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Quick facts for kids Cynthia McKinney


Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia
In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Denise Majette
Succeeded by	Hank Johnson
Constituency	4th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Constituency reestablished
Succeeded by	Denise Majette
Constituency	11th district (1993–1997) 4th district (1997–2003)
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 40th district
In office January 9, 1989 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Barbara H. Couch
Succeeded by	Steven C. Clark

Personal details
Born	Cynthia Ann McKinney (1955-03-17) March 17, 1955 (age 70) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Independent (2020–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (1973–2007) Green (2007–2020)
Spouse	Coy Grandison (divorced)
Children	1
Parent	Billy McKinney (father)
Education	University of Southern California (BA) Tufts University (MA) Antioch University (PhD)

Cynthia Ann McKinney (born March 17, 1955) is a former American politician. She served six terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing Georgia. She was the first African American woman elected to represent Georgia in the House. McKinney was first a member of the Democratic Party. Later, she left the Democratic Party. In 2008, she ran for president as the nominee of the Green Party. She also ran for vice president in 2020.

McKinney served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1988 to 1992. In the 1992 election, she was elected to the U.S. House. She was re-elected several times. After her 2002 loss, McKinney raised questions about the September 11 attacks. She was re-elected to the House in 2004. In Congress, she tried to open FBI records on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the murder of Tupac Shakur. She also supported anti-war laws. She even tried to start impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush.

McKinney lost her re-election bid in 2006. She left the Democratic Party in 2007. She then became the Green Party candidate for president in 2008.

Early Life and Education

Cynthia McKinney was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother, Leola McKinney, was a retired nurse. Her father, Billy McKinney, was a law enforcement officer. He also served as a Georgia State Representative.

McKinney grew up during the Civil Rights Movement. Her father was an activist. He often took part in protests. He even protested against unfair rules in the Atlanta Police Department. He sometimes carried young Cynthia on his shoulders during these protests. Her father was elected as a state representative. McKinney believes his win was helped by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This law helped protect voting rights for many people. Before this, many Black people in the South could not vote easily.

McKinney went to college. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in international relations from the University of Southern California in 1978. She then earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University in 1979. In 2015, McKinney earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree from Antioch University. Her Ph.D. paper was about the leadership of Hugo Chávez.

Before becoming a politician, McKinney was a high school teacher and a university professor. She taught political science at Agnes Scott College and Clark Atlanta University.

Political Career and Activism

Serving in the Georgia House

McKinney's political journey began in 1986. Her father, who was already a state representative, put her name forward. She ran as a write-in candidate for the Georgia state house. Even though she lived in Jamaica at the time, she received about 20% of the votes.

In 1988, McKinney ran for the same seat again and won. This made the McKinneys the first father and daughter to serve in the Georgia House at the same time. In 1991, she spoke out against the Gulf War. Many lawmakers left the room during her speech to show their disagreement.

First Time in the U.S. House

In the 1992 election, McKinney was elected to the United States House of Representatives. She represented Georgia's new 11th District. This district had a majority of African American voters. She was the first African American woman to represent Georgia in the House. She was re-elected in 1994.

In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court changed the district boundaries. McKinney's district was redrawn and renamed the 4th District. McKinney was upset by this decision. She felt it was unfair. However, she was still easily elected from the new 4th District in 1996. She won two more times without much challenge.

During her first time in Congress, she worked on important committees. These included committees on Foreign Affairs, Banking and Finance, and Armed Services. She became a top Democrat on the Human Rights subcommittee. In this role, she often criticized American foreign policy. For example, she spoke against President Bill Clinton’s actions in Kosovo. She also opposed U.S. actions against Iraq and other policies in the Middle East.

In 2001, McKinney introduced a bill. It called for stopping the use of certain weapons. These weapons contained depleted uranium. The bill asked for studies on their health effects.

Questions About the 2000 Election

McKinney and other House members questioned the election results from Florida in the 2000 United States presidential election. George W. Bush had won Florida by a very small number of votes. However, no senator supported her objection. So, the objection was dismissed by Vice President Al Gore.

September 11 Attacks

McKinney gained attention for her comments after the September 11 attacks in 2001. She said that the U.S. had "numerous warnings" about the attacks. She asked for an investigation. She wondered what the government knew and when they knew it. She also mentioned business ties between President Bush's father and the bin Laden family. A spokesperson for the company denied her idea. In 2002, McKinney stated she had no evidence that President Bush personally gained from the attacks.

After the attacks, McKinney wrote an open letter to a Saudi Prince. The Prince had offered $10 million to New York City. But Mayor Rudy Giuliani refused the money. This was because the Prince suggested the U.S. should rethink its policies in the Middle East. McKinney expressed her disappointment. She said many people in the U.S. also felt that U.S. policy in the Middle East needed review.

2002 Primary Election Loss

In 2002, McKinney lost the Democratic primary election. She was defeated by Denise Majette. Majette won with 58% of the vote.

McKinney argued that many Republicans had voted in the Democratic primary. She believed they did this to get back at her for her views. Georgia has an open primary system. This means voters do not have to be registered with a party to vote in its primary.

Other reasons for McKinney's loss included her questions about 9/11. Also, her views on aid to Israel and support for Palestinian causes were factors.

2003–2005 Activities

Cynthia McKinney speaking to the press in 2006

From 2003 to 2004, McKinney traveled around the U.S. and Europe. She spoke publicly about her election loss. She also spoke about her opposition to the Iraq War and the Bush administration.

In 2004, McKinney was part of an advisory group called 2004 Racism Watch. She turned down the Green Party's offer to be their presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. She wanted to return to Congress.

Return to the U.S. House

Denise Majette decided not to run for re-election to the House. Instead, she ran for the Senate. This opened the door for McKinney to try and return to Congress. Many thought it would be a tough race for her.

McKinney hosted the first group of Afro-Latinos from Central and South America. She worked with the World Bank and the U.S. State Department to recognize Afro-Latinos. She also supported Aboriginals against mining companies.

Questions About the 2004 Election

McKinney was one of 31 House Democrats who voted against counting the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 United States presidential election. President George W. Bush had won Ohio. If Ohio's votes were not counted, the election would have been decided by the House of Representatives.

9/11 Commission

On July 22, 2005, McKinney held a meeting on Capitol Hill. This was about the September 11 attacks. The meeting included victims' families, experts, and former intelligence officers. They discussed problems and missing information in the 9/11 Commission Report. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial said the event's purpose was to discuss if the Bush administration was involved in the attacks. McKinney's interest in 9/11 is about her opposition to too much government secrecy.

Helping Hurricane Katrina Victims

McKinney was a strong supporter of the victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She criticized the government's slow response. Over 100,000 people from New Orleans moved to the Atlanta area.

McKinney was the only member of Congress to join a march on November 7, 2005. This march was across the Crescent City Connection Bridge. It protested how evacuees were stopped from crossing the bridge after the hurricane.

McKinney introduced a bill to temporarily stop federal aid to police departments involved in stopping evacuees. The bill was not passed. However, a grand jury later investigated the incident. The grand jury decided not to charge anyone.

McKinney actively participated in the committee that investigated the government's response to Hurricane Katrina. She wrote her own 72-page report. She questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

McKinney also helped create the "Katrina Legislative Summary." This chart listed bills related to Hurricane Katrina. She noted that most of these bills had not become law. In 2007, she helped launch an International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This was to seek justice for the victims.

Anti-War and Human Rights Efforts

McKinney worked on the House International Relations Committee. She was a top Democrat on the Human Rights Subcommittee. She worked on laws to stop weapons from going to governments that were not democratic or did not respect human rights.

In 2005, McKinney voted for a resolution calling for U.S. forces to leave Iraq. She said she wanted an orderly withdrawal from Iraq.

Impeachment Articles Proposed

In 2006, McKinney introduced articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush. She made three main charges against him:

Not upholding the Constitution: She claimed he hid information about the invasion of Iraq.
Abuse of power: She said he blocked Congress's investigations.
Not making sure laws were followed: She pointed to illegal domestic spying.

The second charge also included Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. This bill did not pass.

Capitol Police Incident

On March 29, 2006, McKinney had an incident with a Capitol Police officer. She walked past a security checkpoint without showing her identification pin. The officer, Paul McKenna, did not recognize her. He stopped her and asked for ID. The officer later reported that McKinney struck his chest.

McKinney apologized on the House floor on April 6, 2006. She did not say if she struck the officer. She only said there should not have been any physical contact. McKinney was not charged with a crime.

MLK Records Act

McKinney introduced a bill called the "MLK Records Act." She introduced two versions, in 2003 and 2005. If passed, this law would release all secret files about the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.. These records are currently sealed until 2028. The bill had many supporters in Congress.

Tupac Shakur Records Act

McKinney also introduced a bill to release documents about the death of rapper Tupac Shakur. She said the public had a right to know because he was a well-known person. She felt there was strong public interest in his life and death.

2006 Primary Election Loss

McKinney ran for re-election in 2006. She finished first in the primary election but did not get enough votes to win outright. So, she had a runoff election against Hank Johnson. Johnson won the runoff election.

McKinney's loss was partly due to changes in her district's boundaries. Her incident with the Capitol Police officer also played a role. In her speech after losing, she criticized voting machines and the media.

2008 Green Party Presidential Campaign

McKinney speaking at the Green Party Presidential Debate in San Francisco, January 2008

McKinney became a Green Party candidate for president in the 2008 presidential election.

In 2007, she spoke at a Green Party meeting. She suggested the Green Party could become a strong political force. She said people were tired of what they saw in politics. She believed the Green Party could offer a new path.

In 2008, she chose journalist Rosa Clemente as her running mate. She officially won the Green Party's nomination.

On November 4, 2008, McKinney received 161,797 votes in the general election. This was 0.12% of the total votes.

Later Activities

Free Gaza Movement

On December 30, 2008, McKinney was on a ship called Dignity. It was trying to enter the Gaza Strip with medical supplies and activists. The Israeli Navy stopped the ship. Crew members said the ship was hit and forced to go to Lebanon. Israeli officials said the collision was an accident. They said the ship tried to avoid their patrol boat after being told it could not enter Gaza.

On June 30, 2009, McKinney was on another ship, the Spirit of Humanity. It was also carrying activists and supplies to Gaza. The Israeli Navy seized this ship too. McKinney was held in a detention center until her release on July 5. She was deported to the United States on July 7, 2009.

Views on Libya and Iran

On May 21, 2011, McKinney appeared on state television in Libya. She said that the U.S. military actions in Libya were not what Americans wanted. She also mentioned learning about The Green Book, which talks about a form of direct democracy.

Around the same time, she visited Iran. She was interviewed by Iran's state-run channel. She said that the people of Iran were a "revolutionary state." She felt they understood being oppressed by outside powers.

2012 U.S. House Election

In April 2012, McKinney announced she would run for the 4th congressional district again. She ran against Hank Johnson on the Green Party ticket. However, she did not qualify to be on the ballot. She still received some write-in votes.

Recent Activities

McKinney is an assistant professor at North South University.

Awards and Honors

On June 14, 2000, a part of Memorial Drive in her district was renamed "Cynthia McKinney Parkway." However, this naming has been questioned since her election defeat in 2006.

Personal Life

In 2007, McKinney moved from her home in Stone Mountain, Georgia, to California.