Guide Note

Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich was a candidate for President in 2008. He dropped out of the race on January 24, 2008.

On June 9, 2008, Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives alleging George W. Bush was guilty of illegal and improper acts during his term as president.

Fast Facts

1. Born: October 8, 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio
2. Ohio Representative: 1997 - Present
3. Political Party: Democrat
4. Wife: Elizabeth Kucinich
5. Religion: Roman Catholic
6. Family moved 21 times during his childhood
7. Claims to have seen a UFO in Washington State
8. Brother Gary also ran for Cleveland Mayor

Kucinich joined the Cleveland City Council in 1969, at the age of 23. After a few unsuccessful runs for the House, both as a Democrat and an Independent candidate, Kucinich was elected Cleveland's mayor in 1977, becoming, at that time, the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city in history.

He served only one term as mayor, and even faced the city's first recall election in 1978 after he fired the city's new police chief on live television. At the time, his decision not to sell Cleveland's publicly owned electric utility was met with criticism, but the city council has honored Kucinich's leadership in retrospect. Kucinich survived the recall, but was voted out of office in 1979.

Kucinich was elected to the House in 1996 and has since been re-elected five times. He serves as the Chairman on the House's Subcommittee on Domestic Policy.

On November 6, 2007, Kucinich requested a vote to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney in the House, but House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, arguing that impeachment was not on the Democrat's agenda, referred the bill to the Judiciary Committee, where it died.

On June 9, 2008, he introduced over two dozen charges against George W. Bush on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. He alleged 35 specific charges and called for the impeachment of the president.

Kucinich first ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 2004, but failed to win any primary states. The nomination eventually went to John Kerry, though Kucinich remained int he race right up until the Democratic Convention, becoming the very last candidate to drop out. Kucinich had been supported by many members of the Green Party, and had been praised by their candidate Ralph Nader.

Kucinich tried again in the 2008 presidential election, basing much of his campaign on promises to end the war in Iraq, provide health care for all U.S. citizens and repealing the Patriot Act. Despite winning the endorsement of a number of celebrities, and Hustler mogul Larry Flynt, Kucinich dropped out of the race on January 24, 2008, without endorsing any remaining candidates.

Elizabeth Harper, a British-born anti-poverty activist, met and married Kucinich in 2005. The pair reportedly share an interest in left-wing causes and Eastern spirituality.¹ He is 31 years older than her.