Kit Bond
Encyclopedia
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond (born March 6, 1939) is a former United States Senator
from Missouri
and a member of the Republican Party
. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986
, he defeated Democrat
Harriett Woods
by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992
, 1998
, and 2004
. On January 8, 2009, he announced that he would not seek re-election to a fifth term in 2010
, and was succeeded by current Senator Roy Blunt
on January 3, 2011. Following his retirement from the Senate, Bond became a partner at Thompson Coburn.
Before his career in the U.S. Senate, Bond served two terms as Governor of Missouri, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1981 to 1985. He was previously State Auditor of Missouri from 1971 to 1973.
, to Elizabeth Green and Arthur D. Bond
. His father was captain of the 1924 Missouri Tigers
football
team and a Rhodes Scholar. His maternal grandfather, A.P. Green, founded A.P. Green Industries, a fireclay manufacturer and a major employer for many years in Bond's hometown Mexico, Missouri
. Kit Bond graduated from Deerfield Academy
in 1956, Princeton University
in 1960, and the University of Virginia School of Law
in 1963. From 1963 to 1964, Bond served as a law clerk to the Honorable Elbert Tuttle, then Chief Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
in Atlanta, Georgia
. From 1964 to 1967, Bond practiced law at Covington & Burling
in Washington, D.C.
in the fall of 1967, and ran for Congress in 1968 in Missouri's 9th congressional district
, the rural northeastern part of the state. He defeated Anthony Schroeder in the August Republican primary
, 56% to 44%, winning 19 of the district's 23 counties. In the November general election, Bond almost defeated incumbent Democratic U.S. Congressman Bill Hungate
, 52% to 48%. Bond won eight of the district's 23 counties. Out of Hunsgate's five re-election campaigns, that 1968 election against Bond was his worst performance.
State Attorney General John Danforth
hired Bond as an Assistant Attorney General in 1969, where Bond led the office's Consumer Protection Division. in 1970, at the age of 31, Bond was elected Missouri State Auditor.
.
Bond's residency qualifications to be governor were challenged but upheld the Missouri Supreme Court in 1972. Missouri law said the governor had to be a resident for 10 years. In the 10 years before his run, he had attended college in Virginia, clerked for a federal appeals court judge in Atlanta, worked for a firm in Washington, D.C.
, applied to take the bar in Virginia
and Georgia
, registered a car in Washington, DC and applied for a marriage license in Kentucky
. The Court sided with him noting that residence "is largely a matter of intention" and did not require "actual, physical presence." The court ruled that a residence was "that place where a man has his true, fixed and permanent home and principal establishment, and to which whenever he is absent he has the intention of returning."
In 1976, he was on the short list of to be Gerald Ford
's vice presidential
running mate
.
In many ways Bond governed as a moderate
during his first term as governor: for example, he drew criticism from conservatives for his support of the Equal Rights Amendment
. While governor, on June 25, 1976 he signed an executive order rescinding the Extermination Order
against Mormons
issued by Governor Lilburn Boggs
on October 27, 1838. In 1976, in a surprising upset, Bond was narrowly defeated for re-election by Democrat Joseph P. Teasdale
, then Jackson County
Prosecutor. Teasdale's tenure was rocky, and in 1980 Bond made a successful comeback, defeating fellow Republican and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Bill Phelps
in the primary, and Teasdale in November. Among Bond's most noted accomplishments was taking the Parents As Teachers program statewide.
Bond served as the Chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association
in 1983. Bond was succeeded as governor in 1985 by John Ashcroft
, also a Republican. Ashcroft later served alongside Bond in the Senate.
decided not to run for re-election, Bond was elected Senator in 1986, defeating Lieutenant Governor Harriett Woods
by 53% to 47% . Bond was re-elected in 1992 by less than expected over St. Louis County Councilwoman Geri Rothman-Serot. In 1998 Bond decisively defeated Attorney General
Jay Nixon
and Libertarian
Tamara Millay
after a hard-fought campaign, and in 2004 he won re-election over Democratic challenger State Treasurer
Nancy Farmer
with 56 percent of the vote.
Facing the expiration of his fourth full term in January 2011, Bond announced on January 8, 2009 that he did not plan to seek a fifth term and would not run for re-election in November 2010.
In cleaning out his Senatorial office in December 2010, it was uncovered that Kit Bond had inadvertently taken the Goodwill Moon Rock when he left the Governor's Office, and kept it for decades. Bond returned the Missouri Goodwill Moon Rock to the current Governor of Missouri. Kit Bond was one of three former Governors who each took their state moon rocks upon leaving office, the other two were the former Governor's of Colorado and West Virginia.
watchdog group Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP) has given Bond an exceptionally low rating of –2 for the 109th United States Congress
, citing anti-environment votes on seven out of seven issues deemed critical by the organization. According to the 2006 REP scorecard, Bond supported oil drilling both offshore
and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
, while opposing a bill for “efficiency and renewable-resource
programs to improve energy security, lower costs, and reduce energy-related environmental impacts." He strongly favors zero-carbon energy from nuclear power.
to conform to the U.S. Army Field Manual. While drawing criticism for being one of only nine senators to oppose such a bill, Bond made it clear from his remarks on the floor that he does not favor or approve of torture, but he does not approve of making interrogation techniques public information on the basis that it would allow enemy combatants to train and prepare themselves for what they might go through if captured. Bond also drew criticism when, during a debate he made a comment comparing waterboarding
to swimming, stating "There are different ways of doing it. It's like swimming, freestyle, backstroke," in response to the question "do you think that waterboarding... constitutes torture
?"
(NAFTA) and the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and believes in permanently normalizing trade relations with China and Vietnam.
for bipartisan campaign finance solutions. Bond also voted against limiting contributions from corporations or labor.
On June 25, 1976 Kit Bond officially ordered the recension of Executive Order Number 44 issued by Lilburn W. Boggs that ordered the expulsion or extermination of all Mormons
from the State of Missouri and issued an apology to the Mormons on behalf of all Missourians.
As governor of the state of Missouri in 1983, Bond signed a declaration of recognition in support of the group known as the Northern Cherokee, now called the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory
attempting to grant a form of State recognition by way of executive order. This act was part of the group's attempt to gain Federal Recognition
and to receive the related benefits for the group.
, after a U.S. Justice Department report cited Bond for forcing Graves out over a disagreement with Representative Sam Graves
. Following the report, Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
and other officials involved in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys broke the law. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
filed an Ethics Committee complaint against Bond over his role in the ouster of Graves.
In 2009, it was revealed according to White House documents that Graves was put on a dismissal list a month after White House e-mail indicated that his replacement was part of a deal between Bond and the Bush administration. The e-mail suggested that Graves was replaced with a candidate favored by Bond for clearing the way for an appointment of a federal judge from Arkansas on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
.
In 1994, Bond's wife, Carolyn, filed for a divorce, which was finalized the following year. Bond married Linda Pell, now Linda Bond, in 2002. She grew up in the Kansas City
suburb of Gladstone and works as a consultant to the National Republican Senatorial Committee
. She and Bond had dated for about a year before they were engaged on May 17, 2001, and had also dated in 1996 and 1997. It is her second marriage as well.
After winning his second term as Governor, Bond sued his investment manager and Paine Webber
, alleging his $1.3 million trust fund had been drained. He was one of several clients who sued, and he settled in 1996 for $900,000.
In 2009, Bond co-authored a book with Lewis Simons entitled The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to Global Peace with Islam.
Bond has permanent vision loss
in one eye, which he attributes to undiagnosed amblyopia
during childhood.
.
Bond serves as a co-chair of the Housing Commission at the Bipartisan Policy Center
's Housing Commission.
In August 2011, Bond announced that he would join alliantgroup
's strategic advisory board and serve as a senior adviser for the firm.
Bond formally launched his own firm, Kit Bond Strategies, in November 2011.
United States Senate election in Missouri, 2004
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1998
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1992
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1986
1980 Missouri Gubernatorial Election
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986
United States Senate elections, 1986
The U.S. Senate election, 1986 was an election for the United States Senate in the middle of Ronald Reagan's second presidential term. As in most midterm elections, the opposition Democratic Party held the usual advantage...
, he defeated Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods was an American politician and activist, a two-time Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Missouri, and a former Lieutenant Governor of Missouri...
by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992
United States Senate elections, 1992
The 1992 United States Senate election was an election for the United States Senate in which the victory of Bill Clinton in the presidential election was not accompanied by major Democratic gains in the Senate....
, 1998
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1998
The 1998 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kit Bond won re-election to a third term.-Results:-References:...
, and 2004
United States Senate election in Missouri, 2004
The 2004 United States Senate election in Missouri was held November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kit Bond won re-election to a third term.-Results:*Nancy Farmer, State Treasurer of Missouri, former Missouri State Representative...
. On January 8, 2009, he announced that he would not seek re-election to a fifth term in 2010
United States Senate election in Missouri, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in Missouri occurred on November 2, 2010 alongside 36 other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Primary elections were held on August 3,...
, and was succeeded by current Senator Roy Blunt
Roy Blunt
Roy D. Blunt is the junior United States Senator from Missouri. He is a member of the Republican Party. His Senate seat was previously held by Republican Kit Bond, until his retirement....
on January 3, 2011. Following his retirement from the Senate, Bond became a partner at Thompson Coburn.
Before his career in the U.S. Senate, Bond served two terms as Governor of Missouri, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1981 to 1985. He was previously State Auditor of Missouri from 1971 to 1973.
Early life, education, and early career
A sixth-generation Missourian, Bond was born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, to Elizabeth Green and Arthur D. Bond
Arthur D. Bond
Arthur D. Bond was a Rhodes Scholar, captain of the University of Missouri Tigers football team and Director of the A.P. Green Refractories Company.Bond was born in Perryville, Missouri, on March 4, 1902 to Samuel and Ida Doerr Bond...
. His father was captain of the 1924 Missouri Tigers
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team and a Rhodes Scholar. His maternal grandfather, A.P. Green, founded A.P. Green Industries, a fireclay manufacturer and a major employer for many years in Bond's hometown Mexico, Missouri
Mexico, Missouri
Mexico is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,543 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Audrain County. The Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Audrain County...
. Kit Bond graduated from Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....
in 1956, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1960, and the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
in 1963. From 1963 to 1964, Bond served as a law clerk to the Honorable Elbert Tuttle, then Chief Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. From 1964 to 1967, Bond practiced law at Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. The firm advises multinational corporations on significant transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Early political career
Bond moved back to his hometown of Mexico, MissouriMexico, Missouri
Mexico is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,543 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Audrain County. The Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Audrain County...
in the fall of 1967, and ran for Congress in 1968 in Missouri's 9th congressional district
Missouri's 9th congressional district
Missouri's 9th congressional district encompasses rural Northeast Missouri, the area known as "Little Dixie," along with the larger towns of Columbia, Fulton, Kirksville and Union. Boone, Franklin, and a portion of St. Charles County comprise the highest voting centers of the mostly rural district...
, the rural northeastern part of the state. He defeated Anthony Schroeder in the August Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, 56% to 44%, winning 19 of the district's 23 counties. In the November general election, Bond almost defeated incumbent Democratic U.S. Congressman Bill Hungate
William L. Hungate
William Leonard Hungate was a United States Representative from Missouri from November 3, 1964 to January 3, 1977, representing the Ninth Congressional District. Following his retirement from the U.S...
, 52% to 48%. Bond won eight of the district's 23 counties. Out of Hunsgate's five re-election campaigns, that 1968 election against Bond was his worst performance.
State Attorney General John Danforth
John Danforth
John Claggett "Jack" Danforth is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican United States Senator from Missouri. He is an ordained Episcopal priest. Danforth is married to Sally D. Danforth and has five adult children.-Education and early career:Danforth was born...
hired Bond as an Assistant Attorney General in 1969, where Bond led the office's Consumer Protection Division. in 1970, at the age of 31, Bond was elected Missouri State Auditor.
Tenure as Governor
Bond won election for governor by a margin of 55% to 45%, making him, at 33 years of age, the youngest governor in the history of Missouri. Kit Bond was the first Republican in 28 years to serve as governor of MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Bond's residency qualifications to be governor were challenged but upheld the Missouri Supreme Court in 1972. Missouri law said the governor had to be a resident for 10 years. In the 10 years before his run, he had attended college in Virginia, clerked for a federal appeals court judge in Atlanta, worked for a firm in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, applied to take the bar in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, registered a car in Washington, DC and applied for a marriage license in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The Court sided with him noting that residence "is largely a matter of intention" and did not require "actual, physical presence." The court ruled that a residence was "that place where a man has his true, fixed and permanent home and principal establishment, and to which whenever he is absent he has the intention of returning."
In 1976, he was on the short list of to be Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
's vice presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
.
In many ways Bond governed as a moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
during his first term as governor: for example, he drew criticism from conservatives for his support of the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
. While governor, on June 25, 1976 he signed an executive order rescinding the Extermination Order
Extermination Order (Mormonism)
Missouri Executive Order 44, also known as the "Mormon Extermination Order" in Latter Day Saint history, was an executive order issued on October 27, 1838 by the governor of Missouri, Lilburn Boggs...
against Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
issued by Governor Lilburn Boggs
Lilburn Boggs
Lilburn Williams Boggs was the sixth Governor of Missouri from 1836 to 1840. He is now most widely remembered for his interactions with Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell, and Missouri Executive Order 44, known by Mormons as the "Extermination Order", issued in response to the ongoing conflict...
on October 27, 1838. In 1976, in a surprising upset, Bond was narrowly defeated for re-election by Democrat Joseph P. Teasdale
Joseph P. Teasdale
Joseph Patrick Teasdale is an American politician. He served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. He is member of the Democratic Party....
, then Jackson County
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
Prosecutor. Teasdale's tenure was rocky, and in 1980 Bond made a successful comeback, defeating fellow Republican and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Bill Phelps
Bill Phelps
William C. Phelps is a Republican politician and lawyer from Missouri. Phelps was born and raised in Nevada, Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri and graduated with a degree in economics in 1956 and a law degree in 1959...
in the primary, and Teasdale in November. Among Bond's most noted accomplishments was taking the Parents As Teachers program statewide.
Bond served as the Chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association
Midwestern Governors Association
The Midwestern Governors Association is a 501 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together the Midwestern governors of states to work cooperatively on public policy issues of significance to the region. The MGA was created in December 1962 in Chicago, when articles of organization were...
in 1983. Bond was succeeded as governor in 1985 by John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
, also a Republican. Ashcroft later served alongside Bond in the Senate.
Elections
After Sen. Thomas EagletonThomas Eagleton
Thomas Francis Eagleton was a United States Senator from Missouri, serving from 1968–1987. He is best remembered for briefly being the Democratic vice presidential nominee under George McGovern in 1972...
decided not to run for re-election, Bond was elected Senator in 1986, defeating Lieutenant Governor Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods was an American politician and activist, a two-time Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Missouri, and a former Lieutenant Governor of Missouri...
by 53% to 47% . Bond was re-elected in 1992 by less than expected over St. Louis County Councilwoman Geri Rothman-Serot. In 1998 Bond decisively defeated Attorney General
Missouri Attorney General
The Office of the Missouri Attorney General was created in 1806 when Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory. Missouri's first Constitution in 1820 provided for an appointed Attorney General, but since the 1865 Constitution, the Attorney General has been elected...
Jay Nixon
Jay Nixon
Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:...
and Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
Tamara Millay
Tamara Millay
Tamara A. Millay is a St. Louis County, Missouri Libertarian Party member and Chairwoman of the St. Louis County Libertarian Central Committee . In past years she has been the party nominee for the U.S. Senate and for the U.S. Congress for the 1st 2nd , and 9th Congressional Districts and was...
after a hard-fought campaign, and in 2004 he won re-election over Democratic challenger State Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
Nancy Farmer
Nancy Farmer (politician)
For the author, see Nancy FarmerNancy Farmer is Missouri politician who was the 43rd State Treasurer of Missouri, serving from 2001 to 2005....
with 56 percent of the vote.
Facing the expiration of his fourth full term in January 2011, Bond announced on January 8, 2009 that he did not plan to seek a fifth term and would not run for re-election in November 2010.
Missouri Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock
In the last few days of his long political career, Kit Bond through his staff, solved a mystery that had intrigued the press, Missouri politicians and member of academia for much of 2010. Missouri state officials had wrongly believed up until June 8, 2010, that they had the very rare and very valuable Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock at its state museum, when all they had was the Missouri Apollo 11 moon rock. On June 8, 2010, the state woke up to a reality that their 5 million dollar piece of Apollo 17 history was missing.In cleaning out his Senatorial office in December 2010, it was uncovered that Kit Bond had inadvertently taken the Goodwill Moon Rock when he left the Governor's Office, and kept it for decades. Bond returned the Missouri Goodwill Moon Rock to the current Governor of Missouri. Kit Bond was one of three former Governors who each took their state moon rocks upon leaving office, the other two were the former Governor's of Colorado and West Virginia.
Committees
- Committee on AppropriationsUnited States Senate Committee on AppropriationsThe United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on DefenseUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on DefenseThe U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. Military defense spending is the largest individual component of federal discretionary spending, making the Defense Subcommittee one of the more powerful...
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water DevelopmentUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water DevelopmentThe U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is one of twelve subcommittees of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
- Committee on Environment and Public WorksUnited States Senate Committee on Environment and Public WorksThe United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for dealing with matters related to the environment and infrastructure.-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear SafetyUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear SafetyThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works...
- Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New EconomyUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New EconomyThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Green Job and the New Economy is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:...
(Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health
- Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety
- Committee on Small Business and EntrepreneurshipUnited States Senate Committee on Small Business and EntrepreneurshipThe U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over the Small Business Administration and is also charged with researching and investigating all problems of American small business enterprises.-History:The...
- Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States Senate Select Committee on IntelligenceThe United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the federal government of the United States who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The...
(Vice Chairman)
Environmental record
The environmentalEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
watchdog group Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP) has given Bond an exceptionally low rating of –2 for the 109th United States Congress
109th United States Congress
The One Hundred Ninth United States Congress was the legislative branch of the United States, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 2005 to January 3, 2007, during the fifth and sixth years of George W. Bush's presidency. House members...
, citing anti-environment votes on seven out of seven issues deemed critical by the organization. According to the 2006 REP scorecard, Bond supported oil drilling both offshore
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
, while opposing a bill for “efficiency and renewable-resource
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
programs to improve energy security, lower costs, and reduce energy-related environmental impacts." He strongly favors zero-carbon energy from nuclear power.
Torture
Bond has opposed setting forth interrogation methods used by the Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
to conform to the U.S. Army Field Manual. While drawing criticism for being one of only nine senators to oppose such a bill, Bond made it clear from his remarks on the floor that he does not favor or approve of torture, but he does not approve of making interrogation techniques public information on the basis that it would allow enemy combatants to train and prepare themselves for what they might go through if captured. Bond also drew criticism when, during a debate he made a comment comparing waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
to swimming, stating "There are different ways of doing it. It's like swimming, freestyle, backstroke," in response to the question "do you think that waterboarding... constitutes torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
?"
Free trade
Bond has been a great supporter of expanding free trade to the third world, and he believes in giving presidential authority to fast track trade relations. He has voted for the North American Free Trade AgreementNorth American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) and the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and believes in permanently normalizing trade relations with China and Vietnam.
Government reform
While Bond voted in favor in banning members of Congress from receiving gifts from lobbyists, he has generally opposed campaign reform. He voted against the McCain Feingold ActBipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...
for bipartisan campaign finance solutions. Bond also voted against limiting contributions from corporations or labor.
Social issues
Bond received an 11% rating from the NAACP. He has voted consistently against same-sex marriage, supporting the proposed constitutional ban of it.On June 25, 1976 Kit Bond officially ordered the recension of Executive Order Number 44 issued by Lilburn W. Boggs that ordered the expulsion or extermination of all Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
from the State of Missouri and issued an apology to the Mormons on behalf of all Missourians.
As governor of the state of Missouri in 1983, Bond signed a declaration of recognition in support of the group known as the Northern Cherokee, now called the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory
Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory
The Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory is a 501 non-profit organization of individuals who self identify as Cherokee but have not been recognized as a government. Members live primarily in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas...
attempting to grant a form of State recognition by way of executive order. This act was part of the group's attempt to gain Federal Recognition
Native American recognition in the United States
Native American recognition in the United States most often refers to the process of a tribe being recognized by the United States federal government, or to a person being granted membership to a federally recognized tribe. There are 565 federally recognized tribal governments in the United States...
and to receive the related benefits for the group.
Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
In October 2008, Bond apologized to former U.S. Attorney Todd GravesTodd Graves
This article is about the U.S. Attorney. For the entrepreneur/restaurateur, see Todd Graves .Todd Graves was United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. He took his oath of office on September 17, 2001, initially as an interim United States attorney appointed by the U.S...
, after a U.S. Justice Department report cited Bond for forcing Graves out over a disagreement with Representative Sam Graves
Sam Graves
Samuel B. Graves, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district consists of Northwest Missouri and includes the portion of Kansas City north of the Missouri River and many northern suburbs.-Early life, education and career:Graves is a...
. Following the report, Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
and other officials involved in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys broke the law. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
filed an Ethics Committee complaint against Bond over his role in the ouster of Graves.
In 2009, it was revealed according to White House documents that Graves was put on a dismissal list a month after White House e-mail indicated that his replacement was part of a deal between Bond and the Bush administration. The e-mail suggested that Graves was replaced with a candidate favored by Bond for clearing the way for an appointment of a federal judge from Arkansas on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Personal life
Bond's son Sam returned in the fall of 2007 from his second tour of duty in Iraq, and is an officer in the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
In 1994, Bond's wife, Carolyn, filed for a divorce, which was finalized the following year. Bond married Linda Pell, now Linda Bond, in 2002. She grew up in the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
suburb of Gladstone and works as a consultant to the National Republican Senatorial Committee
National Republican Senatorial Committee
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to that body. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee...
. She and Bond had dated for about a year before they were engaged on May 17, 2001, and had also dated in 1996 and 1997. It is her second marriage as well.
After winning his second term as Governor, Bond sued his investment manager and Paine Webber
Paine Webber
Paine Webber and Company was an American stock brokerage and asset management firm that was acquired by the Swiss bank UBS AG in 2000. The company was founded in 1880 in Boston, Massachusetts, by William Alfred Paine and Wallace G. Webber. Operating with two employees, they leased premises at 48...
, alleging his $1.3 million trust fund had been drained. He was one of several clients who sued, and he settled in 1996 for $900,000.
In 2009, Bond co-authored a book with Lewis Simons entitled The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to Global Peace with Islam.
Bond has permanent vision loss
Vision loss
Vision loss or visual loss is the absence of vision where it existed before, which can happen either acutely or chronically .-Ranges of vision loss:...
in one eye, which he attributes to undiagnosed amblyopia
Amblyopia
Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a disorder of the visual system that is characterized by a vision deficiency in an eye that is otherwise physically normal, or out of proportion to associated structural abnormalities of the eye...
during childhood.
Post Government career
After leaving office in January 2011, Bond joined the law firm of Thompson CoburnThompson Coburn
Thompson Coburn LLP is an "AmLaw 200" U.S. law firm. In 2010, the firm ranked second in the nation in "Midlevel Associates Survey" conducted by The American Lawyer.-Practice areas:...
.
Bond serves as a co-chair of the Housing Commission at the Bipartisan Policy Center
Bipartisan Policy Center
The is a non-profit organization that "drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue." Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell, "BPC combines politically-balanced policymaking...
's Housing Commission.
In August 2011, Bond announced that he would join alliantgroup
Alliantgroup
alliantgroup is a national tax consulting services firm that works with CPA firms and their business clients to identify and claim available federal and state government-sponsored tax credits and incentives...
's strategic advisory board and serve as a senior adviser for the firm.
Bond formally launched his own firm, Kit Bond Strategies, in November 2011.
Honors named for Kit Bond
- Christopher S. Bond Bridge (Hermann)
- Christopher S. Bond Bridge, Kansas City
Electoral history
On January 8, 2009, Senator Bond announced that he will not be seeking re-election in 2010.United States Senate election in Missouri, 2004
United States Senate election in Missouri, 2004
The 2004 United States Senate election in Missouri was held November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kit Bond won re-election to a third term.-Results:*Nancy Farmer, State Treasurer of Missouri, former Missouri State Representative...
| Kit Bond (R) (inc.) 56% |
| Nancy Farmer Nancy Farmer (politician) For the author, see Nancy FarmerNancy Farmer is Missouri politician who was the 43rd State Treasurer of Missouri, serving from 2001 to 2005.... (D) 42.8% |
| Kevin Tull (Lib.) 0.7% |
| Don Griffin Don Griffin Donald Frederick Griffin is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 176-lb. cornerback from Middle Tennessee State University.-Career:Griffin played in 11 NFL seasons from 1986 to 1996... (Constitution) 0.4% |
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1998
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1998
The 1998 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kit Bond won re-election to a third term.-Results:-References:...
| Kit Bond (R) (inc.) 52.7% |
| Jay Nixon Jay Nixon Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:... (D) 43.8% |
| Tamara Millay Tamara Millay Tamara A. Millay is a St. Louis County, Missouri Libertarian Party member and Chairwoman of the St. Louis County Libertarian Central Committee . In past years she has been the party nominee for the U.S. Senate and for the U.S. Congress for the 1st 2nd , and 9th Congressional Districts and was... (Lib.) 2% |
| Curtis Frazier Curtis Frazier Dr. J. Curtis Frazier is an American surgeon and politician from Springfield, Missouri. He was the vice-presidential candidate of the Constitution Party in the U.S. presidential election, 2000, as the running-mate of Howard Phillips.... (U.S. Taxpayers) 1% |
| James F. Newport (Reform) 0.5% |
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1992
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1992
The 1992 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kit Bond won re-election to a second term.-Results:-References:...
| Kit Bond (R) (inc.) 51.9% |
| Geri Rothman-Serot (D) 44.9% |
| Jeanne Bojarski (Lib.) 3.2% |
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1986
United States Senate election in Missouri, 1986
The 1992 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 3, 1986. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Eagleton decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican Governor Kit Bond won the open seat.-Democratic:...
| Kit Bond (R) 52.6% |
| Harriet Woods (D) 47.4% |
1980 Missouri Gubernatorial Election
| Kit Bond (R) 52.6% |
| Joseph P. Teasdale Joseph P. Teasdale Joseph Patrick Teasdale is an American politician. He served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. He is member of the Democratic Party.... (D) 47% |
| Helen Savio (Socialist Workers) 0.3% |
External links
- Lawmakers Investigate CIA Interrogation Tape Disposal PBS Newshour, December 11, 2007, transcript of interview with Gwen Ifill