by Derrick Cavey

Created on: November 26, 2010   Last Updated: December 09, 2010

Kendrick Meek, a black democrat, is currently United States Representative from the 17th congressional district of Florida, and he could be a great candidate for the 2016 presidential election. He is a married father of two. Meek was a star college football player at Florida A&M University. Since he graduated college, Meek has been a public servant. Congressman Meek has always fought for the poor and the middle class. Meek’s hard work ethic could make him a good presidential candidate in 2016.

After Meek graduated with a degree in criminal justice in 1989, He got swore in as captain in the Florida highway patrol. As a captain Meek was assigned to the security detail of then Democratic Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay. In 1994, He decided to run for the Florida house of representatives. He won, and then he began his career as an elected official.

In Tallahassee, Kendrick was a great advocate for his constituencies of North Miami. While in the Florida house, Meek worked with republicans to compensate Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee two black men who were wrongfully convicted of murder.

In the Florida senate, Kendrick Meek was well known for butting heads with then Governor Bush and the republicans to get what was needed done. In January of 2000, Kendrick and another senator had a sit in at Governor Jeb Bush’s office that lasted 25 hours. They were opposed to the executive order given by Bush to eliminate affirmative action throughout the state of Florida. Florida’s affirmative action law was later upheld by the United States Supreme Court. In 2002, then Governor Bush and Senator Meek continued to but heads, this time over class sizes. Classes were full of kids with a 40 students to one teacher ratio. Kendrick felt it was important to lower that ratio, but Bush and the republicans were worried about the cost. Kendrick put it on the senate floor for a vote, but it did not pass. Meek believed in the people of Florida, so he fought to get it on the ballot in 2002, and the people approved it. During Kendrick’s time in Tallahassee, he proved that he could get things done.

2002 was a busy year for Kendrick’s family. Kendrick was elected to his mother’s seat in the United States House of Representatives, and he was going to move to a bigger political arena.

Late at night on a daily basis, Congressman Meek can be found with other democrats and other congressional representatives of Florida on the floor of the U.S. House debating

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