Steve Beren (born September 9, 1951) is an American political activist from Seattle, Washington.
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]
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]
After leaving the SWP, Beren became a member of the Democratic Party, where he remained for the next fourteen years. [3]
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]
Beren has lived in Seattle since 1987, and is married. [1]
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]
Steve Beren (born September 9, 1951) is an American political activist from Seattle, Washington.
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]
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]
After leaving the SWP, Beren became a member of the Democratic Party, where he remained for the next fourteen years. [3]
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]
Beren has lived in Seattle since 1987, and is married. [1]
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]