James Kee

Who was James Kee?

James Kee was a U.S. Democratic politician.

He was born in Bluefield, West Virginia. He was the son of John Kee, a U.S. Representative from West Virginia who served from 1933 until his death in 1951, and Elizabeth Kee, who succeeded her husband in Congress and served from 1951 until 1965. James Kee served as his mother's administrative assistant from 1953 to 1965. When his mother decided not to run for re-election in 1964, he decided to seek his mother's seat in the United States House of Representatives. He was elected as a Democrat to four terms in the United States House of Representatives serving the Fifth Congressional District of West Virginia in the 89th through the 92nd U.S. Congress from January 3, 1965 to January 3, 1973.

After West Virginia lost a seat in the House of Representatives as a result of the 1970 U.S. Census, Kee's 5th District was merged with the Huntington-based 4th District, represented by fellow Democrat Ken Hechler. The state legislature intended to force Hechler, a firm opponent of the Democratic Party machine, out of office; indeed, the new district contained 65% of Kee's former territory even though it retained Hechler's district number. However, Hechler made the most of his strong union ties and routed Kee in the primary.