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Kathleen Neal Cleaver,moved to San Francisco in November, 1967, to join the Black Panther Party. Cleaver became the first female member of the Party’s decision-making body. Notably, she organized the national campaign to free the Party’s minister of defense, Huey Newton, who was jailed. In 1968 she ran for California's 18th state assembly district,as a candidate of the Peace and Freedom party. Cleaver received 2,778 votes for 4.7% of the total vote, finishing third in a four candidate race.