Charlie Luken
Encyclopedia
Charles J. Luken is an American politician of the Democratic party who was mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
and served in the Ohio's 1st congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
. Luken's uncle, labor leader James T. Luken
, also served as mayor of Cincinnati. Luken, who is divorced, has three children.
degree from the University of Notre Dame
(Indiana
) in 1973. He then entered law school
at the University of Cincinnati College of Law
, earning his degree in 1976, after which he started practicing law
.
Rejected by the Democratic party as a successor to his uncle, Jim Luken
, Luken first ran for the council as an independent, losing the at-large race in 1979. Luken served on the Cincinnati city council from 1981 to 1984, before becoming mayor. Luken served as mayor of Cincinnati from 1984 to 1991.
In 1990, Luken's father, Tom Luken
, a U.S. representative from Ohio, decided to retire. Charlie then ran for a seat in Ohio's District 1 in the United States House of Representatives
to replace his father. Luken won the election, defeating another former Cincinnati mayor, Ken Blackwell
. Luken began serving in the U.S. House in 1991 (102nd Congress). He declined to run for re-election in 1992.
Returning from Washington, Luken served as a news anchor at WLWT-TV from 1993 to 1999, the same Cincinnati station where ex-mayor Jerry Springer
and Luken's father's onetime political opponent Tom Atkins had worked as news anchors. One of Luken's colleagues was future political opponent Courtis Fuller
.
resulting from perceived racism
on the part of city police, as evidenced by a pattern of racial profiling and the shooting deaths of several unarmed black men.
In 2001, Luken won a second term against his former co-anchor Fuller (a Democrat running as a Charterite).
Fuller, a popular black anchorman for a local network station, was running at the same time Cincinnati was still dealing with the fallout of the riots
, the racial discord highlighted by the continuing Cincinnati boycott
by black celebrities and national organizations. The Hamilton County, Ohio
, Board of Elections initially questioned the validity of Fuller's campaign because he had moved into the city only just before declaring his candidacy. Luken, however, discouraged the board from its inquiry, stating that it would be bad for the city if he had no opponent for re-election, as the Republican party had failed to field a candidate for the office of mayor. Fuller beat Luken by 54-38 percent in the nonpartisan primary held September 11, 2001. However, the infamous terrorist attacks
in New York City
and Washington, D.C.
that happened the day of the primary overshadowed Fuller's victory.
In the general election, Luken managed to beat Fuller. The voting followed race lines, with Fuller receiving 78 percent of the vote in predominantly black voting wards, while Luken received approximately 80 percent of the votes in predominantly white wards.http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/11/08/loc_votes_for_mayor.html With more whites than blacks in Cincinnati, this racial split gave Luken the win.
The election race for his successor was narrowed down to two candidates after the primary run: first-term councilman David Pepper (son of John Pepper, the charismatic, former CEO of Procter & Gamble
, which is one of the largest employers of the Cincinnati area) and Mark Mallory
, a member of the state Senate. With the previous election following the city's racial divides so closely, the race of the candidates — Pepper is white, Mallory is black — was considered significant. Both candidates were members of the Ohio Democratic Party
.
Mallory was elected Luken's successor on November 8, 2005.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and served in the Ohio's 1st congressional district
Ohio's 1st congressional district
Ohio's 1st congressional district is currently represented by Republican Steve Chabot. This district includes parts of Cincinnati, and borders both Kentucky and Indiana.-Cities:Cincinnati Cheviot Deer Park Forest Park Harrison Mount Healthy...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Luken's uncle, labor leader James T. Luken
Jim Luken
James T. Luken was an American politician and labor union leader of the Democratic party, who served as mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1970s....
, also served as mayor of Cincinnati. Luken, who is divorced, has three children.
Early career
Luken earned a bachelor of artsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
(Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
) in 1973. He then entered law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at the University of Cincinnati College of Law
University of Cincinnati College of Law
The University of Cincinnati College of Law is the fourth oldest continually running law school in the United States and a founding member of the Association of American Law Schools. It was started in 1833 as the Cincinnati Law School...
, earning his degree in 1976, after which he started practicing law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
.
Rejected by the Democratic party as a successor to his uncle, Jim Luken
Jim Luken
James T. Luken was an American politician and labor union leader of the Democratic party, who served as mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1970s....
, Luken first ran for the council as an independent, losing the at-large race in 1979. Luken served on the Cincinnati city council from 1981 to 1984, before becoming mayor. Luken served as mayor of Cincinnati from 1984 to 1991.
In 1990, Luken's father, Tom Luken
Tom Luken
Thomas Andrew Luken is a politician of the Democratic Party from Ohio.Luken received his high school diploma in 1942 from Purcell High School. During the Second World War, Luken served as a U.S. Marine. In 1947, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, after having...
, a U.S. representative from Ohio, decided to retire. Charlie then ran for a seat in Ohio's District 1 in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
to replace his father. Luken won the election, defeating another former Cincinnati mayor, Ken Blackwell
Ken Blackwell
John Kenneth Blackwell is an American politician and activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1979 to 1980 and Ohio Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007. A Republican, he was the first African-American to be the candidate for governor of a major party in Ohio. In 2006, Blackwell...
. Luken began serving in the U.S. House in 1991 (102nd Congress). He declined to run for re-election in 1992.
Returning from Washington, Luken served as a news anchor at WLWT-TV from 1993 to 1999, the same Cincinnati station where ex-mayor Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
and Luken's father's onetime political opponent Tom Atkins had worked as news anchors. One of Luken's colleagues was future political opponent Courtis Fuller
Courtis Fuller
Courtis John Fuller is a news broadcaster in Cincinnati, Ohio, who is active in politics and in local community affairs. Fuller is an on-air personality at WLWT-TV. He was named "Cincinnati's Favorite TV Personality" by the Broadcast Hall of Fame.In 2001, Fuller, a lifelong Democrat, ran as a...
.
Cincinnati's first "strong mayor"
After a change in the Cincinnati city charter that made the mayoralty a separately-elected office and established a "strong-mayor" form of government, Luken returned to politics. In 1999, he again took over the office of mayor of Cincinnati. In his first return term as mayor, Luken had to deal with the 2001 Cincinnati Riots2001 Cincinnati riots
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 were the largest urban disorders in the United States since the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The four days of rioting were a reaction to the fatal shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old black male, by Steven Roach, a white police officer, during an...
resulting from perceived racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
on the part of city police, as evidenced by a pattern of racial profiling and the shooting deaths of several unarmed black men.
In 2001, Luken won a second term against his former co-anchor Fuller (a Democrat running as a Charterite).
Fuller, a popular black anchorman for a local network station, was running at the same time Cincinnati was still dealing with the fallout of the riots
2001 Cincinnati riots
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 were the largest urban disorders in the United States since the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The four days of rioting were a reaction to the fatal shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old black male, by Steven Roach, a white police officer, during an...
, the racial discord highlighted by the continuing Cincinnati boycott
2001 Cincinnati riots
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 were the largest urban disorders in the United States since the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The four days of rioting were a reaction to the fatal shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old black male, by Steven Roach, a white police officer, during an...
by black celebrities and national organizations. The Hamilton County, Ohio
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
, Board of Elections initially questioned the validity of Fuller's campaign because he had moved into the city only just before declaring his candidacy. Luken, however, discouraged the board from its inquiry, stating that it would be bad for the city if he had no opponent for re-election, as the Republican party had failed to field a candidate for the office of mayor. Fuller beat Luken by 54-38 percent in the nonpartisan primary held September 11, 2001. However, the infamous terrorist attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
that happened the day of the primary overshadowed Fuller's victory.
In the general election, Luken managed to beat Fuller. The voting followed race lines, with Fuller receiving 78 percent of the vote in predominantly black voting wards, while Luken received approximately 80 percent of the votes in predominantly white wards.http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/11/08/loc_votes_for_mayor.html With more whites than blacks in Cincinnati, this racial split gave Luken the win.
Withdrawal from politics
In August 2004, Luken announced he would not seek re-election to a third term. In September 2004, he briefly flirted with running for Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney as a write-in candidate because scandal plagued incumbent Michael K. Allen had no opponent. Luken reactivated his dormant law license but ultimately decided not to run.The election race for his successor was narrowed down to two candidates after the primary run: first-term councilman David Pepper (son of John Pepper, the charismatic, former CEO of Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, which is one of the largest employers of the Cincinnati area) and Mark Mallory
Mark L. Mallory
Mark Mallory is an American politician of the Democratic Party who is currently serving as the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. His election marked a new era for City Hall as the first two-term Mayor under the City’s new Stronger-Mayor system, the first directly-elected black Mayor, and the first Mayor...
, a member of the state Senate. With the previous election following the city's racial divides so closely, the race of the candidates — Pepper is white, Mallory is black — was considered significant. Both candidates were members of the Ohio Democratic Party
Ohio Democratic Party
The Ohio Democratic Party is the Ohio affiliate to the United States Democratic Party. Former Ohio House Minority Leader Chris Redfern is the Ohio Democratic Party chairman. Redfern was elected to office in December 2005...
.
Mallory was elected Luken's successor on November 8, 2005.
See also
- Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 1st District
- List of United States Representatives from Ohio
- Election Results, Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio (Primary Election)
- Election Results, Mayor of Cincinnati, OhioElection Results, Mayor of Cincinnati, OhioThe mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, is elected directly in a nonpartisan election separate from the City Council election. Until 2001, the candidate who received the most votes in the City Council election would become mayor. Mayoral candidates in the general election are chosen in an open primary.Bold...