Ken Bentsen, Jr.

Infobox_Congressman
name = Ken Bentsen, Jr.


date of birth = birth date and age|1959|6|3
place of birth = Houston, Texas
state = Texas
district = 25th
term = January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003
preceded = Michael A. Andrews
succeeded = Chris Bell
religion = Roman Catholic
party = Democratic
spouse =

Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. (born June 3, 1959 in Houston, Texas) is a former congressman from Texas. He is the nephew of former Texas Senator and Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentsen.

Born in Houston, Texas to Kenneth, Sr. and Mary Bentsen, he graduated from Deerfield Academy in 1977, going on to earn a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas, Houston in 1982 and an M.P.A. from American University in 1985. From 1983 to 1987, he served on the staff of Congressman Ronald D. Coleman and from 1985 to 1987 was an associate staff member on the House Appropriations Committee. Afterwards, he worked as an investment banker.

Bentsen was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 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 on October 10, 2002. In 2002, Bentsen opted to running for the U.S. Senate to replace Phil Gramm, however he lost in the Democratic primary to Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk who lost the general election to Texas Attorney General John Cornyn. In May, 2006, he became president of the Equipment Leasing Association in Washington, D.C.

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