US Midterms 2026
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Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat and United Methodist pastor who has represented Missouri's 5th congressional district since 2005 and was mayor of Kansas City from 1991 to 1999, faces Republican Rick Brattin in 2026.
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Topic: A coalition of prominent House Democrats led by Sen. Ed Markey and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, including Rep.
Summary tailored to your query: "Chris Reichard" MO-08 House
The article discusses Democratic leadership dynamics in the House, highlighting Rep. Katherine Clark as a potential top leader if Democrats win the chamber.
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FosterTopic: Emanuel Cleaver (Missouri) and his stance within the House, particularly in relation to leadership dynamics and support for long-tenured members.
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Emanuel Cleaver II was born on October 26, 1944, in Waxahachie, Texas, and grew up in public housing in Wichita Falls, Texas. He graduated in 1972 from Prairie View A&M University, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
After moving to Kansas City, Missouri, he founded a branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and received a Master of Divinity degree from St. Paul School of Theology. From 1972 to 2009 he was pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City.
Cleaver entered city government as a member of the Kansas City Council, serving three terms from 1979 to 1991. He was then elected mayor and served two terms from 1991 to 1999 as the city's 51st mayor and its first Black mayor.
When Representative Karen McCarthy announced her retirement in late 2003, Cleaver ran for the 5th congressional district and defeated former Clinton administration official Jamie Metzl in the Democratic primary by 60% to 40%, then won the general election against Republican Jeanne Patterson.
He has represented the district since 2005 and is serving his 11th term. From 2011 to 2013 he chaired the Congressional Black Caucus, and in 2019 he voted for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
In the 119th Congress he sits on the Committee on Financial Services, where he is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and he chairs the Congressional Civility Caucus.
Emanuel Cleaver is seeking reelection in a 5th district whose boundaries changed between the primary and the general election.
The primary map took in part of Kansas City, Independence and rural stretches of western and Mid-Missouri, while the general-election district primarily consists of the inner ring of the Kansas City metropolitan area, including nearly all of Kansas City south of the Missouri River.
Cleaver won the Democratic primary unopposed with 55,237 votes. In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Republican Rick Brattin, a state senator from the 31st district, and Libertarian Randall "Randy" Langkraehr, a business owner.
