- Ron Kind
Infobox Congressman
name= Ron Kind
state=Wisconsin
district= 3rd
party= Democrat
term_start=January 3 ,1997
preceded=Steve Gunderson
succeeded= Incumbent
date of birth= birth date and age|1963|03|16
place of birth= La Crosse,Wisconsin
occupation= attorney
alma_mater=Harvard University ,London School of Economics ,University of Minnesota
residence=La Crosse, Wisconsin
religion= Lutheran
spouse= Tawni KindRonald James "Ron" Kind (born
March 16 1963 ) is an American politician from theU.S. state ofWisconsin . He has served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997, representing ushr|Wisconsin|3|.Early life
Kind was born and raised in
La Crosse, Wisconsin . He is the third of five children born to Greta and Elroy Kind, and the fifth generation of his family to live in the area. [http://www.house.gov/kind/bio.shtml] Kind's mother formerly worked as the assistant director of personnel in the La Crosse School District. His father had a 35-year career as a telephone repairman and union leader at the La Crosse Telephone Company. [http://www.house.gov/kind/bio.shtml]Kind attended the
public school s in La Crosse and became a standout student athlete at Logan High School in both football and basketball. He accepted ascholarship toHarvard University where he graduated with honors in 1985. While attending Harvard, Kind played quarterback on the football team and worked during the summer with Wisconsin SenatorWilliam Proxmire in Washington. In Proxmire's office he helped investigate waste, which provided the basis for some of the senator's famousGolden Fleece Award s. [http://www.house.gov/kind/bio.shtml]Kind went on to receive a master's degree from the
London School of Economics and a Law Degree from theUniversity of Minnesota Law School . He practiced law for two years at the law firm ofQuarles and Brady inMilwaukee, Wisconsin .Kind returned to his hometown of La Crosse to become a county prosecutor. He later served as a special prosecutor in numerous counties throughout western Wisconsin. [http://www.house.gov/kind/bio.shtml]
Career
In
September 1995 , Kind announced his intention to run for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by 16-year incumbentSteve Gunderson . He later won a five-person race for the Democratic nomination and went on to defeat his Republican opponent 52 percent to 48 percent. In 2004 he won with 57 percent of the vote and won with 65 percent of the vote in 2006 againstPaul R. Nelson .He was first elected in ushr|Wisconsin|3 ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/wi03_109.gifmap] ) in
November 1996 . He currently serves on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means. His other (non-committee) titles are the Democratic Chief DeputyWhip , co-founder of both the Upper Mississippi River Congressional Caucus and theCongressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus , and is a co-vice-chair of theNew Democrat Coalition .As a New Democrat, Kind is a strong proponent of the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He most recently took a lead role in passing thePeru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) inNovember 2007 .Personal life
Kind and his wife, Tawni, live in his hometown of La Crosse. She is an official court reporter for the County Court system. They have two sons, Johnny (born in
August 1996 ) and Matthew (born inMay 1998 ). They are members of the Immanuel Lutheran Church. Kind is a member of the La Crosse Optimists Club, a leader in theBoys' and Girls' Club , and the La CrosseYMCA . He is also on the board of directors for Coulee Council on Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse. His wife organizes the annual Congressional Art Competition for high school artists in western Wisconsin.Election history
Footnotes
External links
* [http://www.house.gov/kind/ U.S. Congressman Ron Kind] official U.S. House website
* [http://www.ronkind.org/ Ron Kind for Congress] campaign website
* [http://www.wisdems.org/index.php?display=CandidateDetails&id=246238 Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Ron Kind] biography
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