Kathy Ellen Manning (born December 3, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina, presently representing the state's 6th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, her district is in the heart of the Piedmont Triad and includes Greensboro and most of Winston-Salem. She was the nominee for North Carolina's 13th congressional district in the 2018 election, and ran for and won the neighboring 6th in the 2020 election after court-ordered redistricting.

Kathy Manning
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 6th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2021
Preceded byMark Walker
Personal details
Born (1956-12-03) December 3, 1956 (age 67)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseRandall Kaplan
Children3
EducationHarvard University (BA)
University of Michigan (JD)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • lawyer
WebsiteHouse website

Early life and career

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Manning was born to a Jewish family in Detroit, Michigan, on December 3, 1956.[1][2] Her father worked for the Ford Motor Company for 40 years, and her mother was a public school teacher. Manning attended Harvard University, where she sang a cappella with the Radcliffe Pitches.[3][4] She also attended the University of Michigan Law School, earning a Juris Doctor.[5]

After graduating from college, Manning moved to Greensboro, her husband's hometown, in 1987. She was the first woman to serve as board chair of the Jewish Federations of North America,[6] from 2009 to 2012.[7] Beginning in 2013, she served as chair of the task force created to seek private funds for what would become the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro.[8] She also was the founding board chair of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools in New York.[9]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Manning greeting President Joe Biden in April 2022
 
Manning speaking at an event with Governor Roy Cooper and EPA Administrator Michael Regan

Elections

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2018

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In 2018, Manning ran against Republican incumbent Ted Budd for the United States House of Representatives in North Carolina's 13th congressional district.[10] At the time, the district stretched from southwestern Greensboro to the northern exurbs of Charlotte. On paper, the district tilted Republican; Donald Trump had carried the district two years earlier with 53% of the vote. She lost to Budd, 52% to 46%.

2020

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After a court-ordered redistricting in 2019, Manning's home in Greensboro was drawn into the neighboring 6th District, represented by three-term Republican Mark Walker. The new 6th included all of Guilford County and swept west to grab the more Democratic areas of neighboring Forsyth County, including almost all of Winston-Salem.[11] The old 6th included eastern Greensboro, as well as much of the eastern Triad and some outer suburbs of the Triangle.

On December 2, 2019, hours before the new map was issued, Manning announced she would run in the 6th.[12] The new district was significantly more compact and Democratic than its predecessor. Had it existed in 2016, Hillary Clinton would have won it with over 59% of the vote[13]–a near-mirror image of Trump's 56% in the old 6th.[14] On paper, the new 6th was one of the most Democratic white-majority districts in the South.

With most observers believing the 6th was a likely Democratic pickup,[15] Walker announced he would not run for a fourth term.[16]

Manning won the Democratic primary, and in the general election, she defeated Republican nominee Lee Haywood with 62% of the vote. Upon her swearing-in on January 3, 2021,[17] she became the first Democrat to represent this district since 1985, and the first white Democrat to represent a Triad-based district since Steve Neal left office in 1995.

Manning has stated health care is one of her driving issues, motivated by the "labyrinthine process of getting insurance" to cover her daughter's medication.[18]

Tenure

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Manning and other members of the US congressional delegation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, Israel, March 28, 2024

Manning voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[19] In December 2023, she announced that she would not be running for reelection due to new "egregiously gerrymandered congressional districts" in North Carolina.[20]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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  • New Democrat Coalition[22]
  • Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus
  • Labor Caucus
  • Democratic Women's Working Group
  • Black Maternal Health Caucus
  • Women's Caucus
  • Pro-Choice Caucus
  • Equality Caucus[21]

Personal life

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Manning and her husband, Randall Kaplan, have three children.[23]

Electoral history

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North Carolina's 13th congressional district, 2018 Democratic primary results[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Manning 19,554 70.1
Democratic Adam Coker 8,324 29.9
Total votes 27,878 100.0
North Carolina's 13th congressional district, 2018[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ted Budd (incumbent) 147,570 51.5
Democratic Kathy Manning 130,402 45.6
Libertarian Tom Bailey 5,513 1.9
Green Robert Corriher 2,831 1.0
Total votes 286,316 100.0
Republican hold
North Carolina's 6th congressional district, 2020 Democratic primary results[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Manning 56,986 48.3
Democratic Rhonda Foxx 23,506 19.9
Democratic Bruce Davis 17,731 15.0
Democratic Derwin Montgomery 14,705 12.5
Democratic Ed Hanes 5,067 4.3
Total votes 117,995 100.0
North Carolina's 6th congressional district, 2020[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Manning 253,531 62.3
Republican Lee Haywood 153,598 37.7
Total votes 407,129 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
North Carolina's 6th congressional district, 2022[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Manning (incumbent) 139,553 53.9
Republican Christian Castelli 116,635 45.0
Libertarian Thomas Watercott 2,810 1.1
Total votes 256,950 100.0
Democratic hold

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gangitano, Alex (November 30, 2020). "Rep.-elect Kathy Manning (D-N.C.-06)". The Hill. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  2. ^ Murphy, Brian (October 18, 2018). "Challenger turns health care fight personal in her congressional bid in NC". The News & Observer. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  3. ^ "Crimson on Capitol Hill: 117th". 10 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Alumnae".
  5. ^ "About". 3 January 2021.
  6. ^ Fisher, Alyssa (May 9, 2018). "Meet North Carolina Democrat Kathy Manning – The Forward". Forward.com. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Kathy Manning brought Jews together. Can she do the same for Congress? | The Jewish Federations of North America". jewishfederations.org. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  8. ^ "Greensboro Performing Arts Center History". Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  9. ^ "From the Board: My Story, Our Vision". Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools. 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  10. ^ taft.wireback@greensboro.com, Taft Wireback (2 December 2019). "Kathy Manning announces congressional candidacy as judges review redrawn district map". Greensboro News and Record.
  11. ^ "New congressional map".
  12. ^ Elise Manahan (December 2, 2019). "Kathy Manning announces congressional candidacy as judges review redrawn district map". News & Record.
  13. ^ Presidential results for reconfigured North Carolina districts via Daily Kos
  14. ^ Presidential results by congressional district for districts used in 2016, from Daily Kos
  15. ^ Gardner, Amy (November 15, 2019). "Democrats would likely gain two seats under new congressional map approved by North Carolina legislature". Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  16. ^ Murphy, Brian (December 16, 2019). "His House district was made a Democratic one. Here's what's next for Mark Walker". The Herald-Sun. Durham, North Carolina. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  17. ^ "North Carolina Election Results: Sixth Congressional District". The New York Times. 3 November 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  18. ^ Ellen Wexler (January 5, 2021). "Ms.Manning Goes to Washington". Moment Magazine.
  19. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (2021-04-22). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  20. ^ "Manning Won't File for Re-Election Under Egregiously Gerrymandered Maps | Representative Kathy Manning". manning.house.gov. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  21. ^ a b "Committees and Caucuses | Representative Kathy Manning". clerk.house.gov. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  22. ^ "Members". New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Greensboro lawyer, fundraiser Kathy Manning to challenge U.S. Rep. Ted Budd | Elections". greensboro.com. December 6, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  24. ^ "US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 13 - DEM (VOTE FOR 1)". NC State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  25. ^ "District 13, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  26. ^ "03/03/2020 OFFICIAL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE". er.ncsbe.gov. North Carolina Board of Elections. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  27. ^ "State Composite Abstract Report - Contest.pdf" (PDF). North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  28. ^ "11/08/2022 OFFICIAL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 6th congressional district

2021–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
320th
Succeeded by