Steve Beren (born September 9, 1951) is an American political activist from Seattle, Washington.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Beren says that he was raised in a nominal Jewish home, later became an atheist and, in 1995, a Christian.[1]

Political activism

Socialist Workers Party

Until 1990 Beren was a member of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP),[2][3]

While living in Detroit in the 1970s, Beren was questioned by the FBI who were investigating his roommate at the time, a Young Socialist Alliance partisan suspected of subversive activities. According to a congressional report of that incident, the roommate had previously been harassed by a "person claiming to be a congressman on the House Internal Security committee" who had insinuated knowledge of an "undisclosed purpose" behind the roommate and Beren's relocation from New York; the purported congressman claimed the move was done at the behest of the SWP for purposes of infiltration and agitprop.[4]

Beren left the SWP in 1990 due to, what he described as, "exhaustion with it."[2]

Democratic Party

After leaving the SWP, Beren became a member of the Democratic Party, where he remained for the next fourteen years.[3]

Republican Party

Beren quit the Democratic Party to become a Republican. He is a self-identified "Tea Party activist" and was an early confederate of Tea Party founder Keli Carender. The success of Carender's first event, a 2009 rally in Seattle against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has been partly attributed to promotion it received on Beren's blog.[5] Beren went on to organize and speak at other Tea Party rallies.[6]

Beren has said that Republicans should "have bold colors, wave the Republican flag boldly; wave fiscal conservatism, social conservatism, immigration conservatism — boldly."[7] During the 2012 GOP presidential primaries, Beren endorsed Newt Gingrich.[8][9] He has called for fortifying the U.S.' southern border with Mexico[10] and was a supporter of the 2003 Iraq War.[11]

In 2006, and again in 2008, Beren ran for U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 7th congressional district, advancing to the general election on the Republican ticket in the heavily Democratic-leaning district. In both races he was soundly defeated by incumbent Jim McDermott, scoring roughly 16-percent of the vote each time[12][13] while being thoroughly outspent by his rival (McDermott spent $1 million during the 2008 election, compared to $32,850 invested by Beren's campaign[14]). In 2010 he again ran for congress from Washington's 7th congressional district, that time as a declared write-in candidate.[15]

As of 2014, Beren is the New Media and Technology Director for the Washington State Republican Party.[16]

Personal information

Beren has lived in Seattle since 1987, and is married.[1]

Strat-o-Matic Baseball

Beren was very active in the Strat-o-Matic Baseball community in the late 1990s and 2000s. From 1993 to 2009, he was a member of ESSOM, including a long stint as ESSOM Spring League commissioner. He won the ESSOM Spring League championship in 1995 with the Oregon Outlaws, and the 2001-02 ESSOM Fall League championship with the Nashville Wildcats. He was a member of the Great American Baseball League from 1998 to 2007, compiling a 664-956 (.410) record with the Florida Rockets.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 Beren, Steve (December 29, 2008). "The Liberal Elite, Paranoia, Moral Values, and the War Against Terrorism (part 2 of 2)". Steve Beren. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  2. 1 2 Feit, Josh (September 2011). "McKenna Consultant is Original Local Tea Party Activist and Former Socialist". Seattle Metropolitan Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 Ramsey, Bruce (August 9, 2006). "McDermott challenger knows a little something about the left". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  4. ↑ U.S. Intelligence Agencies and Activities: Hearings Before the Select Committee on Intelligence. Government Printing Office. 1975. p. 1176.
  5. ↑ Maltsev, Yuri (2013). The Tea Party Explained: From Crisis to Crusade. Open Court. p. 71. ISBN 978-0812698312.
  6. ↑ Ward, Don (April 16, 2009). "Tea Party Post Mortem". Seattle Weekly. Civics 101. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  7. ↑ Springer, Dan (June 24, 2008). "Washington State Republicans Ditch Party Labels to Compete". Fox News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  8. ↑ The Conservative Alternative to President Obama Archived February 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Newt 2012 Announces Washington State Endorsements
  10. ↑ Pratt, Christine (September 27, 2013). "Roundtable spotlights contrasting views on immigration reform". Wenatchee World. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  11. ↑ Connelly, Joel (September 10, 2007). "Beren for Congress". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  12. ↑ "November 2006 General". sos.wa.gov. Washington Secretary of State.
  13. ↑ "Congressional District 7". sos.wa.gov. Washington Secretary of State.
  14. ↑ Beckel, Michael (30 June 2009). "Democratic Doc Favors Single-Payer Health Care For All". opensecrets.org. Open Secrets. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  15. ↑ Gilmore, Susan (9 August 2010). "Rep. Jim McDermott facing six challengers". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  16. ↑ "Party Staff". wsrp.org. Washington State Republican Party. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  17. ↑ "GABL Home". www.gabl.org. Archived from the original on 24 April 1999. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
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