Cedric Richmond

Richmond was born in New Orleans in 1973 and raised in New Orleans East, where he attended public schools. His father died when he was seven years old. His mother was a public school teacher and small business owner. Richmond graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College, and a Juris Doctor from Tulane School of Law. He also completed an executive program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[14] While at Morehouse, Richmond played college baseball as a pitcher for the Morehouse Maroon Tigers in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.[15]

Then-State Representative Richmond with FEMA officials and others

Richmond was elected and served as the Louisiana State Representative for the 101st district (Orleans Parish) from 2000 to 2011.[16] He was elected shortly after his 27th birthday and was one of the youngest legislators ever to serve in Louisiana when he took office. He served as the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary and a member of the Ways and Means, House Executive, and Legislative Audit Advisory committees.[17]

In 2010, Richmond was elected to the US House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district for the first time. He took office in 2011. He was reelected in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.

On June 9, 2014, Richmond introduced the Honor Flight Act (H.R. 4812; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a process for providing expedited and dignified passenger screening services for veterans traveling on an Honor Flight to visit war memorials that had been built to honor their service.[18]

That year Richmond defended his Republican colleague Vance McAllister, who had become embroiled in an alleged adultery scandal. It was a rare across-the-aisle gesture. Richmond said that he associated the controversy around McAllister with "gotcha moments" in which the "two parties in this country have gone overboard...and taken joy in the pain of their supposed opponents".[19]

Richmond was one of a few Democrats who voted to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline.[20] He is the fifth-biggest recipient of money from fossil fuel donors among House Democrats. The League of Conservation Voters gave him one of the lowest ratings for any Democrat in Congress.[21]

Richmond has been active in the Congressional Black Caucus, made up of African-American legislators who work together to have their views heard. On November 30, 2016, he was elected chair of the caucus for the 115th United States Congress.[22]

On December 18, 2019, Richmond voted to impeach President Donald Trump.[23]

Congressional Baseball Game

From left, Senator Mark Warner, Senator Michael Bennet, Senator Tom Udall, Former NBA player Muggsy Bogues, Congressman Joseph Crowley and Congressman Richmond.

Richmond played in the annual Congressional Baseball Game. He was the starting Democratic pitcher for each of the five years since his election and the Democrats won each game. He had a 2.85 earned run average, 1.67 walks plus hits per inning pitched and 45 strikeouts in his 27 innings pitched in that span. In 2016 Republican team manager Joe Barton called him the best player to ever participate in the game.[32] Richmond lost his first game in 2016, a day after participating through the night in the 2016 United States House of Representatives sit-in.[15]

Richmond with Vice President Kamala Harris and House Whip Jim Clyburn meet in the West Wing, February 2021

Richmond was a national co-chair of the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign.[33] On November 17, 2020, he announced that he would join the Biden administration as Senior Advisor to the President and director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.[11][12] His resignation became official on January 15, 2021.[34] His departure triggered a 2021 special election.[35] Justice Democrats criticized Richmond's appointment, alleging that he was one of the top Democratic recipients of donations from the fossil fuel industry.[36]

In an interview before Biden's swearing-in, Richmond noted his potential work in reaching out to conservatives in different parts of the country.[37] Richmond was reportedly working with the Biden administration on addressing reparations for slavery.[38]

Richmond resigned from the White House on May 18, 2022, for a job at the Democratic National Committee.[39][40]

U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District November Election, 2016[41]

U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-November Election, 2014[41]

U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-November Election, 2012[41]

U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-Democratic Party, 2010[42] August 28, 2010

U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District-Democratic Party, 2008[42]

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, November 2, 2004

Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 2007[42]

October 20, 2007

Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 2003[42]

October 4, 2003

Louisiana State Representative, 101st District, 1999[42]

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, October 23, 1999

Second Ballot, November 20, 1999

• List of African-American United States representatives

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cedric Richmond.

• Cedric Richmond at Curlie
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart