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Carl Brewer (politician)

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This article is about the former mayor of Wichita, Kansas. For the Canadian ice hockey defenceman, see Carl Brewer (ice hockey).

Carl Brewer
100th Mayor of Wichita, Kansas
In office
April 10, 2007 – April 13, 2015
Preceded byCarlos Mayans
Succeeded byJeff Longwell
Personal details
Born(1957-03-08)March 8, 1957
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2020(2020-06-12) (aged 63)
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Cathy Brewer
​
(m. 1980)​
Children4
EducationSouthern University (BA)
Military service
Branch/serviceKansas Army National Guard
Years of service1977–1998
RankCaptain

Carl Brewer (March 8, 1957 – June 12, 2020) was an American politician who served as the 100th mayor of Wichita, Kansas, and was the city's first elected black mayor. He was elected to the mayoralty in 2007 and reelected in 2011.

He was a member of the Democratic Party and ran for the party's gubernatorial nomination in 2018.

Early life and education

Brewer delivering the 2009 Wichita State of the City address

Carl Brewer was born on March 8, 1957, in Wichita, Kansas. In 1975, he graduated from North High School and briefly attended Friends University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Southern University.[1][2][3] From 1977 to 1998, he served in the Kansas Army National Guard and retired as a captain. In 1980, Brewer married Cathy Brewer and the couple had four children.[4]

Career

From 2001 to 2007, Brewer served in the Wichita city council from District 1. In 2004, he ran in a special election to replace state senator Rip Gooch, but was defeated by Donald Betts. In 2007, he was elected mayor of Wichita becoming the city's first elected black mayor, as A. Price Woodard Jr. was selected by the city council to serve as mayor for one term in 1970.[5][6]

On February 20, 2017, he announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination in Kansas' gubernatorial election and selected Chris Morrow, the mayor of Gardner, Kansas, to run for the lieutenant gubernatorial nomination.[7][8] However, he was defeated by state senator Laura Kelly. Brewer served on Kelly's transition team after she defeated Republican nominee Kris Kobach in the general election. Kelly appointed him to serve on the Governor's Council on Tax Reform.[9]

In 2019, he and Robert G. Knight appeared in a commercial asking for Lyndy Wells to launch a write-in campaign for the 2019 Wichita mayoral election.[10]

Death

On June 12, 2020, Brewer died in Wichita after a long struggle with an illness. Following his death, the Wichita city council had the city's flags flown at half-staff and Governor Laura Kelly said that "Carl truly embodied all of the best qualities of what it means to be a Kansan, and he will be dearly missed."[9]

Personal life

Brewer was Catholic, and a member of Wichita's African American Catholic Council.[11]

References

  1. ^ 2018 Candidate Questionnaire; Carl Brewer
  2. ^ City of Wichita – Mayor – Carl Brewer Main Archived October 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Former Wichita mayor announces candidacy for governor". February 20, 2017. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "About Carl". Carl Brewer Mayor. Carl Brewer for Mayor. April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "Former Wichita mayor Carl Brewer has died at 63". June 12, 2020. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  6. ^ "Betts to replace Gooch in Senate". The Salina Journal. January 12, 2004. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Former Wichita mayor announces his candidacy for Kansas governor". February 20, 2017. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  8. ^ "Kansas Democrat Carl Brewer selects former Gardner mayor as gubernatorial running mate". May 22, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Former Wichita mayor and gubernatorial candidate Carl Brewer has died". June 12, 2020. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  10. ^ "Two former Wichita mayors, restaurant CEO push Lyndy Wells write-in campaign". October 9, 2019. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  11. ^ Nielsen, Euell A. (October 8, 2018). "Carl Brewer (1957-2020)". Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
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