Bob Kasten
Robert Walter "Bob" Kasten, Jr. (born
June 19,
1942) is a
politician from the
state of
Wisconsin, serving the state a
Congressman from 1975 to 1979 and a
Senator from 1981 to 1993.
Kasten was born in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attendated
Choate Rosemary Hall in
Wallingford, Connecticut, where he received his high school diploma in 1960. Kasten graduated from the
University of Arizona in 1964, received a graduate degree from the
Columbia Business School in 1966. He served in the Wisconsin
Air National Guard from 1966 to 1972.
Kasten was elected to the
Wisconsin State Senate in
1972. In
1974, he was elected to the
House of Representatives as a
Republican. He ran for
Governor of
Wisconsin in
1978, but lost the nomination to
Lee S. Dreyfus. Kasten ran for the
United States Senate in
1980, defeating liberal
Democrat incumbent Senator
Gaylord Nelson. In the Senate, Kasten was an outspoken
conservative.
In 1986, Kasten narrowly defeated Democrat Ed Garvey to win re-election. Kasten was defeated by Democrat
Russell Feingold in
1992.
A
vampire-hunting pig in Mike Baron's Wisconsin-based comic
Badger was named for Kasten.
*
1992 Race for U.S. Senate**
Russ Feingold (D), 53%
**Bob Kasten (R) (inc.), 46%
*
1986 Race for U.S. Senate**Bob Kasten (R) (inc.), 52%
**
Ed Garvey (D), 48%
*
1980 Race for U.S. Senate**Bob Kasten (R), 50%
**
Gaylord Nelson (D) (inc.), 48%
