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Bob Holden Biography |
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Bob Holden (born August 24, 1949, in Kansas City, Missouri), is an United States politician of the United States Democratic Party who is best known as a former Governor of Missouri.
Holden was raised on a farm in the Ozarks near Birch Tree, Missouri. He attended a one-room school and earned his bachelor's degree in political science at Missouri State University (Then known as Southwest Missouri State), where he was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. He also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he took courses specifically tailored for government executives. Holden met his wife Lori Hauser Holden during his first campaign for the Missouri General Assembly and together they have two boys, Robert and John D.Holden's biography at the Webster University Public Policy Forum website Political career From 1983 to 1989, Holden was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives. Holden served as State Treasurer from 1993 to 2001 and as governor from 2001 to 2005. Governor of Missouri In the 2000 gubernatorial election, Holden narrowly defeated United States Republican Party Jim Talent. Holden was inaugurated as Governor in January 2001. Bob Holden's inauguration was the most elaborate and expensive in state history. The inauguration ceremony cost $1 million, of which $125,000 was paid from state government funds.St. Louis Business Jorunal Mentions Inaugural Costs Holden was a member of the National Governors Association and was elected chair of the Midwestern Governors’ Conference which led the Midwestern states’ efforts to stimulate the economy by focusing on education and research. He also chaired the Governor’s Ethanol Coalition and represented fellow Governors on the National Medicaid Reform Task Force. Holden repeatedly defended Missouri's Medicaid program from cuts by the Republican legislature. In 2001, Holden called a special session to create Missouri's Senior Rx Program. Holden was pro-gun control and vetoed a concealed-carry bill passed by the Law and Government of Missouri#General Assembly. This however, was short-lived because his veto was overridden by both the Missouri General Assembly and Senate and the concealed-carry bill passed into law in 2003. Holden favored greater spending on state elementary and secondary education. At one point in his term, he called the state legislature back into session after they had recessed for the year to ask for more state funding for education, but they refused additional monies. Holden's term as Governor ended on January 10, 2005. 2004 election In 2004, Holden was challenged by Democratic State Auditor, Claire McCaskill, for the office of Governor. McCaskill successfully tapped into broad-based disgruntlement with Holden that prompted even some Democrats to call him by the unflattering moniker "OTB" (One Term Bob).The Associated Press State & Local Wire; July 18, 2003; BC cycle; Missouri's Democratic governor facing opposition in own party David A. Lieb, Associated Press Writer. Citing Holden's ineffectiveness as Governor as well as Republican tactics to perpetuate their candidate, McCaskill defeated Holden in the Democratic primary. This made Holden the first one-term Governor (when challenged within the party) in nearly two decades. Despite McCaskill's victory, however, she was criticized by some Democrats for accepting campaign contributions from Anheuser-Busch, who had pulled their support for Holden after he vetoed a concealed weapons bill passed by the state legislature. McCaskill was beaten in the November 2 general election by Republican Secretary of State Matt Blunt. Life after politics Holden now teaches management classes at Webster University. On May 10, 2006, Holden was present for the event kicking off the Holden Public Policy Forum at Webster University. The Forum describes itself as "a bi-partisan speakers series that will bring Governors, Senators, presidential candidates and private sector public policy leaders to St. Louis and the Webster University Old Post Office campus."About the Holden Public Policy Forum at Webster University 
Courtesy of: http://www.wikipedia.org/ |
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