Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia McKinney was a long-standing Democrat serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993-2003 for the state of Georgia. She is currently registered as a member of the Green Party and is running for President in the 2008 election.
At a news conference on September 28, 2008, Mckinney claimed that a woman had called her about the execution and disposal of 5,000 prisoners in Louisiana. The woman claimed that her son was a National Guardsman involved in the dumping the bodies in a Louisiana swamp. McKinney accused the government of using Hurricane Katrina to cover-up the murders.1
Fast Facts
- Born: March 17, 1955 in Atlanta, Georgia
- Assumed office: January 5, 1993
- Party: Green Party
- Spouse: Coy Grandison (divorced)
- Alma mater: University of Southern California
Early Life
After receiving an international relations degree from USC, McKinney earned a Master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Her father, Billy McKinney, was a social activist in Atlanta who was eventually elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, inspiring her future political career.
Political Career
McKinney was elected to the Georgia House in 1988. In 1992, she became the first African-American woman in Georgia to be elected to the U.S. House. McKinney's time in office came to an end when Denise Majette defeated her in the 2002 primary election.
Green Party Nomination
In October 2007, McKinney came out in support of Cindy Sheehan's independent candidacy for Congress against Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, effectively cutting her Democratic ties. McKinney then cast her lot with the Green Party, filing to run as it's 2008 presidential candidate. On July 12, 2008, she was awarded the nomination at the Green Party convention in Chicago
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