Cleo Fields facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cleo Fields
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Garret Graves (redistricted)
Constituency	6th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Jim McCrery (redistricted)
Succeeded by	John Cooksey (redistricted)
Constituency	4th district
Member of the Louisiana Senate from the 14th district
In office January 13, 2020 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb
Succeeded by	Vacant
In office December 1997 – January 2008
Preceded by	John Michael Guidry
Succeeded by	Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb
In office March 1988 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Richard Turnley
Succeeded by	John Guidry
Personal details
Born	(1962-11-22) November 22, 1962 (age 62) Port Allen, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Debra Horton
Children	2
Education	Southern University (BA, JD)

Cleo C. Fields (born November 22, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He currently serves in the United States House of Representatives, representing Louisiana's 6th district. Before this, he was a representative for Louisiana's 4th district from 1993 to 1997. He also served multiple times in the Louisiana State Senate. In 1995, he ran for governor of Louisiana.

Early Life and Education

Cleo Fields was born in Port Allen, Louisiana, on November 22, 1962. He was the seventh of ten children. His father, who worked at the docks, passed away when Cleo was only four years old. His mother, Alice, then raised all the children by herself. Their family faced tough times and even had to move because they couldn't afford their home. They settled in South Baton Rouge.

Fields attended Southern University in Baton Rouge. He earned two degrees there: a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Juris Doctor degree, which is a law degree.

Political Career

While still studying law, Cleo Fields started his first campaign for the Louisiana State Senate. He did most of the work himself, even writing his own catchy songs for radio ads. He focused on getting support from college students. To everyone's surprise, he won against the long-serving politician Richard Turnley.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Congressional photo of Representative Cleo Fields, 1990s

Fields served in the state Senate for six years. In 1990, he tried to get elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Louisiana's 8th District. However, he was not successful in that election.

He tried again in 1992, this time for the new 4th District of Louisiana. This district was created to include a large number of Black voters. Fields won the first round of voting and then won the runoff election with more than 73 percent of the votes. At just 30 years old, he became one of the youngest lawmakers in Congress.

In Congress, Fields worked on important issues. He was part of committees that helped small businesses and protected consumers from banks and insurance companies. He often worked to get money for education and to help small businesses grow in his district, where many people faced poverty.

His district faced challenges because of how it was drawn. The Supreme Court eventually ruled that the district's shape was unconstitutional because it was based too much on race. After this, his home in Baton Rouge was moved to a different district.

Running for Governor in 1995

In 1995, Cleo Fields decided to run for governor of Louisiana. Many people in his own party were worried about his chances. They thought a Black candidate couldn't win the election at that time.

Fields made it to a runoff election against Republican Mike Foster. Fields said he wasn't running to be the "African American governor" but to be the "best governor." He told people not to vote for him or against him because of his race. He also supported stricter gun control, which was different from his opponent.

However, Mike Foster's message appealed more to Louisiana voters. As polls predicted, Fields lost the election. Most of his votes came from the Black community.

Returning to the Louisiana Senate

In 1997, Fields was elected to the Louisiana Senate again for the 14th district. He served alongside his brother Wilson for a time, which was the first time two brothers served together in the Louisiana Senate.

Fields served until he couldn't run for re-election anymore because of term limits. These rules limit how many times a person can serve in a position. He was replaced by Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb in 2008.

In 2019, Dorsey-Colomb also reached her term limits. Fields ran again to take her place. On October 12, 2019, he was re-elected to the 14th senatorial district. This made history again, as he was the first person in Louisiana to return to the Senate for a third time. He won against Patricia Haynes Smith.

Campaign to Return to Congress in 2024

In 2023, federal courts decided that Louisiana's map for Congress was unfair. They ruled that a second district with a majority of Black voters needed to be created to follow the Voting Rights Act.

A new map was approved on January 23, 2024, creating the new 6th congressional district. Cleo Fields announced his plan to run for this district on the very same day.

Personal Life

Cleo Fields is a Baptist.

Famous Quote

Cleo Fields is known for a powerful quote that became popular after Barack Obama won the presidential election in 2008. In February 2008, Fields said: "Rosa Parks sat down so we could stand up. Martin Luther King marched so Jesse Jackson could run. Jesse Jackson ran so Obama could win."

This quote highlights the important steps taken by different civil rights leaders over time. It shows how each person's actions helped pave the way for the next generation. The rapper Jay-Z even used a shorter version of this quote in his song "My President Is Black."

Elections

See also

• List of African-American United States representatives