Kenneth Edward Bentsen Jr. (born June 3, 1959) is an American lobbyist and former politician from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, serving four terms in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1995 to 2003. He is the nephew of former senator and secretary of the treasury, Lloyd Bentsen.

Early life and education

Born in Houston, Texas to Kenneth Sr. and Mary Bentsen, he graduated from

Deerfield Academy Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admis ...

in 1977. Bentsen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the

University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: *Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...

in 1982 and an Master of Public Administration from American University in 1985.

Career

From 1983 to 1987, he served on the staff of Congressman

Ronald D. Coleman Ronald D'Emory Coleman (born November 29, 1941) is an American politician and former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. Early life and career Born in El Paso, Texas, Coleman attended public schools, e ...

and from 1985 to 1987 was an associate staff member on the

United States House Committee on Appropriations The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Comm ...

. Afterwards, he worked as an

investment banker Investment banking pertains to certain activities of a financial services company or a corporate division that consist in advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and governments. Traditionally associated with ...

Congress

Bentsen was elected to the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

in 1994 and served from 1995 to 2003. As a congressman, he was one of 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the

invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

on October 10, 2002. In 2002, Bentsen opted to run for the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

to replace Phil Gramm; he then lost the Democratic primary to

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Ron Kirk Ronald Kirk (born June 27, 1954) is an American lawyer, politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the United States Trade Representative from 2009 to 2013 and the 57th Mayor of Dallas from 1995 to 2002. Born in Austin, Texas, ...

who lost the general election to

Texas Attorney General The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer
of the

John Cornyn John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Senate majority whip for ...

. In May, 2006, he became president of the Equipment Leasing Association in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Later career

Bentsen is the president and CEO of the

Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) is a United States industry trade group representing securities firms, banks, and asset management companies. SIFMA was formed on November 1, 2006, from the merger of the Bond M ...

. He was named a "Top Lobbyist" by ''The Hill'' and one of "Washington's Most Influential People" by ''Washingtonian''.

Personal life

He has two daughters with wife Tamra Bentsen. The four reside in Washington, D.C.

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bentsen, Ken 1959 births Living people Deerfield Academy alumni University of St. Thomas (Texas) alumni American University School of Public Affairs alumni Politicians from Houston Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas 21st-century American politicians Members of Congress who became lobbyists