefferson County and all of Ste. Genevieve County. Some cities located in the district include:
Webster Groves Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is home to the main campus of Webster University. Geography Webster Groves is located at ( ...
, Mehlville,
Affton Affton is a census-designated place (CDP) in south St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, near St. Louis. The population was 20,417 at the 2020 United States Census. Geography Affton is located at 38°33'4" North, 90°19'25" West (38.551052 ...
, and Oakville, and the southern suburbs of
Arnold Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia U ...
, Herculaneum, Pevely, Crystal City, Barnhart,
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...
, and
Festus Festus may refer to: People Ancient world * Porcius Festus, Roman governor of Judea from approximately 58 to 62 AD *Sextus Pompeius Festus (later 2nd century), Roman grammarian *Festus (died 305), martyr along with Proculus of Pozzuoli *Festus ( ...
, as well as Ste. Genevieve in the neighboring Ste. Genevieve County. Dramatic losses in population in St. Louis in the 2010 Census contributed to Missouri losing a Congressional seat effective 2013. In the re-mapping of the state's congressional districts, Carnahan's district was dismantled. The bulk of the district, including Carnahan's home, was drawn into
Missouri's 1st congressional district Missouri's 1st congressional district is in the eastern portion of the state. It includes all of St. Louis City and much of northern St. Louis County, including the cities of Maryland Heights, University City, Ferguson and Florissant. The ...
. The move placed Carnahan and William Lacy Clay Jr. in the same district; Carnahan lost the primary to Clay for the seat on August 7, 2012.


Early life, education and career

John Russell Carnahan was born in 1958 in
Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area (Mis ...
, and raised in Rolla. He is the son of the late
Mel Carnahan Melvin Eugene Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 until his death in a plane crash in 2000. A Democrat, he was elected posthumously to th ...
, the former
Governor of Missouri A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...
and posthumous
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...
-elect, and
Jean Carnahan Jean Anne Carnahan (née Carpenter; born December 20, 1933) is an American politician and writer who was the First Lady of Missouri from 1993 to 2000, and served as the state's junior United States senator from 2001 to 2002. A Democrat, she was ...
(née Carpenter), who was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat to which her husband was posthumously elected. His grandfather,
A. S. J. Carnahan Albert Sidney Johnson Carnahan (January 9, 1897 – March 24, 1968) was an American diplomat and politician from Southeast Missouri. He began his career as a teacher and school administrator. He then served as a member of the United States House ...
, served in Congress for seven terms, and also as U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone. Russ Carnahan is a recipient of the Eagle Scout Award. His sister Robin Carnahan was elected to the office of secretary state in 2004 and again in 2008 in which she received the most votes cast for a single candidate in the state's history. His brother Randy was killed in the same plane crash that took the life of his father. Russ Carnahan received a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six y ...
and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri. He worked as a private practice attorney prior to entering politics.


U.S. House of Representatives


Committee assignments

* Committee on Foreign Affairs ** Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights ** Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Ranking Member) *
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. History The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works a ...
** Subcommittee on Aviation ** Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management ** Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment * Committee on Veterans' Affairs ** Subcommittee on Health


Caucus memberships

*American Engagement Caucus * Congressional Biomass Caucus * International Conservation Caucus *Sportsmen's Caucus * New Democrat Coalition


Political positions

Crime: In the 2008 Missouri Congressional Political Courage Test, Carnahan supported the use of the death penalty in federal crimes. He also supported strict penalties for internet crime, such as hacking identity theft. However, he also supported programs to provide inmates with job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. In addition, Carnahan supported programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment. He supported the requirement that crimes based on sexual orientation should be prosecuted as federal hate crimes. Economy & Jobs: In 2009, Carnahan voted for the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...
. Missouri Republicans criticized Carnahan's vote, noting that passage of the bill resulted in $107 million in federal funding for Lost Creek Wind Farm, an alternative energy facility owned by Russ Carnahan's brother, Tom Carnahan. Environment & Energy: Carnahan supported the regulation and enforcements of both the Clean Air and Clean Water Act. He supported further development and use of alternative fuels as well as the development of traditional energy resources, such as coal and natural gas. Carnahan also wanted to strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and SUVs. He has supported tax credits to consumers and manufacturers of hybrid vehicles. In addition, he supported international voluntary and mandatory emission targets to limit global warming. Carnahan has supported the interests of groups trying to protect the environment, such as the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. Russ Carnahan voted in favor of H.R. 2454: American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 also known as the Cap and Trade bill or Waxman/Markey act. Health: Recently, Carnahan voted against a Health Care and Insurance Law amendment that would prohibit federal funding of abortion services. He supports the interests of pro-choice groups such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Carnahan wants tax credits to be offered to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance. He also supports the importation of prescription drugs to the U.S., and wants to expand prescription drug coverage under Medicare so that more people can be covered. Carnahan would also like child healthcare programs to be expanded so that more children can be covered. Carnahan voted in favor of H.R. 3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act in 2009, Foreign Policy In January 2010, Carnahan partnered with Republican Congressman Joseph Cao of Louisiana to create the American Engagement Caucus, its stated purpose being the promotion of a multilateral foreign policy in which the United States works closely with other countries to address global problems. As a joint editorial between the two congressmen stated, "We live in an age of interdependence. America's security, economic, environmental, and moral interests are inextricably linked with those of the international community. Simply put, it is in our vital national interest to support international engagement.". He has since introduced multiple other bills related to science diplomacy. Guns According to the
NRA The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while contin ...
Russ Carnahan was rated with an F rating meaning he agreed with laws or signed in laws that were infringing on gun rights. Robin Carnahan, Russ's sister also has an F rating with the NRA. In 2016 during his run for Lt. Governor, Carnahan said,"I'm a member of the NRA as well as a Democrat. Democrat or Republican, no decision is going to be made to be harmful to the people."


Political campaigns

Carnahan's first campaign for political office was in 1990, when he unsuccessfully ran for Congress in the 8th Congressional District against Republican
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
Bill Emerson Norvell William Emerson (January 1, 1938 – June 22, 1996) was an American politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri from 1981 until his death from lung cancer in Bethesda, Maryland in 19 ...
, losing by 14 points, 57% to 43%. His grandfather had previously represented much of this district's western portion for all but two years from 1947 to 1961. Prior to challenging Emerson, by his own telling the then-32-year-old Carnahan had already "been active in government and politics for most of my adult life." Carnahan was active in several of his late father's political campaigns, including successful bids for state treasurer (1980) and lieutenant governor (1988), and an unsuccessful race for governor (1984). In January 1980, Carnahan slept for five days on the floor outside the Secretary of State's Office in the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, to ensure that his father's name would be first on the ballot for Missouri State Treasurer when filing opened on January 8. Said Carnahan, "A lot of people get football tickets this way. It's going to be a long five days, so I guess we'll get some sleeping bags and a TV in here." And in 1984, when his father ran for state treasurer, Carnahan made stump speeches for him across Missouri. Carnahan also had already worked for Missouri House Speaker Bob F. Griffin, Missouri Secretary of State Jim Kirkpatrick, and Missouri House Majority Leader Tony Ribaudo; had served on the executive committee of the Missouri Democratic Party; and, was the deputy Missouri campaign manager for Dick Gephardt's 1988 presidential campaign. In his race against Emerson, one newspaper remarked "on Carnahan's tactics of deliberate misinformation and distortion of facts" and his "negative and demagogic approach to the 8th District race." The ''Sikeston Standard-Democrat'' said, "Democrat Russ Carnahan has brought more mud into a congressional campaign than the days of Bill D. Burlison." According to the ''Rolla Daily News'', "We have already heard enough from Carnahan, whose loose interpretation of Mr. Emerson's record is grossly misleading. Mostly B.S., in other words. Couple that with Carnahan's wild accusations of what Emerson is to be blamed for, and I wouldn't be surprised if Carnahan doesn't soon attribute Missouri's recent fifth-down loss to Colorado to Emerson." Responding to this criticism, Carnahan alleged "that the Sowers family, which publishes the ''Rolla Daily News'', has endorsed Emerson because the congressman rents district office space from the family." The ''
Southeast Missourian ''The Southeast Missourian'' is a 3 day per week newspaper published in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and serves (as the name implies) the southeastern portion of Missouri. History The paper began publication on October 3, 1904 as ''The Daily Rep ...
'' described Carnahan's claim as "amateurish." In the final days of the campaign, "frustrated by ads being run by
merson Merson is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Billy Merson (1879–1947), English music hall performer and songwriter * George F. Merson (1866–1959), Scottish pharmacist who produced surgical catgut * Jack Merson (1922–2000), f ...
" Carnahan "lashed back by calling Emerson a 'damn liar.'" Emerson defeated Carnahan, 57% to 43%. Carnahan considered running against Emerson again in 1994, but ultimately "decided 1994 was not the time." He then moved to St. Louis, where in 2000 he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He narrowly defeated political activist Jeanette Mott Oxford in the Democratic primary election by a scant 64 votes but went on to win the general election by a wide margin. He was reelected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2002. In 2004, Carnahan ran for the 3rd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives which was vacated by retiring U.S. Representative and former
House Minority Leader Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are ele ...
and co-founder of the New Democratic Coalition
Dick Gephardt Richard Andrew Gephardt (; born January 31, 1941) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as a United States Representative from Missouri from 1977 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was House Majority Leader fr ...
. Carnahan narrowly won a crowded primary field of ten Democratic candidates in 2004 with 22.9 percent of the vote, finishing with less than 1,800 votes ahead of his nearest rival, political activist Jeff Smith, who garnered 21.3 percent. In the general election Carnahan faced Republican candidate William J. Federer, an author and Religious Right activist who had previously run against Gephardt on several occasions. The election was somewhat closer than expected. However, St. Louis's strong Democratic tilt (a Republican had not represented this district or its predecessors since 1953) helped Carnahan win with 53 percent of the vote. The district reverted to form in 2006 and Carnahan was reelected with 65 percent of the vote.


2008


2010

Carnahan won re-election over Republican nominee Edward Martin Jr., Constitution Party nominee Nick Ivanovich, and Libertarian nominee Steven Hedrick. Brian Wallner qualified as a write-in candidate.


2012

During his time in Congress, Carnahan represented the southern third of St. Louis City, as well as much of southern St. Louis County and all of Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve counties. However, Missouri was due to lose a district after the 2010 census revealed sluggish population growth in Missouri. On May 4, 2011, the Missouri Legislature overrode Governor Jay Nixon's veto of the proposed elimination of the 3rd District, by a 109-44 vote in the Missouri House, and 28-6 in the Missouri Senate. The new map merged all of St. Louis, including Carnahan's home, into the 1st District, represented by six-term Democrat
Lacy Clay William Lacy Clay Jr. (born July 27, 1956) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative from from 2001 to 2021. His congressional career ended after he lost in a Democratic primary to Cori Bush in 2020, after successfully de ...
. Carnahan challenged Clay in the primary for the redrawn 1st on August 7, 2012–the real contest in this heavily Democratic district–and lost by a landslide, 63% to 34%. Carnahan was mentioned as a possible candidate to fill a vacancy in the 8th District after Rep.
Jo Ann Emerson Jo Ann Emerson (née Hermann; born September 16, 1950) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1996 to 2013. The district consists of Southeast and South Central Missouri and includes the Bootheel, the Lead Belt and ...
stepped down in 2013.


2016

Carnahan was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. "Many of you have consistently encouraged me to continue serving our state in new ways — especially at a time when so many of our state officials are so very disconnected from the everyday needs and aspirations of Missourians," he wrote. He lost the general election to Republican Mike Parson.


Electoral history

Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2004, Joseph L. Badaracco received 11 votes. In 2010, Brian Wallner received 3 votes. Write in notes: Jake Wilburn received 87 votes.


References


External links


Russ Carnahan for Congress
''official campaign site'' *
Profile
at
SourceWatch The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is a progressive nonprofit watchdog and advocacy organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. CMD publishes ExposedbyCMD.org, SourceWatch.org, and ALECexposed.org. History CMD was founded in 1993 by progres ...
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carnahan, Russ 1958 births Living people Methodists from Missouri Carnahan family Democratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives Politicians from Columbia, Missouri People from Rolla, Missouri Politicians from St. Louis University of Missouri alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri 21st-century American politicians