Jerry Kleczka

Jerry Kleczka
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th district
In office April 3, 1984 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Clement J. Zablocki
Succeeded by	Gwen Moore
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 3rd district
In office 1975–1984
Preceded by	Casimir Kendziorski
Succeeded by	John Norquist
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 7th district
In office 1969–1975
Personal details
Born	Gerald Daniel Kleczka (1943-11-26) November 26, 1943 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nationality	Polish-American
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Occupation	Accountant

Gerald Daniel "Jerry" Kleczka (born November 26, 1943), an American politician, was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1984 to 2005, representing Wisconsin's 4th congressional district. The district includes the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was born.

Life and career

After graduating from Milwaukee's Don Bosco High School, in 1961, he attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee for two years. Afterward, he served as an accountant and a member of the National Guard. 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 Zablocki, defeating Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann in the Democratic primary.

While in Congress, Kleczka was a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and later the House Budget Committee. 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.

Kleczka was arrested at least twice for drunk driving. A 1995 arrest for drunken driving - his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit in Virginia - led him to acknowledge his alcoholism and seek treatment. Friends say it softened his rough edges. He turned to God as part of his recovery and continues to meet regularly with fellow recovering alcoholics.

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."

Kleczka announced his retirement in 2004, and did not run for reelection. He officially retired in January 2005 after 10 terms in Congress, and was succeeded by State Senator Gwen Moore, also a Democrat.

External links

• Jerry Kleczka at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Honorary Degree: Doctor of Laws Conferred on Jerry Kleczka, Marquette University, 2005.

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Clement Zablocki	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th congressional district 1984–2005	Succeeded by Gwen Moore