James M. Clarke

James M. Clarke

James McClure Clarke (born June 12, 1917 in Manchester , Bennington County , Vermont , †  April 13, 1999 in Fairview , North Carolina ) was an American politician . Between 1983 and 1991 he represented the state of North Carolina twice in the US House of Representatives .

Career

James Clarke attended public schools in his home country and in Buncombe County , North Carolina. In 1935 he graduated from Asheville School . He then studied at Princeton University until 1939 . During World War II , Clarke was a lieutenant in the US Navy . After the war he worked as a dairy farmer and in fruit growing. At the same time he began a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . From 1969 to 1976, Clarke headed the Buncombe County Education Committee; from 1977 to 1980 he was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives . In 1981 and 1982 he was a member of the State Senate .

In the 1980s, his tight congressional election campaigns with his Republican opponent Bill Hendon caused a national stir. In 1982 he was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the eleventh constituency of North Carolina , where he succeeded Hendon on January 3, 1983, whom he had narrowly defeated. Since he lost in 1984, again very narrowly, against Hendon, he was initially only able to complete one legislative period in Congress until January 3, 1985 . In the elections in 1986 there was a third clash with Hendon, this time Clarke, again with a small lead, was able to win. After re-election in 1988, he could remain in Congress until January 3, 1991. In 1990 he was again very narrowly defeated by the Republican Charles H. Taylor .

After leaving the US House of Representatives, James Clarke retired from politics. He died on April 13, 1999 in Fairview.

Web links

• James M. Clarke in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)