Gerald Daniel Kleczka (/klɛtʃkɑː/;[1] November 26, 1943 – October 8, 2017) was an American politician and Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1984 to 2005, representing Wisconsin's 4th congressional district.[2] The district included the city of Milwaukee.
Jerry Kleczka | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th district | |
| In office April 3, 1984 – January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Clement Zablocki |
| Succeeded by | Gwen Moore |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 7th district | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – April 3, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Kurt Frank |
| Succeeded by | John Plewa |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 3rd district | |
| In office January 6, 1975 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Casimir Kendziorski |
| Succeeded by | John Norquist |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 9th district | |
| In office January 1, 1973 – January 6, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Phillip James Tuczynski |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 14th Milwaukee County district | |
| In office January 6, 1969 – January 1, 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Robert P. Kordus |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gerald Daniel Kleczka November 26, 1943 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | October 8, 2017 (aged 73) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Bonnie |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee |
| Occupation | Accountant |
Life and education
editAfter graduating from Milwaukee's Don Bosco High School,[3] in 1961, he attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee for two years. Afterward, he served as an accountant and a member of the National Guard.
Politics
editKleczka was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving from 1969 to 1974. Later, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate from 1975 to 1984. Kleczka was elected to the House in a special election following the death of Representative Clement J. Zablocki, defeating Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann in the Democratic primary.[4]
Tenure in Congress
editWhile in Congress, Kleczka was a member of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means and later the United States House Committee on the Budget. He was known to be one of the more liberal members of Congress and helped to secure money for many programs for education, poverty relief, and housing improvements.[citation needed]
For his first 10-and-a-half terms, Kleczka represented a district that included most of the southern half of Milwaukee, as well as part of eastern Waukesha County. After the 2000 census, his district was merged with the neighboring 5th District, covering downtown and north Milwaukee and represented by fellow Democrat Tom Barrett. The new 4th was a more compact district located solely in Milwaukee County, and took in all of the city of Milwaukee; it was by far the most Democratic district in Wisconsin. Although it retained Kleczka's district number, it was geographically and demographically more Barrett's district. However, Barrett opted to run for governor, effectively handing the seat to Kleczka.[5]
The pronunciation of Kleczka's name often proved baffling to the uninformed. Rep. Frank Annunzio (D-IL) repeatedly butchered it to the point that an exasperated Kleczka took to calling him "Rep. Annunciation".[citation needed]
Legal issues
editKleczka was arrested at least twice for drunk driving while in office. A 1995 arrest for drunken driving — his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit in Virginia — led him to acknowledge his alcoholism and seek treatment. He credits religion as part of the reason for his recovery and continued to meet regularly with fellow recovering alcoholics.[6]
Retirement and death
editKleczka announced his retirement in 2004, and did not run for reelection. He officially retired in January 2005 after ten terms in Congress, and was succeeded by State Senator Gwen Moore, also a Democrat.[3]
After Kleczka retired, he moved to Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife. Kleczka died on October 8, 2017, from natural causes at a care facility, in the Madison, Wisconsin area.[2][7][8][9]
References
edit- ^ Mayor Barrett on passing of Jerry Kleczka. YouTube. October 9, 2017. Event occurs at 0:03. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ a b "Former Rep. Jerry Kleczka Dies at 73". The Post-Crescent. October 10, 2017. p. A6. Retrieved July 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Milwaukee's Jerry Kleczka Leaves Congress with Hefty Campaign Account". The Journal Times. November 6, 2004. p. 13. Retrieved July 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, 2003, p. 14.
- ^ Kurt Chandler (February 22, 2010). "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Milwaukee Magazine.
- ^ Dave Umhoefer. "Kleczka won't run again Archived 2006-10-12 at the Wayback Machine". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 24, 2004.
- ^ "Former US Rep. Jerry Kleczka of Wisconsin dies at 73". Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
- ^ Meg Jones. "Former U.S. Rep. Jerry Kleczka recalled for hard work ethic and easy going style". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 9, 2017.
- ^ Gerald Kleczka-obituary
External links
edit- United States Congress. "Jerry Kleczka (id: K000259)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Honorary Degree: Doctor of Laws Conferred on Jerry Kleczka Archived 2006-09-09 at the Wayback Machine, Marquette University, 2005.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Jerry Kleczka at Find a Grave