View source for Jerry Kleczka

{{Short description|American politician (1943–2017)}}

{{Infobox  officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = 
| birth_name          = Gerald Daniel Kleczka
| honorific-suffix    = 
| smallimage          = KLECZKA, Gerald Daniel.jpg
| state               = [[Wisconsin]]
| district            = [[Wisconsin's 4th congressional district|4th]]
| term_start          = April 3, 1984
| term_end            = January 3, 2005
| predecessor         = [[Clement J. Zablocki|Clement Zablocki]]
| successor           = [[Gwen Moore]]
| state_senate1       = Wisconsin
| district1           = [[Wisconsin's 7th State Senate district|7th]]
| term_start1         = January 3, 1983
| term_end1           = April 3, 1984
| predecessor1        = [[Kurt Frank]]
| successor1          = [[John Plewa]]
| state_senate2       = Wisconsin
| district2           = [[Wisconsin's 3rd State Senate district|3rd]]
| term_start2         = January 6, 1975
| term_end2           = January 3, 1983
| predecessor2        = [[Casimir Kendziorski]]
| successor2          = [[John Norquist]]
| state_assembly3     = Wisconsin
| district3           = [[Wisconsin's 9th Assembly district|9th]]  
| term_start3         = January 1, 1973
| term_end3           = January 6, 1975 
| predecessor3        = ''District created'' 
| successor3          = [[Phillip James Tuczynski]]
| state_assembly4     = Wisconsin
| district4           = 14th [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee County]] 
| term_start4         = January 6, 1969
| term_end4           = January 1, 1973 
| predecessor4        = [[Robert P. Kordus]]
| successor4          = ''District abolished'' 
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1943|11|26}}
| birth_place         = [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], U.S.
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2017|10|8|1943|11|26}}
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = Bonnie
| relations           = 
| children            = 
| alma_mater          = [[University of Wisconsin&ndash;Milwaukee]]
| occupation          = [[Accountant]]
| profession          = 
| religion            = 
| signature           = 
| website             = 
| footnotes           = 
}}
'''Gerald Daniel Kleczka''' ({{IPAc-en|k|l|ɛ|tʃ|k|ɑː}};<ref>{{cite AV media|date = October 9, 2017|title = Mayor Barrett on passing of Jerry Kleczka|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWw_CZDWV0U|language = en|time = 0:03|access-date = November 25, 2019|publisher = YouTube}}</ref> November 26, 1943&nbsp;– October 8, 2017) was an American politician and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1984 to 2005, representing {{ushr|Wisconsin|4}}.<ref name="Obit">{{cite news |title=Former Rep. Jerry Kleczka Dies at 73 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55831838/jerry-kleczka-1943-2017/ |newspaper=The Post-Crescent |date=October 10, 2017 |page=A6 |via = [[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=July 22, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> The district included the city of [[Milwaukee]].

==Life and education==
After graduating from Milwaukee's [[Saint Thomas More High School (Milwaukee)|Don Bosco High School]],<ref name="Leaves">{{cite news |title=Milwaukee's Jerry Kleczka Leaves Congress with Hefty Campaign Account |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55896005/jerry-kleczka-1943-2017/ |newspaper=The Journal Times |date=November 6, 2004 |page=13 |via = [[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=July 23, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> in 1961, he attended the [[University of Wisconsin&ndash;Milwaukee]] for two years. Afterward, he served as an accountant and a member of the [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]].

==Politics==
Kleczka was elected to the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]], serving from 1969 to 1974. Later, he was a member of the [[Wisconsin State Senate]] from 1975 to 1984. Kleczka was elected to the House in a special election following the death of Representative [[Clement J. Zablocki]], defeating [[Milwaukee County District Attorney]] [[E. Michael McCann]] in the Democratic primary.<ref>Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. ''[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=goto&id=WI.WIBlueBk2003&page=14&isize=L State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book]''. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, 2003, p. 14.</ref>

==Tenure in Congress==
While in Congress, Kleczka was a member of the [[United States House Committee on Ways and Means]] and later the [[United States House Committee on the Budget]]. He was known to be one of the more liberal members of Congress and helped to secure money for many programs for education, poverty relief, and housing improvements.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

For his first 10-and-a-half terms, Kleczka represented a district that included most of the southern half of Milwaukee, as well as part of eastern [[Waukesha County, Wisconsin|Waukesha County]]. After the 2000 census, his district was merged with the neighboring [[Wisconsin's 5th congressional district|5th District]], covering downtown and north Milwaukee and represented by fellow Democrat [[Tom Barrett (Wisconsin politician)|Tom Barrett]]. The new 4th was a more compact district located solely in [[Milwaukee County]], and took in all of the city of Milwaukee; it was by far the most Democratic district in Wisconsin. Although it retained Kleczka's district number, it was geographically and demographically more Barrett's district. However, Barrett opted to run for [[Governor of Wisconsin|governor]], effectively handing the seat to Kleczka.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.milwaukeemag.com/NoMoreMr_NiceGuy/|title=No More Mr. Nice Guy|author1=Kurt Chandler|publisher=[[Milwaukee Magazine]]|date=February 22, 2010}}</ref>

The pronunciation of Kleczka's name often proved baffling to the uninformed. Rep. [[Frank Annunzio]] (D-IL) repeatedly butchered it to the point that an exasperated Kleczka took to calling him "Rep. Annunciation".{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

=== Legal issues ===
Kleczka was arrested at least twice for drunk driving while in office. A 1995 arrest for drunken driving&nbsp;— his [[blood alcohol content]] was twice the legal limit in Virginia&nbsp;— led him to acknowledge his alcoholism and seek treatment. He credits religion as part of the reason for his recovery and continued to meet regularly with fellow recovering alcoholics.<ref>Dave Umhoefer. "[http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=202543 Kleczka won't run again] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061012053511/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=202543 |date=2006-10-12 }}". ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', January 24, 2004.</ref>

==Retirement and death==
Kleczka announced his retirement in 2004, and did not run for [[Incumbent|reelection]]. He officially retired in January 2005 after ten terms in Congress, and was succeeded by State Senator [[Gwen Moore]], also a Democrat.<ref name="Leaves"/>

After Kleczka retired, he moved to [[Middleton, Wisconsin]], with his wife. Kleczka died on October 8, 2017, from natural causes at a care facility, in the Madison, Wisconsin area.<ref name="Obit"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.channel3000.com/news/local/politics/local-politics/former-us-rep-jerry-kleczka-of-wisconsin-dies-at-73/634785636 |title=Former US Rep. Jerry Kleczka of Wisconsin dies at 73 |access-date=2017-10-09 |archive-date=2017-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010060154/http://www.channel3000.com/news/local/politics/local-politics/former-us-rep-jerry-kleczka-of-wisconsin-dies-at-73/634785636 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Meg Jones. "[http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/obituaries/2017/10/08/former-wisconsin-congressman-jerry-kleczka-dies/745123001/ Former U.S. Rep. Jerry Kleczka recalled for hard work ethic and easy going style]". ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', October 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.pkfuneralhomes.com/obituary/Gerald-D.-Kleczka/Middleton-WI/1757621 Gerald Kleczka-obituary]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Biographical Directory of Congress|K000259}}
*[http://www.marquette.edu/about/honors/kleczka.shtml Honorary Degree: Doctor of Laws Conferred on Jerry Kleczka] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909202319/http://www.marquette.edu/about/honors/kleczka.shtml |date=2006-09-09 }}, Marquette University, 2005.
*{{C-SPAN|6719}}
*{{Find a Grave|184129088}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-wi-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Robert P. Kordus]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]]<br>from the 14th [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee County]] district|years=1969–1973}}
{{s-aft|after=''District abolished''}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=''District created''}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]]<br>from the [[Wisconsin's 9th Assembly district|9th]] district|years=1973–1975}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Phillip James Tuczynski]]}}
|-
{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Casimir Kendziorski]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Wisconsin Senate]]<br>from the [[Wisconsin's 3rd State Senate district|3rd]] district|years=1975–1983}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Norquist]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Kurt Frank]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Wisconsin Senate]]<br>from the [[Wisconsin's 9th Assembly district|7th]] district|years=1983–1984}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Plewa]]}}
|-
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Clement J. Zablocki|Clement Zablocki]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States representatives from Wisconsin|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Wisconsin's 4th congressional district]]|years=1984–2005}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Gwen Moore]]}}
{{s-end}}

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{{United States representatives from Wisconsin}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kleczka, Gerald}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:21st-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:American politicians of Polish descent]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Milwaukee]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Milwaukee]]
[[Category:People from Middleton, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Politicians from Dane County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Politicians from Milwaukee]]
[[Category:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature]]