BLACK HISTORY FACT: Edward William Brooke III (born October 26, 1919) is an African American Republican politician, who in 1966 became the first African American popularly elected to the United States Senate. He was the first of only two of African Americans sent to the Senate in the 20th century the other being Democratic Senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois in 1993, and the only African-American Senator to serve multiple terms. He was elected to the Senate as a Republican from Massachusetts, defeating his Democratic opponent, former Massachusetts governor Endicott Peabody in a landslide. He served for two terms, and was defeated by Paul Tsongas in the 1978 senate election. Brooke was the last Republican Senator elected from Massachusetts until Scott Brown was elected in 2010, and, until 2013, was the most recent Republican of African-American heritage to be elected to the Senate in his own right. Brooke is also currently the oldest living former U.S. Senator.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 23:06:58 +0000
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