Ron Wyden

Country:	USA
Website:	[wyden.senate.gov wyden.senate.gov]
Facebook:	[Senator Ron Wyden Ron Wyden]
Twitter:	@RonWyden

Ron Wyden is one of the United States Senior Senator representing constituents from the State of Oregon. Wyden has been a Senator since 1996. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Finace, Intelligence, Aging, Budget and Energy & Natural Resources. He is the chairman of both Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests and the Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness. Sen. Wyden is a strong advocate for Americans' privacy rights. As Senator, he has been pushing for health care reform, energy independence, national security, consumer welfare and accountability.

Personal Background

He was born Ronald Lee Wyden to Jewish parents Edith Rosenow and Peter H. Wyden on May 3, 1949 in Wichita, Kansas. His parents fled the German Nazis and moved to United States and settled in Ridgefield, Connecticut in 1923. His father was a journalist and their family moved a around the country. After his parents divorced in 1960, Ron Wyden's mother moved to Palo Alto, California along with his younger brother. He grew up in Palo Alto and graduated from Palo Alto High School as a basketball superstar.

Senator Wyden was married to Nancy Bass Wyden on September 2005. They were blessed with twins William
 Peter 
and 
Ava 
Rose. Senator Wyden's has two adult children, Adam David and Lilly Anne to his previous marriage to Nancy Oseran.

Education

Senator Wyden received a basketball scholarship after graduating high school from the University of California, Sta. Barbara. He transferred to the University of Stanford where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1974. He continued his studies at the University of Oregon School of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1974.

Political Career

Wyden started his political career as member of the United States House of Representatives to the 97Th Congress on January 3, 1981 at the age of 31.He first defeated Darrel Conger. He was re-elected in seven succeeding Congressional elections representing the third district of Oregon until his resignation on February 5, 1996.

Following his resignation as Congressman in1996, Wyden entered the Senate race in Oregon during a special elections to fill the seat vacated by former Republican Sen. Bob Packwood who resigned before his term expired due to the unanimous decision of the Senate Ethics Committee to expel him from office because of ethical misconduct. Wyden defeated Republican nominee Gordon Smith by a narrow margin 48% to 47% via first nationwide mail-in election. He was sworn in as United States Senator on February 5, 1996. He was re-elected to a full term during the 1998 Senatorial race against John Lim with a large margin- 61% to 31%. In 2004, he won with 63% votes against his opponent Al King’s 31% votes. In 2010, he defeated Jim Huffman by 18% margin.