Lee Carter (politician)

Last updated
Lee J. Carter
Lee Jin Carter at volunteer appreciation event (cropped).jpg
Member of the VirginiaHouseofDelegates
from the 50th district
Assumed office
January 10, 2018
Preceded by Jackson Miller
Personal details
Born (1987-06-02) June 2, 1987 (age 32)
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Political party Democratic
Other political
affiliations		 Democratic Socialists of America
Children1
Residence Manassas, Virginia
OccupationIT specialist
CommitteesManassas City Democratic Committee
Military service
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg United States
Branch/serviceFlag of the United States Marine Corps.svg  United States Marine Corps
Years of service2006–2011

Lee Jin Carter (born June 2, 1987) is an American politician who has represented the 50th district in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2018. He defeated Jackson Miller, the Republican House Majority Whip, to win the seat. Born in North Carolina, Carter is a member of the Democratic Party, an IT specialist, and a former Marine. He was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), of which he is a member.

Virginia's 50th House of Delegates district elects one of the 100 members of the Virginia House of Delegates, the lower house of the state's bicameral legislature. The district is made up of most of Manassas City and some of Prince William County. The representative of the 50th district is Democrat Lee J. Carter, who is also a Democratic Socialist.

Virginia House of Delegates lower house of U.S. state legislature

The Virginia House of Delegates is one of two parts in the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the House membership by the Delegates. The Speaker is usually a member of the majority party and, as Speaker, becomes the most powerful member of the House. The House shares legislative power with the Senate of Virginia, the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The House of Delegates is the modern-day successor to the Virginia House of Burgesses, which first met at Jamestown in 1619. The House is divided into Democratic and Republican caucuses. In addition to the Speaker, there is a majority leader, majority caucus chair, minority leader, minority caucus chair, and the chairs of the several committees of the House.

Jackson Miller Virginia politician

Jackson Hunter Miller is an American politician. From 2006 to 2018, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 50th district, made up of the city of Manassas and part of Prince William County in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Republican Party, and was the House majority whip from 2012 to 2018. In the 2017 election, Miller lost his seat to a democratic socialist challenger, Democratic candidate Lee Carter.

Contents

Early life and military career

Carter was born June 2, 1987, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. [1] [2] He was a member of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) from 2006 to 2011, having attended the USMC Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy. He also worked as an IT specialist before running for office. [3]

North Carolina State of the United States of America

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. North Carolina is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the 50 United States. North Carolina is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,569,213 in 2018, is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina and the 23rd-most populous in the United States and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. North Carolina's second largest metropolitan area is the Research Triangle, with an estimated population of 2,238,312 in 2018, is home to the largest research park in the United States.

United States Marine Corps Amphibious warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations with the United States Navy as well as the Army and Air Force. The U.S. Marine Corps is one of the four armed service branches in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States.

First political campaign

Carter was inspired to run for office after receiving a shock while repairing a lighting system in the summer of 2015 and subsequently struggling to receive worker's compensation from Virginia while unable to work. Before choosing to run, he had long identified as "to the left of where the Democratic party [is]" but was further inspired by Bernie Sanders to explore democratic socialism. [4]

Bernie Sanders United States Senator from Vermont

Bernard Sanders is an American politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007. Vermont's at-large Congressman from 1991 to 2007, he is the longest serving independent in U.S. congressional history and a member of the Democratic caucus. Sanders ran unsuccessfully for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president and is running again in 2020. A self-described democratic socialist and progressive, Sanders is known for his opposition to economic inequality. On domestic policy, he broadly supports labor rights, and has supported universal and single-payer healthcare, paid parental leave, and tuition-free tertiary education. On foreign policy, he broadly supports reducing military spending, pursuing more diplomacy and international cooperation, and putting greater emphasis on labor rights and environmental concerns when negotiating international trade agreements.

Democratic socialism Form of socialism that advocates political democracy alongside a socially owned economy

Democratic socialism is a political philosophy that advocates political democracy alongside a socially owned economy, with an emphasis on workers' self-management and democratic control of economic institutions within a market or some form of a decentralised planned socialist economy. Democratic socialists argue that capitalism is inherently incompatible with the values of liberty, equality and solidarity and that these ideals can be achieved only through the realisation of a socialist society. Democratic socialism can support either revolutionary or reformist politics as a means to establish socialism.

Carter ran for the Virginia House of Delegates for the 50th district. He was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), of which he is a member. [4] His campaign mostly focused on issues such as single-payer healthcare and financial contributions to politicians. Jackson Miller, the incumbent Republican, distributed a mailer campaign that compared Carter to Communist rulers Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, [4] [5] [6] an act the Democratic Party of Virginia condemned as fearmongering. [6] Miller called Carter an "anti-jobs candidate" and said his "ideas are so out of the mainstream, and so incredibly expensive." [7] On November 7, 2017, Carter won the race by nine percentage points. [8] He was one of 15 DSA members elected in 2017. [9]

Democratic Socialists of America American political organization

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is an organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labor-oriented members in the United States.

Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare financed by taxes that covers the costs of essential healthcare for all residents, with costs covered by a single public system.

Campaign finance in the United States is the financing of electoral campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels. At the federal level, campaign finance law is enacted by Congress and enforced by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), an independent federal agency. Although most campaign spending is privately financed, public financing is available for qualifying candidates for President of the United States during both the primaries and the general election. Eligibility requirements must be fulfilled to qualify for a government subsidy, and those that do accept government funding are usually subject to spending limits on money.

In office

Since taking office, Carter has been an outspoken advocate for workers' rights. [10] In December 2018 he introduced House Bill 1806, which would overturn Virginia's 70-year-old right-to-work law. [11] Of the bill, Carter said, "When workers form a union, everyone in the workplace benefits from higher wages and better conditions [...] Taft–Hartley was created specifically to allow some people to stand opposed to their coworkers' union while still reaping the rewards for free. It was intentionally designed to bankrupt unions, and I'm fighting to end it." [12] While none of his bills has passed to date, he continues to seek to decrease the corporate influence in his state and to increase organized labor power. [13]

In the context of U.S. labor politics, "right-to-work laws" refers to state laws that prohibit union security agreements between companies and labor unions. Under these laws, employees in unionized workplaces are banned from negotiating contracts which require all members who benefit from the union contract to contribute to the costs of union representation.

Taft–Hartley Act Act regulating labor unions in the USA

The Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, better known as the Taft–Hartley Act, is a United States federal law that restricts the activities and power of labor unions. It was enacted by the 80th United States Congress over the veto of President Harry S. Truman, becoming law on June 23, 1947.

During Carter's remarks on a tax bill, fellow Democratic Delegate Mark Keam surreptitiously briefly displayed the hammer and sickle on a laptop behind Carter, an action for which he later apologized; [14] [15] [16] [17] Keam also apologized for violating Rule 57 in regard to the legislative body's decorum ("No member shall in debate use any language or gesture calculated to wound, offend, or insult another member"). [18] Carter dismissed the affair as "clearly [...] a joke, but [...] in very poor taste and rooted in a lack of knowledge about the history of the political left." [15]

Mark Lee Keam is a Korean American lawyer. He is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in the United States. A Democrat, Keam has represented the 35th District since 2010. His district encompasses a portion of Fairfax County, including the town of Vienna, Virginia, where he resides.

Hammer and sickle Communist symbol

The hammer and sickle is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity – a union between the peasantry and working-class, that was first adopted – as Russian: серп и мо́лот, romanized: serp i mólot: "sickle and hammer" – during the Russian Revolution. At the time of its creation, the hammer stood for the proletariat and the sickle for the peasantry—combined they stood for the worker-peasant alliance for socialism. The sickle symbol resembles a sickle used to harvest grain crops and the hammer is one that would be used to make a razor sharp edge on a sickle or scythe.

Laptop Personal computer for mobile use

A laptop computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a "clamshell" form factor, typically having a thin LCD or LED computer screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid of the clamshell and an alphanumeric keyboard on the inside of the lower lid. The clamshell is opened up to use the computer. Laptops are folded shut for transportation, and thus are suitable for mobile use. Its name comes from lap, as it was deemed to be placed on a person's lap when being used. Although originally there was a distinction between laptops and notebooks, as of 2014, there is often no longer any difference. Laptops are commonly used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in education, for playing games, Internet surfing, for personal multimedia, and general home computer use.

Electoral history

DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes%
Virginia House of Delegates, 50th district
Nov 7, 2017 [19] GeneralLee J. CarterDemocratic11,36654.32
Jackson H. MillerRepublican9,51845.49
June 11, 2019 [20] PrimaryLee J. CarterDemocratic1,44157.73
Mark WolfeDemocratic1,05542.27

Personal life

Carter has been married and divorced three times. He has a daughter with his second wife. [21] According to Carter, his third wife physically and emotionally abused him, which resulted in police involvement and an emergency protective order. He has alluded to being abused and raped earlier in his life as well, but without elaborating. [1] In October 2018, in order to get ahead of any potential attempts at "personal smears," [21] Carter has admitted making "homophobic, trans-phobic, sometimes sexist or racially insensitive" comments online as a teenager. [21]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Carter, Lee (9 May 2019). "Why I didn't report my abuser… until I did" . Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  2. ↑ https://publications.virginiageneralassembly.gov/download_publication/218
  3. ↑ "Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings". virginiageneralassembly.gov. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Vyse, Graham (8 November 2017). "How a Socialist Beat One of Virginia's Most Powerful Republicans". The New Republic. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Democratic Socialist candidate Lee Carter wins an unlikely victory in Virginia". Mic. 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  6. 1 2 Wilson, Patrick (2 November 2017). "GOP delegate Miller's mailer compares Democratic opponent to Stalin, communists". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Koma, Alex (25 October 2017). "Miller turns to holding off Carter's challenge in 50th District". InsideNoVa. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  8. ↑ Day, Meagan (10 November 2017). "Meet Lee Carter". Jacobin. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  9. ↑ Goldberg, Michelle (10 November 2017). "Revenge of the Obama Coalition". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  10. ↑ Nichols, John (January 7, 2019). "Lee Carter's Campaign for Labor Rights in Virginia Is Important for All Working Americans". The Nation. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Lawmaker Files Bill to Repeal Virginia's Right to Work Law". The Republican Standard. December 30, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Lee J. Carter on Twitter: "When workers form a union, everyone in the workplace benefits from higher wages and better conditions. But ever since 1947, Virginia has allowed some to freeload off of their coworkers' hard-won union without paying dues. I've filed HB1806 to end this 70+ year injustice."". Twitter. December 30, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  13. ↑ Stockman, Farah (2019-01-17). "How One Socialist Lawmaker Is Trying to Change His State's Pro-Business Policies". New York Times. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  14. ↑ Palermo, Jill. "Fairfax delegate apologizes to fellow Democratic Del. Lee Carter for hammer-and-sickle joke". Prince William Times. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  15. 1 2 Moomaw, Graham (February 26, 2018). "Democratic lawmaker in Virginia holds hammer-and-sickle image behind colleague aligned with Democratic Socialists". Richmond Times-Dispatch . Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Democratic lawmaker holds hammer-and-sickle behind colleague". WVEC. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  17. ↑ Del. Mark L. Keam [@MarkKeam] (2017-02-26). "This morning in @VaHouse Finance Committee meeting, my colleague @carterforva and I debated a tax bill. We hold divergent views on these policy issues, so I made a light-hearted visual joke about our differences. I apologize to Del. Carter for going overboard with my stupid joke" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ Bryan, Alix (2018-02-26). "Democrat delegate apologizes after he mocks peer with Communist image". WTVR.com. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  19. ↑ "Elections: House of Delegates District 50". www.vpap.org. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  20. ↑ "Virginia Election Results: June 12, 2018". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  21. 1 2 3 "A Virginia politician's novel approach to personal scandal: Tell all before opponents do". Washington Post.
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