Biography:

Emanuel Cleaver grew up in public housing in Wichita Falls, Texas. After graduating from Prairie View A&M University, he moved to Kansas City, Mo., where he founded the Kansas City chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

He worked for Greater Kansas City YMCA, Catholic Charities and briefly for the company that became Allied Signal Inc.

He comes from a family of ministers and attended divinity school, then began a 25-year career as pastor of St. James United Methodist Church.

Cleaver served two terms on the Kansas City, Mo., city council beginning in 1979, then was elected to his first of two successive terms as mayor in 1991. He was Kansas City's first black mayor.

Cleaver and his wife, Dianne, have four children.

Past Campaigns:

Emanuel Cleaver won the primary election for the Democratic nomination for Congress, 60 percent to 40 percent, over newcomer Jamie Metzl, despite being significantly outspent.

He served two terms as mayor of Kansas City, Mo., winning election in 1991 and 1995.

He was elected to the Kansas City, Mo., city council in 1979 and re-elected to two more terms.

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