Steve Beren

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. 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. Feit, Josh (September 2011). "McKenna Consultant is Original Local Tea Party Activist and Former Socialist". Seattle Metropolitan Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  3. 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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