Charles Stenholm

Life & Legacy

Charles Walter Stenholm (October 26, 1938 – May 17, 2023) was an American businessman and Democratic Party politician from a rural district of the state of Texas. After establishing himself as owner-operator of a large cotton farm, he entered politics and was elected to Congress in his first run for office. Stenholm was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives for 13 terms, representing Texas's 17th congressional district from 1979 to 2005.
He was known for his conservative social positions, helping garner conservative Democratic support for President Ronald Reagan's tax cuts in 1981, and gaining passage of a new farm bill in 2002 that doubled farm subsidies for Texas agribusiness. In 1992 he supported an amendment to require the federal government to have balanced budgets. He prioritized rural and agriculture issues and is considered one of the leading architects of federal farm policy.
After leaving Congress when defeated by a Republican in 2004, Stenholm stayed in Washington, DC. He worked as a lobbyist for food and agricultural interests, primarily with Olsson Frank Weeda, a law and lobbying firm in Washington, DC.