Cedric Levan Richmond (born September 13, 1973)[2] is an American attorney, politician, and political advisor who is serving as senior advisor to the Democratic National Committee. Richmond was previously a senior advisor to the president and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement in the Biden administration. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district from 2011 to 2021. His district included most of New Orleans.
Cedric Richmond | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2011 | |
| Director of the Office of Public Engagement | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – May 18, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Adrian Saenz |
| Preceded by | Timothy Pataki |
| Succeeded by | Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – May 18, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Jared Kushner Stephen Miller Ivanka Trump |
| Succeeded by | Julie Rodriguez Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | G. K. Butterfield |
| Succeeded by | Karen Bass |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 15, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Cao |
| Succeeded by | Troy Carter |
| Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 101st district | |
| In office January 6, 2000 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Naomi White Farve |
| Succeeded by | Wesley Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cedric Levan Richmond September 13, 1973 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Raquel Greenup (m. 2015) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Morehouse College (BA) Tulane University (JD) |
From 2017 to 2019,[3] Richmond chaired the Congressional Black Caucus.[4][5] Beginning with his third term, he was the only Louisiana Democrat serving in either chamber of Congress. He represented New Orleans to the Louisiana State House from 2000 to 2011. In 2019, he was named the first national co-chair of Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.[6] On September 5, 2020, he was named a co-chair of Biden's presidential transition.[7][8] On November 17, 2020, Richmond announced he would leave Congress in January 2021 to serve as Senior Advisor to the President and director of the Office of Public Liaison, which Biden renamed the White House Office of Public Engagement.[9][10][11]
Early life and education
editRichmond was born in New Orleans in 1973 and raised in New Orleans East, where he attended public schools. His father died when he was seven years old. His mother was a public school teacher and small business owner. Richmond graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College, and a Juris Doctor from Tulane School of Law. He also completed an executive program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[12] While at Morehouse, Richmond played college baseball as a pitcher for the Morehouse Maroon Tigers in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.[13]
Louisiana legislature
edit
Richmond was elected and served as the Louisiana State Representative for the 101st district (Orleans Parish) from 2000 to 2011.[15] He was elected shortly after his 27th birthday and was one of the youngest legislators ever to serve in Louisiana when he took office. He served as the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary and a member of the Ways and Means, House Executive, and Legislative Audit Advisory committees.[16]
U.S. House of Representatives
editIn 2010, Richmond was elected to the US House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district for the first time. He took office in 2011. He was reelected in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
On June 9, 2014, Richmond introduced the Honor Flight Act (H.R. 4812; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a process for providing expedited and dignified passenger screening services for veterans traveling on an Honor Flight to visit war memorials that had been built to honor their service.[17]
That year Richmond defended his Republican colleague Vance McAllister, who had become embroiled in an alleged adultery scandal. It was a rare across-the-aisle gesture. Richmond said that he associated the controversy around McAllister with "gotcha moments" in which the "two parties in this country have gone overboard...and taken joy in the pain of their supposed opponents".[18]
Richmond was one of a few Democrats who voted to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline.[19] He is the fifth-biggest recipient of money from fossil fuel donors among House Democrats. The League of Conservation Voters gave him one of the lowest ratings for any Democrat in Congress.[20]
Richmond has been active in the Congressional Black Caucus, made up of African-American legislators who work together to have their views heard. On November 30, 2016, he was elected chair of the caucus for the 115th United States Congress.[21]
On December 18, 2019, Richmond voted to impeach President Donald Trump.[22]
Elections
edit2008
editRichmond came in third place in the seven-candidate primary election for the Democratic nomination for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, behind U.S. Representative William J. Jefferson and television newscaster Helena Moreno. During a primary debate, Richmond accused Moreno of drug use, and she attacked him based on his disqualification from the 2005 New Orleans City Council "D" district election.[23]
Later in 2008, the Louisiana Supreme Court suspended Richmond's law license for six months in a 5–2 decision. It found that he had falsified a sworn statement claiming more than two years of residency in New Orleans's "D" district in order to be eligible for the district's city council seat.[24]
2010
editRichmond challenged Republican incumbent Anh “Joseph” Cao for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district. Richmond was the first candidate in the 2010 elections to have President Barack Obama appear in a television ad on his behalf.[25]
Most analysts considered Richmond a strong favorite to retake this seat for the Democrats, even in what was forecast to be a Republican year nationally. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+25, the 2nd was the most Democratic district in the country to be represented by a Republican. In 2008 Obama had carried it with 74% of the vote, his fifth-best performance in a Southern district and his 35th best nationally.
Richmond won the November 2 election with 65% of the vote.[26]
2012
edit2020
editRichmond's campaign received almost $113,000 from the oil and gas sector, which donated more than any other sector to his campaign.[19] He was reelected with 63.6% of the vote.
Committee assignments
editCongressional caucuses
editControversies
editIn January 2017, Richmond became involved in an argument with Republican lawmakers over whether a particular painting should continue to hang in the Capitol. The painting in question shows police officers apprehending suspects, and the police are depicted as pigs. It was painted by someone from Richmond's district who had won a local award, and Republicans objected to it.[28] Richmond said that escalating the issue might "open up Pandora's Box" because there are other paintings that some people might also find offensive.[29]
In March 2017, Richmond was criticized for making a crude joke about a controversial photograph of Kellyanne Conway kneeling on the Oval Office couch. Richmond appeared to compare Conway to Monica Lewinsky, saying, "I really just want to know what was going on there, because she really looked kind of familiar there in that position there. But don't answer. And I don't want you to refer back to the '90s." Richmond later said the joke was not meant to be sexual.[30] "Since some people have interpreted my joke to mean something that it didn't I think it is important to clarify what I meant", he said in a statement. "Where I grew up saying that someone is looking or acting 'familiar' simply means that they are behaving too comfortably."[30]
Congressional Baseball Game
edit
Richmond played in the annual Congressional Baseball Game. He was the starting Democratic pitcher for each of the five years since his election and the Democrats won each game. He had a 2.85 earned run average, 1.67 walks plus hits per inning pitched and 45 strikeouts in his 27 innings pitched in that span. In 2016 Republican team manager Joe Barton called him the best player to ever participate in the game.[31] Richmond lost his first game in 2016, a day after participating through the night in the 2016 United States House of Representatives sit-in.[13]
Biden administration
edit
Richmond was a national co-chair of the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign.[32] On November 17, 2020, he announced that he would join the Biden administration as Senior Advisor to the President and director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.[9][10] His resignation became official on January 15, 2021.[33] His departure triggered a 2021 special election.[34] Justice Democrats criticized Richmond's appointment, alleging that he was one of the top Democratic recipients of donations from the fossil fuel industry.[35]
In an interview before Biden's swearing-in, Richmond noted his potential work in reaching out to conservatives in different parts of the country.[36] Richmond was reportedly working with the Biden administration on addressing reparations for slavery.[37]
Richmond resigned from the White House on May 18, 2022, for a job at the Democratic National Committee.[38][39]
Electoral history
editU.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District November Election, 2016[40]
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Cutno | Democratic | 28,855 (10%) | Defeated |
| Melvin Holden | Democratic | 57,125 (20%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 198,289 (70%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-November Election, 2014[40]
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Brooks | No Party | 16,327 (7%) | Defeated |
| Samuel Davenport | Libertarian | 15,237 (7%) | Defeated |
| Gary Landrieu | Democratic | 37,805 (17%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 152,201 (69%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-November Election, 2012[40]
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josue Larose | Republican | 11,345 (4%) | Defeated |
| Caleb Trotter | Libertarian | 6,791 (2%) | Defeated |
| Dwayne Bailey | Republican | 38,801 (14%) | Defeated |
| Gary Landrieu | Democratic | 71,916 (25%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 158,501 (55%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-Democratic Party, 2010[41] August 28, 2010
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene Green | Democratic | 2,497 (10%) | Defeated |
| Gary Johnson | Democratic | 1,911 (8%) | Defeated |
| Juan LaFonta | Democratic | 5,166 (21%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 14,622 (60%) | Won |
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-Democratic Party, 2008[41]
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, November 2, 2004
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Carter | Democratic | 9,286 (13%) | Defeated |
| Troy "C" Carter | Democratic | 5,797 (8%) | Defeated |
| William J. Jefferson | Democratic | 17,510 (25%) | Run-off |
| Byron L. Lee | Democratic | 8,979 (13%) | Defeated |
| Helena Moreno | Democratic | 13,795 (20%) | Run-off |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 12,095 (17%) | Defeated |
| Kenya J. H. Smith | Democratic | 1,749 (3%) | Defeated |
Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 2007[41]
October 20, 2007
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric L. Richmond | Democratic | 2,944 (73%) | Elected |
| Roland Barthe | Democratic | 1,107 (27%) | Defeated |
Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 2003[41]
October 4, 2003
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 6,943 (78%) | Elected |
| Willie Jones Jr. | Democratic | 1,906 (22%) | Defeated |
Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 1999[41]
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 23, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wesley T. Bishop | Democratic | 1,241 (14%) | Defeated |
| Naomi White Farve | Democratic | 1,835 (21%) | Defeated |
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 3,480 (40%) | Run-off |
| Eddie Scott | Democratic | 2,119 (24%) | Run-off |
Second Ballot, November 20, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Richmond | Democratic | 3,980 (63%) | Elected |
| Eddie Scott | Democratic | 2,361 (37%) | Defeated |
See also
edit
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Alpert, Bruce (May 23, 2015). "Scalise meets A-Rod, Richmond gets hitched and GOP opposes EPA water rule - On the Hill". Times-Picayune.
- ^ "Elections 2012 - AP Election Guide : NPR". Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
- ^ "Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond Says Goodbye to Seat as he Prepares to Pass "Chair" to Rep. Karen Bass". January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "Cedric Richmond sworn in as chairman of Congressional Black Caucus". Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ a b "Membership". Congressional Black Caucus. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- ^ Glueck, Katie (May 31, 2019). "Cedric Richmond, Biden's New Co-Chairman, Sees a Path to the Nomination in the South". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- ^ "Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Biden Transition Organization - Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Mackel, Travers (November 17, 2020). "Cedric Richmond officially announces that he will vacate congressional seat for role with Biden administration". WDSU News. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Jansen, Bart (November 17, 2020). "Joe Biden names 9 top White House appointees, including Rep. Cedric Richmond and campaign manager O'Malley Dillon". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Shear, Michael; Glueck, Katie (November 17, 2020). "Biden to Name Campaign Manager, Congressional Ally and Close Friend to Key Staff Jobs". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Meet Cedric Richmond | Cedric Richmond for Congress - Louisiana 2nd District". Cedricrichmond.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Kane, Paul (June 14, 2017). "Analysis | Congressional ballgame builds bipartisan friendship. Exhibit A: Steve Scalise and Cedric Richmond". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- ^ "File:FEMA - 45825 - Russell Richmond Meeting.jpg - Wikipedia". commons.wikimedia.org. December 20, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ "Voters pick Bishop, Mills in legis races". Wbrz.com. January 23, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- ^ "About Cedric". cedricrichmond.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
- ^ "H.R. 4812 - Summary". United States Congress. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
- ^ Alpert, Bruce (April 11, 2014). "Richmond reaches out to McAllister: He admonishes both parties". Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. A3. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
- ^ a b Frazin, Rachel (November 17, 2020). "Progressive group slams Biden White House pick over tie to fossil fuel industry". The Hill. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Powell, Tori B. (November 17, 2020). "Biden Appoints Fossil Fuel Ally as His Climate Movement Liaison". Daily Beast. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Rainey, Richard (November 30, 2016). "Cedric Richmond elected chair of Congressional Black Caucus". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
- ^ "WHIP COUNT: Here's which members of the House voted for and against impeaching Trump". Business Insider. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Donze, Frank (September 26, 2008). "Moreno, Richmond trade barbs at 2nd District talk". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- ^ Donze, Frank (December 2, 2008). "State Rep. Cedric Richmond's law license suspended". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- ^ Burns, Alexander (October 4, 2010). "La.'s Richmond gets Obama's 1st ad". Politico. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ Krupa, Michelle; Donze, Frank (November 2, 2010). "Cedric Richmond wins 2nd District House race; Joseph Cao concedes". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
- ^ "Members". New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ Marcos, Cristina (January 13, 2017). "Democrat re-hangs painting depicting cops as pigs". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
The painting has inflamed tensions on Capitol Hill between the two parties. The Hill asked Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, if the painting would need someone to monitor it around the clock to prevent further removals. "No," Richmond replied. "We might just have to kick somebody's ass and stop them, though."
- ^ "CBC: 'We may just have to kick somebody's ass' over painting removal". Politico. January 10, 2017. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
Richmond said any escalation of the issue might "open up Pandora's Box." "I'm looking at some paintings that people could probably find some offense to," he said. "So you just open up Pandora's Box to, I think, anarchy when it comes to the art around this building." "I think it would be a bad move. I think politically it would be an awful move to do that," he continued.
- ^ a b Heil, Emily. "Rep. Cedric Richmond made an awkward joke about Kellyanne Conway, but he says it wasn't meant to be sexual". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^ Gangitano, Alex (June 23, 2016). "Cedric Richmond: Congressional Baseball's Best Player Ever?". Roll Call. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- ^ Wise, Alana; Khalid, Asma (November 17, 2020). "Biden Taps Several Senior Campaign Aides For Key White House Positions". NPR. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Special Election - U.S. House of Representatives Second Congressional District" (PDF). State of Louisiana. January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ "Executive Proclamation Number 3" (PDF). louisiana.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "Progressive group Justice Democrats criticizes Biden appointments". thehill.com/. November 17, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Incoming White House Public Engagement Director On His Plans For The Job". NPR.org. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ "Biden adviser Cedric Richmond sees first-term progress on reparations". news.yahoo.com.
- ^ Top Biden adviser and former congressman resigns from White House gazette.com Archived May 26, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Former Atlanta Mayor Bottoms joining Biden White House". Reuters. June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Louisiana Secretary of State - Live Election Results". voterportal.sos.la.gov. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Elections Division". Louisiana Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 17, 2009. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
External links
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