Pete McCloskey
Pete McCloskey | |
|---|---|
 McCloskey in 1969 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| In office December 12, 1967 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | J. Arthur Younger |
| Succeeded by | Ed Zschau |
| Constituency | 11th district (1967–1973) 17th district (1973–1975) 12th district (1975–1983) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Paul Norton McCloskey Jr. September 27, 1927 Loma Linda, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 2024 (aged 96) Winters, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (2007–2024) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (1948–2007) |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline McCloskey (div.) Helen V. Hooper |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Stanford University (AB, LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy (1945–1947) United States Marine Corps (1950–1952) U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (1952–1974) |
| Years of service | 1945–1964 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards | Navy Cross Silver Star Purple Heart (2) |
Paul Norton "Pete" McCloskey Jr. (September 29, 1927 – May 8, 2024) was an American politician. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing California from 1967 to 1983. He ran on an anti-war platform for the Republican nomination for President in 1972 but was defeated by incumbent President Richard Nixon.[1]
Political career
[change | change source]He won election to the House of Representatives in 1967, defeating Shirley Temple in the Republican primary.[2] He co-authored the 1973 Endangered Species Act.[1] He unsuccessfully challenged President Richard Nixon for the Republican nomination in the 1972 election on an anti-Vietnam War platform.[1] He was the first member of Congress to publicly call for President Nixon's resignation after the Saturday Night Massacre.[3]
He was a co-chair of the first Earth Day in 1970.[1] He ran for the United States Senate in 1982, but lost the Republican nomination to Pete Wilson. He unsuccessfully ran for congress again in 2006.
A former U.S. Marine and Korean War veteran, he called out Pat Robertson's false claims of being a combat veteran of the Korean War during the 1988 presidential election.[4] This led to Robertson suing McCloskey and negatively impacting Robertson's own presidential campaign.[4][5]
In April 2007, McCloskey switched his affiliation to the Democratic Party. He was a critic of the Iraq War and supported John Kerry over President George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election.
Personal life
[change | change source]McCloskey was born in Loma Linda, California. He studied at Stanford University.
He was a decorated United States Marine Corps veteran of combat during the Korean War, being awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, and two awards of the Purple Heart.[1] He then volunteered for the Vietnam War before eventually turning against it.[1]
In 1949, he married Caroline Wadsworth. They divorced in 1972. He then married Helen V. Hooper in 1982. He had four children.
McCloskey died on May 8, 2024 at his home in Winters, California at the age of 96.[6][7][2] The cause of death was kidney and congestive heart failure.[8]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "White knight in a battle-bus". The Economist. 2006-06-01. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Pete McCloskey, GOP congressman who called for Nixon's resignation, dies at 96". The Washington Post. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ↑ "Pete McCloskey: Leading from the Front". The Video Project. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Brady, James. "Pat Robertson Redux". Forbes. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ↑ Plummer, William and Dirk Mathison. "A Lawsuit Over Pat Robertson's War Record Has Ex-Marine Pete Mccloskey Fighting Mad". People Magazine. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ↑ "Former Bay Area congressman, environmentalist Pete McCloskey dies at age 96". KGO-TV. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (May 8, 2024). "Pete McCloskey, Republican Who Tried to Unseat Nixon, Is Dead at 96". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ↑ "Former South Bay Republican Congressman Paul 'Pete' McCloskey dies at 96". San Francisco Chronicle. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
Other websites
[change | change source]- United States Congress. "Pete McCloskey (id: M000343)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-02-19
- McCloskey's letter endorsing McNerney, July 27, 2006
- Contra Costa Times story on McCloskey's party switch
- Pete McCloskey: Leading from the Front - documentary film aired July 5, 2009, on Truly CA: Our State, Our Stories - KQED
- McCloskey's participation in panel, The Shape and Mission of the U.S. Military: What's Ahead for America? at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library
This short article about a person from the United States can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.- 1927 births
- 2024 deaths
- United States representatives from California
- Democratic Party (United States) politicians
- 1972 United States presidential candidates
- American environmentalists
- Writers from California
- Military people from California
- People from Loma Linda, California
- American military personnel of the Korean War
- Academics from California
- Lawyers from California
- Deaths from congestive heart failure
- Deaths from renal failure