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  Dellums, Ronald V. "Ron"
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationDemocratic  
<-  2000-01-01  
 
NameRonald V. "Ron" Dellums
Address
Oakland, California , United States
EmailNone
Website [Link]
Born November 24, 1935
DiedJuly 29, 2018 (82 years)
Contributor411 Name Removed
Last ModifedE Pluribus Unum
Oct 18, 2022 08:01pm
Tags African - Democratic Socialists Of America - Protestant -
InfoRonald Vernie Dellums, U.S. Democratic Party politician, was a U.S. Representative from California from 1971 until 1999. He was a proponent of reducing military spending, and an advocate of peace and social justice during his time in Congress. His fight against apartheid in South Africa was the subject of a Disney Channel made-for-TV movie, "The Color of Friendship," released in 2000. Dellums was the first African American elected to congress for northern California.

Dellums was born in Oakland, California. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956, where he was not recommended to officer training school, due to, Dellums claims, his race.

Dellums later received his A.A. degree from the Oakland City College in 1958, his B.A. from the San Francisco State University in 1960, and his M.S.W. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1962. He became a psychiatric social worker and political activist in the African American community beginning in the 1960s. He also taught at the San Francisco State University and the University of California, Berkeley.

He was elected to the Berkeley City council, serving from 1967 to 1970, and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1970 after being recruited by anti-Vietnam War activists to run against the incumbent, Jeffery Cohelan, a white liberal close to organized labor who had not opposed the Vietnam War early enough to please local activists. Dellums defeated Cohelan in the Democratic Primary and won the general election, serving without interruption for many years. Dellums served as chairman of the House Committee on the District of Columbia and the House Armed Services Committee. In his last House election race, in 1996, Dellums bested his opponent, Republican Deborah Wright, by a 77%-18% margin.

Dellums was one of the earliest advocates of federal sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa, first introducing a bill for sanctions in 1971 and fighting for it for years until its eventual passage in 1986. As the first African-American member and eventual chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, he led successful fights against defense projects like the MX and Pershing missiles. Dellums, who was on the left fringe of his party, accomplished little other memorable work in his nearly thirty years in Congress. Dellums' rise to the Chairmanship of the Armed Services Committee was a result of the same seniority system that in earlier years had elevated conservative Southern Democratic Members of Congress to leading positions. He lost his Chairmanship after the Republican Party won control of the House as a result of the 1994 elections.

Dellums resigned from Congress on February 6, 1998, saying that he intended to focus on his personal life. Rather than finish his term, Dellums resigned early; his staff member Barbara Lee was elected to replace him. He has continued to be an activist in the peace movement and advocate for aid to Africa.

In October, 2005, Dellums, who had recently begun to spend more time in California after several years of living primarily in Washington, announced that he would run for mayor of Oakland. The current mayor, former California Governor Jerry Brown, is term-limited and currently running for the position of California Attorney General. Dellums' leading opponents include City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, whom Brown supports, and Councilmember Nancy Nadel. Several other candidates who had been seeking the mayoralty appeared likely to drop out in view of Dellums' suprise entry into the race.

Obituary: [Link]


JOB APPROVAL POLLS
DateFirmApproveDisapproveDon't Know
06/23/2010-06/23/2010 Survey USA 21.00% ( 4.0) 64.00% ( 4.0) 15.00% ( 0.0)
01/26/2009-01/26/2009 Survey USA 25.00% ( 2.0) 60.00% ( 5.0) 15.00% ( 2.0)
10/22/2008-10/22/2008 Survey USA 27.00% ( 0.0) 55.00% ( 0.0) 17.00% ( 0.0)

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor

EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Apr 29, 2010 11:55am Announcement Dellums skips promised pay cut  Article Jason 
Apr 23, 2010 12:00am General Dellums downplays stimulus funds audit  Article Jason 
Dec 12, 2008 03:00pm Commentary Loyalty or else in King Dellums' realm  Article Bob Sacamano 

DISCUSSION
Importance? 8.33330 Average

FAMILY

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  06/06/2006 Oakland Mayor Won 50.19% (+17.22%)
  11/05/1996 CA District 9 Won 77.03% (+58.55%)
  03/26/1996 CA District 9 - D Primary Won 85.07% (+70.14%)
  11/08/1994 CA District 9 Won 72.25% (+49.64%)
  11/03/1992 CA District 9 Won 71.90% (+48.39%)
  11/06/1990 CA District 8 Won 61.30% (+22.59%)
  11/08/1988 CA District 8 Won 66.57% (+35.36%)
  11/04/1986 CA District 8 Won 60.01% (+22.15%)
  06/03/1986 CA District 8 - D Primary Won 82.48% (+64.96%)
  11/06/1984 CA District 8 Won 60.33% (+20.65%)
  06/05/1984 CA District 8 - D Primary Won 79.09% (+62.48%)
  11/02/1982 CA District 8 Won 55.94% (+11.89%)
  06/08/1982 CA District 8 - D Primary Won 76.14% (+52.27%)
  11/04/1980 CA District 8 Won 55.46% (+16.27%)
  08/14/1980 US President - D Convention Lost 0.09% (-63.95%)
  11/07/1978 CA District 8 Won 57.36% (+14.73%)
  11/02/1976 CA District 8 Won 62.10% (+27.39%)
  07/15/1976 US Vice President - D Convention Lost 0.67% (-93.61%)
  11/05/1974 CA District 8 Won 56.46% (+16.78%)
  06/04/1974 CA District 8 - D Primary Won 67.95% (+46.54%)
  11/07/1972 CA District 7 Won 55.95% (+17.86%)
  07/13/1972 US Vice President - D Convention Lost 0.14% (-58.94%)
  06/06/1972 CA District 7 - D Primary Won 73.14% (+46.28%)
  11/03/1970 CA District 7 Won 57.32% (+16.02%)
  06/02/1970 CA District 7 - D Primary Won 54.84% (+9.69%)
  04/04/1967 Berkeley City Council Won 12.43% (-2.43%)
ENDORSEMENTS
CA US President - D Primary - Feb 05, 2008 D Hillary Clinton
US President - D Primaries - Jun 03, 2008 D Hillary Clinton
CA State Assembly 16 - D Primary - Jun 06, 2006 D Sandré Swanson
Berkeley Mayor - Nov 02, 1982 N Eugene "Gus" Newport
Berkeley Mayor - Apr 17, 1979 N Eugene "Gus" Newport
Berkeley Mayor - Apr 15, 1975 D Ying Lee Kelley
US Vice President - Appointment - Dec 19, 1974 NPA Reject
US Vice President - Appointment - Dec 06, 1973 NPA Reject
US President - D Convention - Jul 13, 1972 D George S. McGovern
CA US President - D Primary - Jun 06, 1972 D Shirley A. Chisholm
US President - D Primaries - Jun 06, 1972 D Shirley A. Chisholm