Alan Wheat

Template:Short description Template:More footnotes needed Template:Infobox officeholder Alan Dupree Wheat (born October 16, 1951) is an American economist, lobbyist, and politician who served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Missouri from 1983 to 1995.

Early life

His father was James Wheat, an officer and civil engineer in the U.S. Air Force. His mother Emogene (Jean) Wheat was a teacher. Since his father served in the USAF, he grew up in air bases and went to schools in Wichita, Kansas, and Seville in Spain. In 1968, he graduated from Airline High School in Bossier City, Louisiana. Wheat was hired by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as an economist in 1972 after passing his B.A. in economics at Grinnell College, in Iowa. Between 1973 and 1975 he joined the Mid–America Regional Council in Kansas City for the same role. In 1975 he then became an aide to Mike White a Jackson County, Missouri, executive.

Missouri legislature

In 1976, he was elected at age 25 to the Missouri general assembly and stayed there until 1982.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Ency">Template:Cite news</ref>

Campaign for Congress

When Congressman Richard Bolling retired at the 1982 House of Representatives election,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Wheat won the Democratic primary by only 1,004 votes (11%).<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He went on to win the general election to succeed Bolling by beating Republican John Sharp with 58% of the votes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

House career and Senate campaign

Wheat was the youngest member of the United States House of Representatives ever to be appointed to the Rules Committee, and was also the first African-American to represent a district with a non-liberal white majority. He was also a member of the United States House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families.<ref name="Hearing">Children, youth, and families: Beginning the assessment. Hearing before the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families; House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, First SessionTemplate:Dead link, United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC, 28 April 1984, Original document retrieved 19 January 2014 from ERIC at Ed.gov: Institution of Education Sciences.</ref>

In 1992, Wheat drew four opponents in the Democratic primary election. He was perceived to be vulnerable due to the House banking scandal and his having been one of the House members who had made overdrafts. Wheat survived the primary and defeated Republican Edward “Gomer” Moody, who was a well-known Missouri businessman. Wheat won the general election, which also included two third-party candidates, with 59% of the vote.<ref name="Ency"/>

After United States Senator John Danforth said he would not run for re-election in 1994, Wheat chose to leave the House and instead run for Danforth's seat. The Senate race was closely watched nationally because Wheat was perceived as a candidate who could win crossover votes, as the House district he represented was 70 percent white.<ref name="Ency"/> Wheat lost the general election to former governor John Ashcroft. Karen McCarthy was elected to succeed him in the House.

Post-congressional career

After his Senate race, Wheat was chosen as vice president of Public Policy and Government Relations at CARE. He served as deputy campaign manager and director of constituent outreach of President Bill Clinton's re-election campaign in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1997, Wheat formed the lobbying group Wheat Government Relations.

Wheat joined the national law firm and lobbying practice Polsinelli in 2013, as the firm's Public Policy practice chair.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

In 2021, Wheat helped found Wheat Shroyer Government Relations, a public service-oriented lobbying firm, where he currently serves as Chairman.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Wheat currently serves on the board of directors at CARE.

Personal life

Wheat has three children.

See also

• List of African-American United States representatives

External links

• Official Site: Wheat Government Relations
• U.S. Senate Office of Public Records: Lobbyist Registration
• Center for Public Integrity: LobbyWatch, Wheat Government Relations
• Template:C-SPAN

Template:S-start Template:S-par Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-ppo Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-prec Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-end