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219:, a fellow Indianapolis Democrat (who had served in both houses of the Indiana legislature and would win election to the U.S. Congress), Vanessa Summers ran for election on her own behalf, won and was re-elected multiple times. She faced neither primary nor general election opponents in 2014, 2016 and 2018, and defeated Republican David T. Blank in 2010 in the overwhelmingly Democrat district, when the Republicans won a legislative majority. Summers is a member of the
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the state legislature (a part-time position), and would wim re-election multiple times, representing the 99th district in
Indianapolis until his death in 1991. Vanessa Summers and her sister worked in the family funeral home chain, which merged with other local mortuaries in 2002 and 2016, although "Lavenia & Summers" still operates funeral homes in Indianapolis.
198:, when it was the only secondary school open to African Americans in Indianapolis. Vanessa Summers has a sister (Natalie), and graduated from the former St. Mary's Academy for Girls, then the only private secondary school in the city that would accept African-American pupils (it closed in 1977). Summers attended
210:
In 1962, when she was an infant, her father had established the
Summers Funeral Chapels, and would also serve many years as Indianapolis' deputy coroner. Meanwhile, her mother operated "Lucille's Flowers" for four decades. In 1977, when Vanessa was a teenager, her father won election as a Democrat to
230:
In addition to her legislative duties, Summers coordinates the national
Diabetes Prevention Program in Indianapolis, and has also worked for the Amazing Grace Healthcare Coalition, The ARC of Indiana (a statewide advocacy group for people with intellectual disabilities and their families), and the
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In the
Indiana legislature, which was then evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, Summers was appointed to her father's seat for the remaining eight months of the term. Following the advice of
186:
in 1991. Like her father, Vanessa
Summers won re-election multiple times, and in 2012 became the first female as well as the first African-American to lead the Indiana House Democratic Caucus.
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Her parents had married in 1948, after both her father Joseph W. Summers (1930–1991) and mother Joyce Benson
Summers (d. 2014) had graduated from
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since being appointed to the seat following the death of her father Del.
336:"Joyce Summers Obituary - Indianapolis, IN | The Indianapolis Star"
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290:"Academy & All-Girls Schools History - Cathedral High School"
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Democratic Party members of the
Indiana House of Representatives
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Project Vote Smart - Representative
Vanessa J. Summers (IN)
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Indiana State
Legislature - Representative Vanessa Summers
265:"Rep. Vanessa Summers | Official Legislative Website"
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Bodenhamer, David J.; Barrows, Robert G. (1994-11-22).
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Julian Center shelter (a domestic violence center).
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Indiana
University – Purdue University Indianapolis
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454:"Indiana House of Representatives District 99"
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149:Mid American College of Mortuary Science
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386:Indiana Blacks in the Twentieth Century
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434:Action, Educators in (19 June 2017).
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223:, the National Black Caucus and the
436:"My Interview with Vanessa Summers"
239:Vanessa Summers is a member of the
1660:Women state legislators in Indiana
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1680:21st-century American legislators
1700:21st-century Indiana politicians
620:Indiana House of Representatives
359:The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
221:Indiana Black Legislative Caucus
176:Indiana House of Representatives
16:American politician from Indiana
383:Thornbrough, Emma Lou (2000).
1:
1655:Politicians from Indianapolis
487:"Indiana Legislator Database"
322:"Indiana Legislator Database"
389:. Indiana University Press.
362:. Indiana University Press.
308:"State Rep. Vanessa Summers"
476:Official government website
196:Crispus Attucks High School
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1602:Indiana General Assembly
1619:List of past Assemblies
117:New York City, New York
630:123rd General Assembly
584:campaign contributions
52:from the 99th district
168:Vanessa Joyce Summers
138:Indianapolis, Indiana
562:- Vanessa J Summers
294:www.gocathedral.com
1306:Wendy Dant Chesser
937:Michael Karickhoff
766:Michael Aylesworth
227:Democratic party.
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1549:Robin Shackleford
1162:Lindsay Patterson
396:978-0-253-33799-3
369:978-0-253-11249-1
241:Alpha Kappa Alpha
184:Joseph W. Summers
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493:on 2019-12-03
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235:Personal life
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811:Kendell Culp
793:Vernon Smith
775:Mike Andrade
633:(2023–2024)
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516:. Retrieved
514:. Arcind.org
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495:. Retrieved
491:the original
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269:the original
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217:Julia Carson
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180:Indianapolis
167:
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75:June 7, 1991
69:
58:
1645:1958 births
1540:Justin Moed
1531:Greg Porter
1477:Mike Speedy
1459:Chris Jeter
1405:Kyle Miller
1378:Matt Lehman
1369:Tim O'Brien
1216:Matt Pierce
1126:Dennis Zent
1108:Joanna King
1090:Robb Greene
1054:Tonya Pfaff
1000:Todd Huston
991:Kyle Pierce
847:Jim Pressel
820:Jack Jordan
739:Ryan Dvorak
730:Jake Teshka
649:Matt Lehman
640:Todd Huston
458:Ballotpedia
411:"Our Story"
81:Preceded by
1634:Categories
1594:Democratic
1585:Republican
1495:Renee Pack
1468:Mitch Gore
1441:Ed DeLaney
1432:Dave Heine
1261:Zach Payne
1198:Ryan Lauer
1144:Bob Cherry
1135:Ben Smaltz
1081:Bob Heaton
1063:Beau Baird
1036:Mark Genda
1018:Jerry Torr
892:Becky Cash
865:Craig Snow
802:Hal Slager
712:Dale DeVon
518:2019-05-14
497:2019-04-25
342:2019-05-14
275:2014-12-04
251:References
190:Background
172:Democratic
154:Occupation
145:Alma mater
128:Democratic
107:1958-04-24
1288:Jim Lucas
1225:Dave Hall
134:Residence
60:Incumbent
748:Pat Boy
636:Speaker
556:profile
1612:Senate
533:"home"
393:
366:
206:Career
1607:House
245:NAACP
170:is a
73:
1596:(30)
1587:(70)
582:1994
579:1996
576:1998
573:2000
570:2002
567:2004
564:2006
440:acte
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