Steve Beren

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.{{Dead link|date=May 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.steveberen.com/mv2.html|title=The Liberal Elite, Paranoia, Moral Values, and the War Against Terrorism (part 2 of 2)|last=Beren|first=Steve|date=December 29, 2008|publisher=Steve Beren|accessdate=2009-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716135312/http://www.steveberen.com/mv2.html|archive-date=2011-07-16}}

Until 1990 Beren was a member of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP),{{cite news |first=Josh |last=Feit |title=McKenna Consultant is Original Local Tea Party Activist and Former Socialist|url=http://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-profiles/publicola/articles/mckenna-consultant-is-original-local-tea-party-activist-and-former-socialist |work=Seattle Metropolitan Magazine |date=September 2011 |accessdate=15 May 2014 }}

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.{{cite book |date=1975 |title=U.S. Intelligence Agencies and Activities: Hearings Before the Select Committee on Intelligence |publisher=Government Printing Office |page=1176 }}

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

After leaving the SWP, Beren became a member of the Democratic Party, where he remained for the next fourteen years.{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003184531_rams09.html|title=McDermott challenger knows a little something about the left|last=Ramsey|first=Bruce|date=August 9, 2006|work=Seattle Times|accessdate=2009-10-14}}

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.{{cite book |last=Maltsev |first=Yuri |date=2013 |title=The Tea Party Explained: From Crisis to Crusade |publisher=Open Court |page=71 |isbn=978-0812698312 }} Beren went on to organize and speak at other Tea Party rallies.{{cite news |url=http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/04/tea_party_post_mortem.php |title=Tea Party Post Mortem |last=Ward |first=Don |date=April 16, 2009 |series=Civics 101 |work=Seattle Weekly |accessdate=2009-10-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724111813/https://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/04/tea_party_post_mortem.php |archive-date=2011-07-24 }}

Beren has said that Republicans should "have bold colors, wave the Republican flag boldly; wave fiscal conservatism, social conservatism, immigration conservatism — boldly."{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/06/24/washington-state-republicans-ditching-party-labels-to-compete/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171203/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/06/24/washington-state-republicans-ditching-party-labels-to-compete/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 3, 2016|title=Washington State Republicans Ditch Party Labels to Compete|last=Springer|first=Dan|date=June 24, 2008|publisher=Fox News|accessdate=2009-10-14}} During the 2012 GOP presidential primaries, Beren endorsed Newt Gingrich.[http://www.steveberen.com/newtgingrich2012.html The Conservative Alternative to President Obama] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223013557/http://www.steveberen.com/newtgingrich2012.html |date=February 23, 2012 }}[https://plus.google.com/103558202399303174212/posts/efsk1Pio58o Newt 2012 Announces Washington State Endorsements] He has called for fortifying the U.S.' southern border with Mexico{{cite news|url=http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/sep/27/roundtable-unites-two-voices-for-immigration-and-reform/|title=Roundtable spotlights contrasting views on immigration reform|last=Pratt|first=Christine|date=September 27, 2013|work=Wenatchee World|accessdate=2013-09-28}} and was a supporter of the 2003 Iraq War.{{cite news|url=http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattlepolitics/archives/121513.asp|title=Beren for Congress|last=Connelly|first=Joel|date=September 10, 2007|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|accessdate=2009-10-14}}

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{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/results_report.aspx?e=134&c=&c2=&t=863&t2=1&p=&p2=&y= |title=November 2006 General

|website=sos.wa.gov |publisher=Washington Secretary of State }}{{cite web |url=http://vote.wa.gov/results/20081104/CongressionalDistrict7.html |title=Congressional District 7

|website=sos.wa.gov |publisher=Washington Secretary of State }} while being thoroughly outspent by his rival (McDermott spent $1 million during the 2008 election, compared to $32,850 invested by Beren's campaign{{cite web |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/news/influence-lobbying/revolving-door/2009/06/ |title=Democratic Doc Favors Single-Payer Health Care For All

|last1=Beckel |first1=Michael |date=30 June 2009 |website=opensecrets.org |publisher=Open Secrets |accessdate=15 May 2014}}). In 2010 he again ran for congress from Washington's 7th congressional district, that time as a declared write-in candidate.{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2012576327_7thcongressionaldistrict08m.html |title=Rep. Jim McDermott facing six challengers |last=Gilmore |first=Susan |date=9 August 2010 |work=Seattle Times |accessdate=2009-10-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019172626/https://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2012576327_7thcongressionaldistrict08m.html |archive-date=2012-10-19 }}

As of 2014, Beren is the New Media and Technology Director for the Washington State Republican Party.{{cite web |url=http://www.wsrp.org/party-staff |title=Party Staff |website=wsrp.org |publisher=Washington State Republican Party |accessdate=15 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517153920/http://www.wsrp.org/party-staff |archive-date=17 May 2014 }}

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

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.gabl.org/ |title=GABL Home |website=www.gabl.org |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990424000008/http://www.gabl.org/ |archive-date=24 April 1999 |url-status=dead}}

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090427071134/http://www.berenforcongress.com/ Steve Beren's official campaign site]

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Category:1951 births

Category:Living people

Category:Washington (state) Republicans

Category:Converts to Protestantism from atheism or agnosticism

Category:Activists from Seattle

Category:Tea Party movement activists