Bill Nelson (politician)

Clarence William Nelson (born September 29, 1942) is the senior U.S. Senator from Florida. He is a Democrat.

Related Topics:
September 29 - 1942 - U.S. Senator - Florida - Democrat

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Nelson was born in Miami. He attended Yale University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in 1965, and later served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1965 to 1971 (and on active duty from 1968 to 1970). During this time, Nelson studied at the University of Virginia, where he received his law degree in 1968.

Related Topics:
Miami - Yale University - Bachelor of Arts - 1965 - U.S. Army Reserves - 1971 - Active duty - 1968 - 1970 - University of Virginia - Law degree

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Nelson worked as a fire marshal and later as a lawyer before beginning his political career in the Florida House of Representatives. Nelson served in the state house from 1972 to 1979, when he left the state house following his election to the U.S. House of Representatives the following year. Nelson served in the U.S. House from 1979 to 1991. In 1986, he became the second sitting member of congress (first from the House) to travel into space; Nelson served aboard the Columbia space shuttle on the STS-61-C mission with six other astronauts from January 12–18, where he was the payload specialist. At the end of the mission, Nelson traveled over 2.1 million miles in 96 earth orbits and logged over 146 hours in space.

Related Topics:
Florida House of Representatives - 1972 - 1979 - Election - U.S. House of Representatives - 1991 - 1986 - Columbia - Space shuttle - STS-61-C - January 12 - 18

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Nelson ran an unsuccessful campaign to the Democratic nominee for Governor of Florida in 1990. He lost to former U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles, who went on to win the general election. During the campaign, he tried to make an issue out of Chiles' health and age, a strategy that backfired on him in a state with a large population of retirees and senior citizens. From 1995 to 2000, Nelson was the Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida. In the 2000 election, Nelson won the election for Florida senator, beating then-Representative Bill McCollum, the Republican candidate in an open seat election to replace retiring Republican incumbent Connie Mack.

Related Topics:
Governor of Florida - 1990 - Lawton Chiles - 1995 - 2000 - 2000 election - Election - Bill McCollum - Republican - Connie Mack

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Nelson has been a vocal opponent of oil drilling off Florida's coast. He has fought to ensure veterans and their spouses get the benefits they deserve and have access to quality health care, and he has fought for a meaningful Medicare prescription drug benefit that allows the government to negotiate lower drug prices from pharmaceutical companies. He is generally regarded as a moderate, and has announced his intent to run for reelection in 2006. Republican Katherine Harris has announced that she will run against him, although many prominent Republicans have asked her not to; probably because they fear she may be too polarizing to win.

Related Topics:
Reelection - 2006 - Katherine Harris

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