Cynthia Ann McKinney (born March 17, 1955) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. McKinney serve as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003, and from 2005 to 2007, representing Georgia's fourth congressional district. McKinney was defeated in the 2002 Democratic primary, in part due to Republican crossover voting in Georgia's open primary election, which permits anyone from any party to vote in any party primary. Later returning to the House following her successor's run for Senate, she was defeated again in the 2006 Democratic primary. She left the Democratic Party in September 2007 and on October 22, 2007, filed paperwork with the FEC creating an exploratory committee for a Green Party presidential campaign.