Clinton LeSueur
Encyclopedia
Clinton Bernard LeSueur is an American
politician and journalist from the state
of Mississippi
.
as the son of a Church of God in Christ
minister. He now lives in Greenville
. The 10th of 15 children, he earned a Bachelors of Science
degree in print journalism from Rust College
and a Master's degree
in political science
from American University
in Washington, D.C.
.
He worked as a news reporter for the "Afro-American Newspaper," one of the oldest black-owned newspaper in United States. He left there to work as a news assistant at USA Today
, where he received the "Voice of Courage" award for writing about health issues. Later, he became lead reporter for TV Technology Magazine, where he cover the Federal Communication Commission and the Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill.
He became Legislative Writer for Washington, DC City Council member Adrian M. Fenty
His volunteer service includes serving for five years in the "I Have A Dream" Foundation, a nationwide network of projects dedicated to keeping at-risk children in school, completing a one-year program as an AmeriCorps
volunteer, and mentoring students in local urban schools.
for most of his life, but was disenchanted with the Democrats' liberal positions on abortion and gay marriage and became a Republican
sometime in 2001. He struggled with this for some time, once saying, "Lord, I don't want to be a Republican!" In 2002, he ran as the Republican candidate in Mississippi's 2nd congressional district
against incumbent Democrat
Bennie Thompson
and ran on a strongly socially conservative platform. He was defeated, obtaining 42.7% of the vote to Thompson's 55.1%--a shockingly close margin, given the district's heavy Democratic tilt and the fact he received little to no support from the national party.
He challenged Thompson again in 2004. This time, he attracted more attention from the national Republican Party, and spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention
. He lost again, receiving 40.6% of the vote. To date, he is the only Republican to have made a credible bid against Thompson.
On July 1, 2005, LeSueur was appointed director of the Delta Regional Authority
(DRA) faith-based initiative.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and journalist from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Personal life
LeSueur was born and raised in Holly Springs, MississippiHolly Springs, Mississippi
Holly Springs is a city in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. A short drive from Memphis, Tennessee, Holly Springs is the site of a number of well-preserved antebellum homes and other structures and...
as the son of a Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
minister. He now lives in Greenville
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
. The 10th of 15 children, he earned a Bachelors of Science
Bachelors Of Science
Bachelors of Science is the stage name of Phil "Rene", Chris and Lukeino. They met in California and formed a successful act, quickly becoming one of the top drum and bass producers in the electronic music scene...
degree in print journalism from Rust College
Rust College
Rust College is a historically black liberal arts college located in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Located approximately 35 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, it is the second-oldest private college in the state...
and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in 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....
.
He worked as a news reporter for the "Afro-American Newspaper," one of the oldest black-owned newspaper in United States. He left there to work as a news assistant at USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, where he received the "Voice of Courage" award for writing about health issues. Later, he became lead reporter for TV Technology Magazine, where he cover the Federal Communication Commission and the Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill.
He became Legislative Writer for Washington, DC City Council member Adrian M. Fenty
His volunteer service includes serving for five years in the "I Have A Dream" Foundation, a nationwide network of projects dedicated to keeping at-risk children in school, completing a one-year program as an AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
volunteer, and mentoring students in local urban schools.
Political career
LeSueur had been a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
for most of his life, but was disenchanted with the Democrats' liberal positions on abortion and gay marriage and became a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
sometime in 2001. He struggled with this for some time, once saying, "Lord, I don't want to be a Republican!" In 2002, he ran as the Republican candidate in Mississippi's 2nd congressional district
Mississippi's 2nd congressional district
Mississippi's 2nd congressional district is the only majority-black district in the state, covering much of western Mississippi. The district includes most of Jackson as well as the cities of Clarksdale, Greenville, Greenwood, Clinton and Vicksburg...
against incumbent Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Bennie Thompson
Bennie Thompson
Bennie G. Thompson, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security since 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
and ran on a strongly socially conservative platform. He was defeated, obtaining 42.7% of the vote to Thompson's 55.1%--a shockingly close margin, given the district's heavy Democratic tilt and the fact he received little to no support from the national party.
He challenged Thompson again in 2004. This time, he attracted more attention from the national Republican Party, and spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
. He lost again, receiving 40.6% of the vote. To date, he is the only Republican to have made a credible bid against Thompson.
On July 1, 2005, LeSueur was appointed director of the Delta Regional Authority
Delta Regional Authority
The Delta Regional Authority is a Federal-State partnership whose mission it is to improve the quality of life for the residents of the Mississippi River Delta Region. The Delta Regional Authority serves 252 counties and parishes in parts of eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky,...
(DRA) faith-based initiative.