Ben Barnes in Retirement: Still a Political Force
26/10/2009 16:34
on: Money Making
Despite stepping away from public service in 1973 following a failed reelection bid for Texas Lieutenant Governor, Ben Barnes, politician, and now a multimillionaire businessman and consultant, remains a strong and visible force in national politics.
In his early political life, Ben Barnes stood out from the ambitious and privileged crowd of young Texas political hopefuls because of his vigilance and love for his home state. While enrolled in college and working at the Texas State Health Department, he uncovered financial irregularities in the agency, which led to the prosecution of the State Health Commissioner. Praised for his extraordinary courage and encouraged to run for public office, Ben Barnes launched a highly unorthodox campaign that eventually gained him a seat in the House of Representatives in 1960. Ben Barnes was only in his early 20s at that time. Later, Ben Barnes advanced to become Speaker of the Texas House of the Representatives in 1965 at 26 years old, the youngest ever in state history to hold the said position.
In 1969, Ben Barnes, politician, successfully waged a campaign for the position of Texas Lieutenant Governor. After a smear campaign brought down the Democratic Party in Texas and foiled Ben Barnes’ reelection, he left public service.
Today, Ben Barnes, politician, runs a successful consultant and lobbying firm called Entrecorp and remains dedicated to his beloved party as a fundraiser and campaigner.
