Eugene McCarthy

U.S. Congressperson

1916 – 2005

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Who was Eugene McCarthy?

Eugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time member of the United States Congress from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1971.

In the 1968 presidential election, McCarthy was the first candidate to challenge incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, running on an anti-Vietnam War platform. The unexpected vote total he achieved in the New Hampshire primary and his strong polling in the upcoming Wisconsin primary led Johnson to withdraw from the race, and lured Robert F. Kennedy into the contest. Fellow Minnesotan US Vice-President Hubert Humphrey also entered the race after Johnson's withdrawal. McCarthy would unsuccessfully seek the presidency five times altogether.

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Born
Mar 29, 1916
Watkins
Also known as
  • Eugene J McCarthy
Spouses
Children
Religion
  • Catholicism
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Education
  • University of Minnesota
  • College of Saint Benedict
  • Saint John's Preparatory School
Died
Dec 10, 2005
Washington, D.C.

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

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