Florence Pendleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florence Pendleton
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Pendleton in 1993
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| United States Shadow Senator from the District of Columbia |
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| In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Michael Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Florence Howard
January 28, 1926 Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 2020 (aged 94) Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Howard University (BS, MS) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
Florence Howard Pendleton (born January 28, 1926 – died September 10, 2020) was an American political leader. She served as a special kind of senator called a shadow senator for Washington, D.C., from 1991 to 2007.
A shadow senator is someone elected by the people of a place that isn't a state, like Washington, D.C. Their main job is to speak up for their area and push for it to get full voting rights in the U.S. Congress. Florence Pendleton was the very first shadow senator for Washington, D.C. She started her term on January 3, 1991.
People often called her “The Education Senator.” This was because she spent her whole life working in education. She was an administrator in the public schools of Washington, D.C. She also started a group called “STAND.” This group helped teach Americans about making Washington, D.C., a state.
Pendleton won her re-election in 2000 by a large amount. However, she lost her bid for re-election in 2006. This happened because she didn't have enough valid signatures to be on the ballot. Even though she ran as a write-in candidate, she didn't win. Her last day in office was January 3, 2007.
Early Life and Education
Florence Pendleton was born Florence Howard on January 28, 1926. She grew up in Columbus, Georgia. She was a very dedicated student.
She went to Howard University, a famous university in Washington, D.C. There, she earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science. She also studied for her doctorate degree at Virginia Tech. Her strong background in education helped her throughout her career.
Working for Washington, D.C.
Florence Pendleton's main goal as a shadow senator was to help Washington, D.C., gain full voting rights. This means she wanted the people of D.C. to have the same voting power as people in U.S. states. She worked hard to make sure their voices were heard in Congress.
She was elected as a shadow senator three times:
- November 6, 1990: She was first elected when the office of shadow senator was created.
- November 8, 1994: She was re-elected for her second term.
- November 7, 2000: She was re-elected for her third term.
In 2006, she tried to run for re-election again. However, she was removed from the ballot. This was because her opponent, Philip Pannell, challenged the signatures on her petition. She didn't have enough valid signatures to qualify. She then ran as a write-in candidate, but she did not win the election.
See also
- United States congressional delegations from the District of Columbia
