Hansen Clarke

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Hansen Clarke
Hansen Clarke, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 13th district
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
Succeeded by John Conyers
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 1st district
In office
January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2011
Preceded by Ray Murphy
Succeeded by Coleman Young II
Personal details
Born Hansen H. Clarke
(1957-03-02) March 2, 1957 (age 56)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Residence Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Cornell University (B.F.A.)
Profession Attorney
Religion Roman Catholicism[1]

Hansen H. Clarke (born March 2, 1957) is an American politician. A Democrat, he was the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 13th congressional district from 2011 to 2013. Prior to his election to Congress, he had been a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1991 through 1992 and from 1999 through 2002, and had represented the 1st District in the Michigan Senate from 2003 to 2011.[2][3] Clarke was also the first U.S. Congressman of Bangladeshi descent.[4][5] He visited Bangladesh on a goodwill tour from US government.

Clarke entered Congress after defeating incumbent Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick in the 2010 Democratic primary for the 13th congressional district. In 2012, due to redistricting, fellow incumbent Gary Peters chose to run against Clarke in the 14th congressional district primary. Clarke lost the primary to Peters, and left Congress in January 2013.

Contents

Early life, education, and early political career [edit]

Clarke was born in Detroit, Michigan to father Abdul Hashim, an immigrant from pre-partition India, in the region now known as Bangladesh, and to an African American mother, Thelma Clarke.[3] He grew up in the city's lower east side. His father died when he was a child and his mother worked as a crossing guard to support her family. Clarke attended Cass Technical High School, and later graduated from the Governor's Academy, a Massachusetts boarding school.[3]

Clarke attended Cornell University, graduating with a degree in fine arts. Clarke is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. While at Cornell, he became interested in public service and electoral politics. He was elected to the student seat on the Cornell University Board of Trustees. He earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1987.[3]

Clarke worked on the County Executive's staff of Wayne County, during the administration of Edward H. McNamara, and then as chief of staff to U.S. Representative John Conyers.

Michigan legislature [edit]

Elections [edit]

Clarke was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1990, 1998, and 2000. After his six years in the Michigan House, Hansen Clarke was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2002. Senator Clarke was re-elected to his seat in the Senate in 2006.

Tenure [edit]

Since his election, Representative Clarke made it his mission to cut auto insurance rates by 20%. In addition to introducing legislation, Representative Clarke toured the state promoting insurance reform.

U.S. House of Representatives [edit]

Tenure [edit]

As a member of Congress, he worked toward a vision for America where every person has a fair chance to reach his or her potential.[6]

Clarke championed initiatives to increase investment in the City of Detroit, which resulted in millions of dollars of federal assistance being awarded to the city and the region. He won approval in Congress to increase funding to improve nutrition for low-income families, provide housing for homeless veterans, and better equip and staff local police, fire, and emergency medical providers to bolster homeland security.[7][8]

Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170)

Clarke led the effort in Congress to cut student loan debt for millions of Americans by authoring the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012. This bill inspired a national movement, including a petition in support of his legislation that received more than one million signatures that urged Congress to pass H.R. 4170.[9]

Home foreclosures

Clarke also fought foreclosures to save family homes and neighborhoods. He established himself as one of the nation's strongest advocates for struggling homeowners and distressed communities with the Save Our Neighborhoods Act, a bill that would allow many homeowners to stay in their homes by suspending the foreclosure process and reducing their mortgage principal.[10]

Literacy

Clarke worked to reduce crime and restore hope by addressing the urgent crisis of illiteracy among African-American and Hispanic men. He co-authored a bipartisan resolution initiating national action for literacy.[11] Rep. Clarke also introduced the first federal legislation to "Ban the Box,” which would prohibit unfair discrimination against job applicants with certain criminal backgrounds.[12]

Clarke was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Elections [edit]

2010 [edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2010#District 13

Clarke defeated seven-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 13th District--the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district--in Aug. 3, 2010.[13]

In the general election, Clarke easily defeated Republican John Hauler, and became the third American of South Asian descent elected to Congress.[14]

2012 [edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2012#District 14

After Michigan lost a congressional district in redistricting, most of Clarke's district became the 14th District. Clarke decided to run for re-election in the new 14th. However, his district had been significantly redrawn. While it was still based in Detroit, it now included portions of Oakland County. Due to Detroit's declining population, it was no longer possible to keep the district solely within Wayne County.

Clarke faced fellow Congressman Gary Peters and Southfield mayor Brenda Lawrence in the primary. Peters' 9th district had been eliminated in redistricting, and he ran in the 14th since he had represented large chunks of the Oakland County portion of the district in both the State Senate and in Congress. Peters defeated Clarke, and went on to victory in November.[15]

Committee assignments [edit]

Electoral history [edit]

Main article: Electoral history of Hansen Clarke

Personal life [edit]

Clarke is married to Choi Palms-Cohen.[1] They married in mid-2007, three weeks meeting at the offices of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she worked.[16] They live on Detroit's east side where Clarke was born and raised.

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Fighting the power: Hansen Clarke vs. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick". The Smirking Chimp. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
  2. ^ Michigan Manual 2005-2006. Lansing, MI: Legislative Council, State of Michigan. 2006. p. 130. ISBN 1-878210-06-8. Retrieved 2007-03-09. 
  3. ^ a b c d "Michigan Senate Democrats: About Hansen Clarke". 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2007-03-09. 
  4. ^ [1] US Embassy
  5. ^ [2] South Asia Journal
  6. ^ University of Detroit Mercy Law. "Hansen Clarke: Faculty Biography". Retrieved 13 February 2013. 
  7. ^ Scott Dorsey, Melanie. "Detroit Fire Department gets $22.5-million grant to preserve jobs". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 4 February 2013. 
  8. ^ "THOMAS: Bill Summary and Status". Library of Congress. Retrieved 4 February 2013. 
  9. ^ "1 Million People Show Support for Student Loan Forgiveness Act". US News and World Report. Retrieved 25 July 2012. 
  10. ^ GovTrack. "H.R. 4848 (112th): Save Our Neighborhoods Act of 2012". Retrieved 4 February 2013. 
  11. ^ Keating, Patrick. "Hansen Clarke co-sponsoring bipartisan literacy program". Michigan Chronicle. Retrieved 4 February 2013. 
  12. ^ Cwiek, Sarah. "Detroit Congressman wants to make "ban the box" federal law". Michigan Radio. Retrieved 4 February 2013. 
  13. ^ Detroit Free Press: Clarke upsets Kilpatrick as family dynasty ends (Aug. 3, 2010) http://www.freep.com/article/20100804/NEWS15/8040338/
  14. ^ Voice of America: First Bangladeshi-American elected to US Congress (Nov. 3, 2010) http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/First-Bangladeshi-American-Elected-to-US-Congress-106618549.html
  15. ^ "New 14th District lines heat up race for Peters and Clarke". The Detroit News. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012. 
  16. ^ Ann Arborite Choi Palms-Cohen - A whirlwind romance's political turn, Eve Silberman, 2 November 2010, arborweb.com, accessed 7 January 2011

External links [edit]

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United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 13th congressional district
January 3, 2011-January 3, 2013		 Succeeded by
John Conyers
Michigan Senate
Preceded by
Ray Murphy		 State Senator from Michigan's 1st District
2003 – 2011		 Succeeded by
Coleman Young II
Senators
Representatives
(ordered by district)
Other states'
delegations
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