Representative Walter R. Tucker

Walter Rayford Tucker III (born May 28, 1957) is an American lawyer, politician, and minister who served as mayor of Compton, California, and as a Democratic U.S. Representative from California from 1993 to 1995. A member of the Democratic Party, he contributed to the legislative process during his service in Congress, representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American political history.

Tucker was born in Compton, Los Angeles County, California, into a family deeply involved in public service. He is the son of Walter R. Tucker Jr., a dentist who became mayor of Compton in 1981. Raised in Compton’s public schools, Tucker graduated from Compton High School in 1974 as class valedictorian. He then attended Princeton University for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he earned a degree in political science in 1978. Pursuing a legal career, he enrolled at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1981. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1984.

After law school, Tucker returned to California and embarked on a legal career that combined public service and private practice. From 1984 to 1986 he served as a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, prosecuting criminal cases. In 1986 he entered private practice as a criminal defense attorney. His trajectory in elective office was shaped by family legacy and circumstance: after his father, Walter R. Tucker Jr., died while still serving as mayor of Compton, the younger Tucker ran in and won a special election to succeed him. In 1991 he became the youngest mayor in Compton’s history at age 33. He served as mayor from 1991 to 1992, a tenure that coincided with the civil unrest in Los Angeles County following the Rodney King verdict, a period that placed intense pressure on local leadership throughout the region.

In 1992 Tucker successfully sought election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Running as a Democrat, he won the seat from California by defeating Lynn Dymally, the daughter of retiring Representative Mervyn Dymally. He took office in January 1993 and served in the 103rd Congress, holding his seat until 1995. During his time in the House of Representatives, Tucker served on the Committee on Public Works and Transportation and the House Small Business Committee. He introduced legislation promoting “Random Acts of Kindness,” reflecting an interest in civic virtue and community-building. He opposed passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), aligning with those who expressed concern about its potential impact on American workers. Tucker also fought to save the Long Beach Naval Shipyard and worked to ensure the successful development of the Alameda Corridor Project, a major transportation and infrastructure initiative intended to improve freight movement from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the national rail network. In addition, he collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to secure federal funding to repair the long-neglected Compton Creek, thereby reducing the risk of costly flood damage to homes and property along the waterway.

Tucker’s congressional career was cut short by criminal charges stemming from his earlier service as mayor. In 1995 he was convicted in federal court on seven counts of extortion and two counts of tax evasion. The charges arose from his acceptance of $30,000 in bribes during his tenure as mayor of Compton in 1991, prior to his election to Congress. Throughout the investigation and trial, Tucker maintained his innocence, asserting that he had been targeted and set up by government prosecutors focusing on Black officeholders. His conviction and sentence, however, were upheld on appeal. Following the verdict, Tucker resigned from Congress in 1995. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Consuelo Bland Marshall to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Tucker’s imprisonment marked a turning point in his personal and professional life, as he began an active Christian ministry while incarcerated at the Federal Prison Camp in Lompoc, California. After his release, he continued in religious and community service. He was hired as the Helps Ministry manager for Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles, a large and influential congregation. He later joined Charles Colson’s Prison Fellowship Ministry as the Los Angeles area director, working with incarcerated individuals and those reentering society. Tucker subsequently moved with his family to Chicago, Illinois, where for nine years he served as pastor of From the Heart Church Ministries of Chicago. He later returned to Southern California and became pastor of the Truth and Love Christian Church in Carson, California, continuing his work as a minister and community leader.

In his private life, Tucker is married to Robin Smith. They have two children, Walter R. Tucker IV and Autumn Monet Tucker. He is part of a close-knit family that includes two sisters, Keta and Camillie, and a brother, Kenneth. As an African American officeholder who served as both mayor of Compton and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tucker is included among the ranks of African-American United States representatives, reflecting both his role in local and national politics and his place in the broader history of Black political leadership in the United States.