Leanne Harper

NS Nation Name: GF&V
Character Name: Leanne Harper
Character Gender: Female
Character Age: 49 (b. 1967)
Character Role: Senator for Illinois
Appearance:

(Image)

Character State of Origin: Born in New York, moved to Chicago, Illinois
Character Affiliation: Republican (Until 1989) Democrat (Post 1989)
Main Strengths: Highly intelligent, professional, calm and collected. Master political strategist, ambitious, with connections all over Washington DC. She is well known, and a powerful leader of the moderate Democrats. She is popular with both Democrats and Republicans, in her district and in congress. She is known for her skills and negotiation and cross aisle relationships.
Main Weaknesses: She is the ultimate insider, and is in a state that is primarily Democratic. She is also seen as opinionated and suffers from the sexism prevalent in politics. Her main focus is on economic and social issues, not foreign affairs.Workahalic. Her history of compromise has left her ideological views muddied. Very private.
Short Bio: Born to a single mother in New York in 1967, the Leanne Harper grew up in poverty. In 1970, the Harpers moved to Chicago, where Leanne's mother hoped to find work. While Leanne went to school, her mother was out working three low paying jobs, at big box stores or other such locstions. When Leanne was 17, in her graduating year, her mother was killed in a drunk driving accident. The heartbroken Leanne flung herself I to her education, working multiple jobs to put herself into the University of Chicago. She eventually graduated, though was too busy to make much of a social life. She wad however, a keen observer in politics, and began to identify greatly with the late Nelson Rockefeller and his brand of Republicanism.

Scraping just enough money to get into Law School, she focused on insurance and tort law. At law school, she met Leo McKinnon, a scion of the McKinnon family, old money from Chicago. The two married in 1990, and had one child, Susan, in 1993. Having new found wealth after her marriage, Leanne never forgot the struggles of the poor, and the value of hard work. She made it her goal to promote fair policies for the working and middle class.

In the realm of politics, Leanne was turned off greatly by the harsh conservative message of Ronald Reagan, and campaigned in 1988 for the Democrats for the first time, becoming a registered Democrat in 1989. She was chosen as a state organizer for the Democratic Party in 1993, helping win the state for Bill Clinton. In 1996, she became and Alderman on Chicago's city council, and in 2000 ran, and was elected, to the State Legislature. While in local office, Leanne was a chief proponent of middle class tax relief and a rising minimum wage. She also had a keen interest in the Environment.

In 2003-4, Leanne was involved in a heated primary campaign against State Senator Barack Obama, for the nomination for the US Senate. In a photo finish, Leanne won by a whisker, largely due to a skilled performance during the last debate. She sailed to victory over her GOP challenger, and won her seat. In thr Senate, Leanna has been a powerful advocate for poverty relief and domestic affairs. She voted against the WAC bill.
Other Info: She is a middle of the road Democrat, who tacks to the left when it comes to taxes and the minimum wage. She is an Methodist, and is well known in Chicago and the Midwest.