McCarthy, Karen, 1947-2010

Karen McCarthy (March 18, 1947 – October 5, 2010) was an American teacher and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. Representative for the fifth district of Missouri from 1995 to 2005.

Born in Haverhill, Massachusetts and raised in Leawood, Kansas, she graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School. McCarthy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and English from the University of Kansas in 1969 and a Master of Arts in English Education from the University of Missouri–Kansas City in 1976. She later earned an M.B.A. at the University of Kansas. Prior to running for public office, McCarthy taught English at Shawnee Mission South High School and the Sunset Hill School. In September 1969, she married civil rights attorney Arthur A. Benson II; they divorced in 1984.

First elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1976 as a Democrat, McCarthy was re-elected eight times, generally with little opposition. She became a ranking party member in the state House, serving on numerous committees including chairman of Ways and Means (1983-1995), and a member of the Appropriations and Energy committees. McCarthy also served as the first female president of the National Conference of State Legislatures in 1994.

In 1994, McCarthy entered the race for an open Kansas City-area House seat, prevailing in the Democratic primary and general election. Throughout her House service, McCarthy identified herself as a “New Democrat,” a moderate who supported some fiscally conservative policies such as a balanced budget while opposing so-called unfunded mandates, which forced states to pay for federal regulations from their own budgets. Yet, she was a regular vote for such Democratic issues as a hike in the minimum wage, a patients’ bill of rights, abortion rights, and gun control.

In December 2003, McCarthy announced that she wouldn't seek another term in the House. In June 2009, her family revealed that McCarthy was suffering from an advanced form of Alzheimer's disease and was residing in a nursing home. Their statement said her difficulties were compounded by a bipolar disorder that apparently went undiagnosed for at least a decade. A non-injury car accident involving McCarthy at her home in April prompted her friends to seek medical help which revealed her illnesses. McCarthy died at age 63.