Earl Thomas Coleman (born May 29, 1943) is an American politician who represented Missouri in the United States House of Representatives from 1976 to 1993.

Education

He attended public schools and received a B.A. from William Jewell College in 1965 and an M.P.A. from Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, in 1969. He also received a J.D. from Washington University School of Law in 1969. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1969 and commenced practice in Kansas City.

Career

From 1969 to 1972 Coleman, a Republican, served as Missouri's State Assistant Attorney General. In 1972, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, where he served until 1976. After the unexpected death of Congressman Jerry Litton, Coleman ran for, and won, the election succeeding him. He represented Missouri's 6th Congressional District, which encompasses northwestern Missouri, including a portion of Kansas City north of the Missouri River and the city of Saint Joseph. Coleman served in Congress until 1993, when he was ousted by Pat Danner, Litton's former district administrator. After leaving office he has worked for The Livingston Group, a lobbying organization founded by former Congressman Bob Livingston.

Later career

Coleman wrote an opinion piece in May 2019 declaring that the Trump presidency was illegitimate and that Trump and Mike Pence should be impeached. He currently sits on the bipartisan advisory board of States United Democracy Center.

2020 Presidential Election

On August 24, 2020, Coleman was one of 24 former Republican lawmakers to endorse Democratic nominee Joe Biden on the opening day of the Republican National Convention.