Kenneth Bentley Kramer (born February 19, 1942) is an American lawyer, politician, and jurist from Colorado. He is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, serving four consecutive terms from 1979 to 1987.

Ken Kramer
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Assumed office
September 14, 2004
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
In office
October 6, 2000 – September 14, 2004
Preceded byFrank Q. Nebeker
Succeeded byDonald L. Ivers
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
In office
1989 – September 14, 2004
Appointed byGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded bySeat established
Succeeded byWilliam A. Moorman
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller)
In office
October 14, 1988 – 1989
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byMichael P. W. Stone
Succeeded byDouglas A. Brook
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Colorado's 5th district
In office
January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1987
Preceded byWilliam L. Armstrong
Succeeded byJoel Hefley
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 18th district
In office
January 2, 1974 – January 3, 1979
Preceded byWilliam J. Hybl
Succeeded byFrank H. Randall
Personal details
Born
Kenneth Bentley Kramer

(1942-02-19) February 19, 1942 (age 82)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (BA)
Harvard University (JD)
Military service
Allegiance United States of America
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1967–1970
RankCaptain

Early life and education edit

Born in 1942, in Chicago, Kramer grew up in the city's suburb of Skokie, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois, and after earning his degree, entered Harvard University, from which he received his Juris Doctor.

Career edit

In 1966, he was admitted to the bar, and by 1970, he had risen to the position of assistant district attorney for the state's Fourth Judicial District.

In 1972, Kramer was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and served for three terms until 1978.

Congress edit

That year, he was elected to represent the state's 5th congressional district, filling the vacancy left by U.S. Senator-elect William Armstrong. Kramer held the seat for eight years.

Senate race edit

In 1986, he retired to run for the United States Senate, but lost the election to Democrat Tim Wirth.

Later career edit

Kramer returned to Colorado Springs, Colorado to be an attorney in private practice.[1]

Since retiring, Kramer has held several positions. President Ronald Reagan nominated Kramer to be Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) on June 10, 1988; the United States Senate confirmed Kramer by unanimous consent on October 14, 1988.[1][2] He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush and appointed as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in 1989. He was chief judge of the court from 2000 until he retired in 2004.[3][4] He is married to Louise Kotoshirodo Kramer.[citation needed]

Electoral history edit

United States House of Representatives elections, 1978[5][page needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Kramer 91,933 59.78
Democratic Gerry Frank 52,914 34.41
Independent L.W. Dan Bridges 8,933 5.81
Total votes 153,780 100.0
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1980[6][page needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Kramer (incumbent) 177,319 72.41
Democratic Ed Schreiber 62,003 25.32
Libertarian John A. Lanning 5,578 2.27
Total votes 244,900 100.0
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1982[7][page needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Kramer (incumbent) 84,479 59.55
Democratic Thomas Cronin 57,392 40.45
Total votes 141,871 100.0
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1984[8][page needed]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Kramer (incumbent) 163,654 78.59
Democratic William Geffen 44,588 21.41
Total votes 206,242 100.0
Republican hold
1986 U.S. Senate election results, Colorado[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Tim Wirth 529,449 49.91% -0.42%
Republican Ken Kramer 512,994 48.36% -0.34%
Independent Michael Martin Bush 11,127 1.05%
Socialist Workers Michael R. Chamberlain 3,756 0.35%
Independent American Henry John Olshaw 1,868 0.18% -0.17%
Prohibition Calvin G. Dodge 1,571 0.15%
Majority 16,455 1.55% -0.09%
Turnout 1,060,765
Democratic hold Swing

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Reagan, Ronald (June 10, 1988). "Nomination of Ken Kramer To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Army". UCSB. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  2. ^ PN1165 — Ken Kramer — Department of Defense
  3. ^ Biography on U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran's Claims website
  4. ^ "Ken Kramer (CO, 1979-1987)". FMC. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
  5. ^ 1978 Election Results
  6. ^ 1980 Election Results
  7. ^ 1982 Election Results
  8. ^ 1984 Election Results
  9. ^ "1986 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov. p. 6.

External links edit

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Colorado's 5th congressional district

1979-1987
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican Party nominee for United States Senator from Colorado (Class 3)
1986
Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative
Succeeded byas Former US Representative