Dennis Kucinich
Latest News on Dennis Kucinich
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- Candidate Status:
- Out
- Current Job:
- Congressman from Ohio
- Birth Date:
- October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois
- Family:
- Wife Elizabeth Harper; ex-wife Sandra Lee McCarthy-Horn (1977-1986); one child
- Religion:
- Catholic
- Education:
- Case Western Reserve University, B.A., 1973
Case Western Reserve University, M.A., 1974
- Career:
- Dennis Kucinich is a six-term congressman from Ohio's 10th district. He first ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. Kucinich made history at the age of 31 when he was elected mayor of Cleveland, making him the youngest mayor ever of any major American city.
- Other facts:
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- Kucinich was awarded the Gandhi Peace Award in 2003.
- Kucinich is a vegan.
- Abortion:
- Kucinich believes efforts to limit abortions locally would unfairly target poor women who can't afford to move to other jurisdictions to have the procedure. He also advocates family planning, abstinence training, and other options. Kucinich has said that though he would like to see fewer abortions, he unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade.
- Energy/Environment:
- Kucinich is a longtime environmental advocate. He has long promoted global partnerships to fight climate change, and has criticized the Bush administration for refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Kucinich believes that by moving toward renewable fuels domestically, the U.S. can disengage itself from conflicts in the Middle East.
- Immigration:
- Kucinich voted against the Republican-sponsored immigration reform bill of 2005. He supports better enforcement of employer sanctions against firms that hire illegal workers. Kucinich has in the past backed legislation to assign military personnel to assist with border control activities.
- Iraq:
- Kucinich's stance on the Iraq war -- that the Bush administration created the case to go to war using false information -- is one of the arguments he is using to pursue his case for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney. Kucinich joined 132 representatives in voting against the 2002 authorization to use force in Iraq; he was among 246 lawmakers who voted in favor of the non-binding resolution voicing disapproval of the recent troop surge. In April 2007, Kucinich voted against the emergency supplemental bill to pay for military operations in Iraq.
- Taxes:
- Kucinich says the current tax system is unfair to both the poor and middle class, and has suggested a tax credit for lower-income workers that would essentially refund payroll taxes. He has opposed efforts to abolish the estate tax, and would return tax rates to the levels they were at during the Clinton administration. Kucinich says he wants to close corporate loopholes, and curb tax shelter abuse.
