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Melvin Luther (Mel) Watt (born August 26
1945), American politician,
has been a Democratic member of the
United States House of Representatives since
1993, representing the Twelfth District of North Carolina (
map ). Born in Steele Creek, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Watt attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yale University Law School. He served a single term in the North Carolina Senate (
1985-
1986), before returning to his law practice and running private business. He was elected to the House in
1992 and serves on the Financial Services Committee, the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary and the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. In the 109th Congress, he is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and is also a member of the NAACP.
One of the most liberal Southern Democrats, Watt was elected to his seventh consecutive term in the 2004 Congressional elections, earning 67% of the popular vote and defeating Republican Ada Fisher.
Watt has been accused of being a racist for calling civil-rights activist Ralph Nader, "just another arrogant fucking white man" during the 2004 presidential election.
External links
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Official website *
Congressman Watt Elected to Be Chair of the CBC *Information from Project Vote Smart
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Vote Smart Biography **
Campaign Finances **
Issue Positions **
Voting record *
record maintained by the Washington Post *
Ralph Nader controversy Watt, Mel
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