Though he made many political enemies with his voting record, his personal standing in Congress remained high. Fields won 19 percent of the vote in the open primary, finishing as the runner–up to Republican Mike Foster—whose family had a history of service in the state and who switched party affiliation just weeks before the primary election. In his early law school years, he began circulating bumper stickers to classmates that read, “I’m waiting for Cleo Fields.” Fields noted, “I didn’t know what office I would run for, so I didn’t want to be too specific.”4. Jesse Jackson ran so Obama could win. I'm a lawyer. And this senator walked up to me and said, `Excuse me, son. In 1997, he took an appointment in Vice President Al Gore’s office directing a federal program that awarded grants and economic incentives to impoverished communities, classified as “empowerment zones” and “enterprise communities,” each receiving a different level of federal aid.21 Several of these zones were located in Fields’s former Louisiana district. It’s been one of the most productive things I’ve done with my life.” But, he also conceded, “When I was in Congress, I thought it was the greatest job in the world.”23. I want people to know how honored I am,” he told reporters, “Well, I got 17 percent of the white vote [in the governor’s race]. On October 12, 2019, Cleo Fields was re-elected to serve the 14th Senatorial District of Louisiana, returning him to the Senate for the third time. Upon completion of law school, the same year, Fields was elected to the Louisiana State Senate at the age of 24. 22“Senator Cleo Fields—District 14,” Louisiana State Senate, at http://senate.legis.state.la.use/FieldsC/biography.asp (accessed 7 March 2007). Fields was soon preoccupied with defending the borders of his district against several lawsuits. 12Michael J. Dubin et al., U.S. Congressional Elections, 1788–1997 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 1998): 779. He also emerged as a leader in the war against illegal drugs. He defeated Jones handily with 74 percent of the vote, emphasizing three goals he would advocate throughout his political career: creating jobs, lowering the cost of health care, and reducing the federal deficit.8. At the age of 24 — the same year he received his law degree — Fields joined the state legislature, becoming the youngest person ever to hold such office. Congressional Quarterly noted that Fields "has tried to use his seats on the Banking Committee and the Small Business Committee to leverage capital for small businesses willing to relocate in his district, where poverty rates are high." He was succeeded in 2008 by Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb. Another black candidate withdrew and endorsed Fields, leaving him the entire black vote. 16Congressional Quarterly Almanac, 1995 (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Inc., 1996): 12–5. They have two sons, Brandon and Christopher. He's lost his mind.'" 15Tyler Bridges, “Jefferson Joins Race, Is Pitted With Fields,” 9 February 1995, Times–Picayune (New Orleans, LA). (Bill) Clinton administration rather than take the lead on many legislative initiatives. View the profiles of people named Cleo Field. After various challenges, referrals to higher courts, and redraws, Fields was finally able to run in his custom-designed district and trounced a nominal Republican challenger in 1994. He worked in a store and a McDonald's restaurant to help out the family. “I don’t want to leave the impression that I am bitter [about the apportionment battle]. The district was designed to collect a larger black populace — and more black votes — than a competing version. After graduating from McKinley High School in Baton Rouge, Fields attended cross–town Southern University, earning his bachelors and law degrees. He ran for Congress in 1990 and was defeated but was re-elected to the State Senate for the 14th district in 1991. Pilgrim Baptist Church. United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives, Origins & Development: From the Constitution to the Modern House, Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations, Presidents, Vice Presidents, & Coinciding Sessions of Congress, Foreign Leaders and Dignitaries Who Have Addressed the U.S. Congress, Individuals Who Have Lain in State or Honor, Calendars of the House of Representatives, Search Historical Highlights of the House, Chief Administrative Officers of the House, John W. McCormack Annual Award of Excellence to Congressional Employees, House Members Who Became U.S. Supreme Court Justices, House Members Who Received Electoral College Votes, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress, Jeannette Rankin’s Historic Election: A Century of Women in Congress, Joseph H. Rainey: 150 Years of Black Americans Elected to Congress, Campaign Collectibles: Running for Congress, Electronic Technology in the House of Representatives, The People’s House: A Guide to Its History, Spaces, and Traditions, An Annual Outing: The Congressional Baseball Game, Florence Kahn: Congressional Widow to Trailblazing Lawmaker, Mace of the U.S. House of Represen- tatives, The Long Struggle for Representation: Oral Histories of African Americans in Congress, National History Day 2021: Communication in History, Time for a Tour: Visiting the People’s House, Researching the House: Other Primary Sources, https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/F/FIELDS,-Cleo-(F000110)/, House Committee - Banking and Financial Services, House Committee - Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs. Fields Plotting Political Comeback,” 8 June 2000, Roll Call. At the "State of the Black Union 2008" symposium in New Orleans, Louisiana in February 2008, Fields said, "Rosa Parks sat down so we could stand up. Some analysts actually wagered that Fields chances in the election might be helped by the likelihood that many of Foster's supporters would go duck hunting on election day. He previously served as co-chair of Rainbow/Push Board of Trustees and presently serves as their General Counsel. History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “FIELDS, Cleo,” https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/F/FIELDS,-Cleo-(F000110)/ He also created a Congressional Classroom for elementary through secondary school-age students, noted for being the first of its kind in the country, to develop leadership and self-esteem while understanding the governmental process. Fields Plotting Political Comeback.”, View Record in the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress. State Sen. Cleo Fields was driving to his Government Street office after church Jan. 19 when he noticed graffiti up and down the street, including on his office. "Of course, a newsletter like that doesn't have to say `reelect me' to be effective around election time," explained National Taxpayers Union vice-president Pete Sepp in Insight on the News. He also was active in the 1996 presidential campaign, serving as a senior advisor on the Clinton–Gore re–election campaign. "Voters have had an opportunity to see me and see how I operate as an elected official," he explained during a news conference covered by the Chicago Tribune. According to Congressional Quarterly, Fields "was a leader against illicit drug use and was regarded favorably by environmentalists, but not so much so that he was perceived as an enemy of the state's powerful natural gas industry." Fields lost the runoff vote—which was mostly divided on racial lines—taking only 36 percent of the vote.16. "When I was elected to the state senate, I was a little kid," he admitted in Salon. Fields reminisced in the Internet magazine Salon on having holes in the bottoms of his shoes and not being able to attend 25-cent school field trips. The Baton Rouge Democrat … If no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the state held a runoff election between the top–two vote getters. The court ruled that Fields’s Z–shaped district was invalid and forced another reapportionment.10 The new district resembled a wedge running between the northwest border of the state toward the center and Baton Rouge. He was forced into a runoff against fellow state senator Charles D. Jones of Monroe, which Fields won with more than 73 percent of the vote. Yet Fields' self-confidence was not enough to earn him an enthusiastic endorsement from fellow Democrats, and his alleged lack of cross-over appeal because of his color was a constant issue during the campaign. CLICK FOR MORE. "Anyone who thinks Cleo Fields is not tough is not living in this world," he noted in the Tribune. I like to be the underdog. He ran for governor in 1995, coming second in the jungle primary and then losing in a landslide to Mike Foster. However, Louisiana did not pick up a seat after the next census. "It can serve as a great, well-produced reminder to voters that their incumbent congressman is taking care of business." Ex–Rep. Obama ran so we can all fly. Fields married his high school sweetheart, Debra Horton. 9Bruce Alpert, “Fields’ Focus Earns Praise From Liberals,” 29 October 1995, Times–Picayune (New Orleans, LA): A1. In the Louisiana Political Review, he noted that during childhood he considered his life a normal one. 23Mercurio, “Return Engagement? He did not run for re-election to the House in 1996 and his seat was taken by Republican John Cooksey. He served at the same time as his brother Wilson until Wilson Fields won a judgeship, the first time in Louisiana history that two brothers served together in the Senate. In 1990, Fields ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Republican Clyde Holloway for a U.S. House seat encompassing central Louisiana that included portions of the state capital, Baton Rouge. Foster's conservative message, designed by media consultant Roy Fletcher, who also had handled Cleo Fields' campaign for Congress, resonated with Louisiana's voters, who in a previous election had given former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke nearly 40 percent of the popular vote. As the polls predicted, Fields was defeated soundly in the runoff. He was assigned to the Small Business Committee as well as the Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Committee. "I had on roach stompers and baggy pants. In April 1994, the federal court in Louisiana re–examined Hays v. Louisiana—a lawsuit that was previously filed by four of Fields’s constituents who claimed Louisianans’ voting rights were hindered by a racial “supermajority” in all the state’s congressional districts. To the surprise of some experts, he unseated Turnley, who in the Commercial-Appeal referred to Fields as "a very ambitious young man and an astute campaigner." Fields graduated from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge in 1987. 1Joan McKinney, “‘There’s A Bright Future Ahead’: Rep. Cleo Fields Plans to Rest, Get a Job—And Return to Office,” 1 December 1996, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA): 1A. Fields was born in Port Allen, Louisiana and received his undergraduate and law degrees from Southern University in Baton Rouge. 7Politics in America, 1994 (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Inc., 1993): 650. Fields returned to the state senate in a special election in December 1997, serving simultaneously with his younger brother, Wilson.22 Fields also began hosting a weekly radio program in Baton Rouge, called “Cleo Live,” which drew prominent black politicians as guests, and he opened a law practice. Everybody laughed, including the teacher. He has been married to his wife, Debra for 27 years. In 1992, Fields was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as Congressman of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional district.
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