Posted on 12/15/2007 3:57:18 PM PST by digger48
INDIANAPOLIS - A family spokeswoman said Representative Julia Carson has died at age 69. Spokeswoman Vanessa Summers says the first black and first woman to represent Indianapolis in Congress died this morning after a battle with lung cancer.
The Democrat announced last month that doctors had diagnosed her with terminal lung cancer and that she would not seek re-election next year.
Carson won more than two dozen consecutive campaigns for local, legislative and congressional elections. She also championed children's issues, women's rights, affordable housing and efforts to reduce homelessness. She was a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq.
It will be up to Governor Mitch Daniels to call a special election to complete the last year of Carson's term in the predominantly Democratic district.
Carson served in Congress for six terms. Before assuming her seat in Congress, Carson served in the Indiana General Assembly and was the Center Township Trustee. Funeral plans for Carson are pending.
Julia Carson made a career of serving the public. The lifelong public servant will be remembered for her rise from poverty and for her fighting spirit. Included on her Congressional website is a quote from former Congressman Andy Jacobs about his successor: "The only thing some people learn from oppression is hatred and revenge. Others learn compassion and empathy. From the physical pain of material poverty and the mindlessly cruel persecution of nitwit racism, Julia Carson made her choice of hard work, compassion and a pleasing sense of humor."
Julia Carson first ran for office in 1972. She served 18 years in the Indiana General Assembly, first as a state representative then as a state senator. In 1990, Carson left the legislature and ran for Center Township Trustee. She served six years in that role. After her time as a trustee, she wanted a new challenge and ran for the Congressional seat Andy Jacobs had vacated. She had Jacob's endorsement for the job and he remained a close friend until her death.
Carson's victory in the congressional race led to her being the first woman and the first African-American U.S. Representative from Indianapolis. However, Carson missed her swearing-in ceremony. Instead, she was at Methodist Hospital where doctors performed bypass surgery, unclogging two blocked arteries. After recuperating, she was able to celebrate her win three months later with a reception in Washington, D.C.
Carson spent several days in and out of the hospital around the 2004 general election. During a 24-Hour News 8 debate, the Congresswoman responded to questions about her health saying she would resign her office if she felt physically unable to serve.
Again during the run for her sixth term in office, her health was an issue in the race. Despite ongoing questions about her health, she easily beat her Republican challenger for her sixth term.
She was serving her sixth term when she took a leave of absence from Congress in September 2007 citing a leg infection. Carson announced she wouldn't run for re-election in November 2007 after revealing she had recurrent lung cancer that was discovered when she was being treated for her leg infection.
Stay with 24-Hour News 8 for more on this story as it develops.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Prayers for her family. I really hated the way she took advantage of her stint as a Congresscritter, but I would not have wished this fate on her.
NOO; this is SAD even if she was a Democrat and liberal (somewhat,..mostly)!
Prayers for her family.
s/b Zero!
A career politician and Leftist.
An honor.
Sorry to hear the news. There have been several House members dying since this current Congress took over.
I of course would rather have seen Carson defeated at the ballot box. I wonder now in a special election if the Republican who ran a strong race against her in ‘06 would have a shot.
We have an outside chance of winning the seat, although it is drawn for the Democrats. Carson tended to underperform in it, though. Eric Dickerson, however, may not be our nominee this time.
Save the dancing on the grave crap for DU.
this district is probably just out of reach except for extraordinary circumstances. The only reason the Republican ran close last time was because of the incumbents poor health.
May she rest in peace.
I hate cancer a thousand times more than any democrat.
RIP, congresswoman.
It shouldn’t be an honor. That is not us. Let the other side do that.
I guess I hadn’t even done that
Nonetheless, R.I.P.
I listened to a brief story about her career on WNYC earlier, which was the first time I heard the news.
Fare thee well Mrs. Carlson.
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