Eugene McCarthy Senator

Eugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthy (March 29, 1916 – December 10, 2005) was an American politician, poet, and a long-time member of the United States Congress from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1971.In the 1968 presidential election, McCarthy was the first candidate to challenge incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, running on an anti-Vietnam War platform. The unexpected vote total he achieved in the New Hampshire primary and his strong polling in the upcoming Wisconsin primary led Johnson to withdraw from the race, and lured Robert F. Kennedy into the contest. Fellow Minnesotan US Vice-President Hubert Humphrey also entered the race after Johnson's withdrawal. McCarthy would unsuccessfully seek the presidency five times altogether.

Personal facts

Birth date	March 29, 1916
Birth name	Eugene Joseph McCarthy
Birth place	Watkins Minnesota
Religion	Catholic Church
Date of death	December 10, 2005
Place of death	Washington D.C.
Education	University of Minnesota College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Spouse	Abigail McCarthy
Profession	Professor