Kenny Hulshof

Kenny Hulshof
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 9th district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	Harold Volkmer
Succeeded by	Blaine Luetkemeyer
Personal details
Born	(1958-05-22) May 22, 1958 Sikeston, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Renee Hulshof
Alma mater	University of Missouri, Columbia University of Mississippi
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Kenneth C. "Kenny" Hulshof (/ˈhʌlsɒf/; born May 22, 1958) is a politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, and represented Missouri's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He was the unsuccessful nominee of the Republican Party for Governor of Missouri in the 2008 election.

Biography

Hulshof was born in Sikeston, Missouri and is of Dutch, German, and Irish descent.^[1] Hulshof attended the University of Missouri and earned his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Prior to serving in Congress, Hulshof worked in the public defender's office and as a special prosecutor for the Missouri attorney general's office. As a special prosecutor, Hulshof was detailed to capital cases. In 1992, Hulshof sought to be nominated by the Boone County Republican Committee as a replacement for Prosecuting Attorney Joe Moseley, who had won election to a legislative seat and had to resign to take his new post. Hulshof was defeated by Kevin Crane. In 1994, the Ninth District Republican Committee selected Hulshof to replace University of Missouri political science professor Rick Hardy as GOP candidate for Congress. (Hardy withdrew shortly after winning the primary due to exhaustion).

Despite a late start in the race, Hulshof captured 45% of the vote and nearly beat the incumbent, Democrat Harold Volkmer. Hulshof immediately began preparing to challenge Volkmer again in 1996. Hulshof had to first win the Republican primary against Harry Eggleston. Hulshof won the primary by 168 out of 38,000 votes cast. During the general election, Volkmer attacked Hulshof as being a puppet of Newt Gingrich; Hulshof responded that Volkmer voted twenty times to raise taxes in twenty years. Hulshof won the election by a 49%-47% margin, and was easily re-elected in subsequent elections until 2008, when he did not run for re-election. Hulshof made known his desire to run for Governor of Missouri in 2004, but withdrew in favor of then-Secretary of State Matt Blunt, who won. Hulshof's voting record in the House was conservative. Among other issues, he voted against abortion and same-sex marriage, while supporting the death penalty and the Patriot Act.^[2]

Hulshof is Roman Catholic, and is active in the St. Thomas More Newman Center on the campus of his alma mater, the University of Missouri. In 2005, Hulshof joined the all-Congressional band the Second Amendments, to play for U.S. troops stationed overseas during the period between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Hulshof played the drums.

There had been rumors in Washington and back in Hulshof's district in Missouri that he might leave Congress to become the University of Missouri president.^[3] Hulshof confirmed the rumors after his candidacy became common knowledge. However, the university's Board of Curators ended up voting to offer the position to another graduate, who declined the offer. The Board selected Gary D. Forsee for the President of the University of Missouri System in 2008.

When Governor Blunt announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2008, Hulshof announced on January 29 that he would run for Governor. Hulshof defeated State Treasurer Sarah Steelman in the Missouri Republican Gubernatorial primary, held on August 5, 2008, winning with a margin of 49% to 45%, with Scott Long receiving 5% and Jen Seivers 1%. Hulshof was defeated by four term Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, the Democratic Nominee, in the General Election held on November 4, 2008.^[4]

Hulshof now works for the Polsinelli law firm, based in Jefferson City, Missouri, the state capital.^[5]

Court cases

At least two cases in which Hulshof served as prosecuting attorney have been overturned on judicial review. In the first case Hulshof prosecuted Joshua Kezer for murder. He tried the case without physical evidence, DNA, fingerprints, a murder weapon, or any eyewitnesses.^[6] Kezer was convicted and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Kezer was set free after a Cole County Circuit judge overturned the conviction. Hulshof publicly stated that he remained convinced of Kezer's guilt.^[6]

The second case, overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court in January, 2013, involved the 1990 murder of a Livingston County woman in her home near Chillicothe.^[7] Mark Woodworth of Chillicothe, then 16 years old, was convicted in the shooting death of 40-year-old Cathy Robertson as well as the wounding of her husband. Hulshof, at the time an assistant Missouri Attorney General, was brought in as a special prosecutor in the original trial.^[8]

On June 4, 2011, Hulshof was questioned regarding evidence in the Woodworth case.^[8] A special master determined that a series of letters written between the original trial judge and various prosecutors was not offered to Woodworth's defense attorneys.^[7] The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that there was a violation of the Brady v. Maryland evidence rules and overturned the conviction.^[9]

Committee assignments

• House Ways and Means Committee
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Trade

Electoral history

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

References

1. ↑ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/reps/hulshof.htm
2. ↑ Kenny Hulshof voting record, ontheissues.org; accessed December 13, 2013.
3. ↑ "Hulshof going back to school", stltoday.com; accessed December 13, 2013.
4. ↑ Profile, kmbc.com; accessed December 13, 2013.
5. ↑ Kenny C. Hulshof profile, Polsinelli law firm website
6. 1 2 "Missouri murder conviction overturned". United Press International, Inc. February 18, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-08. 
7. 1 2 Rizzo, Tony (8 January 2013). "Missouri Supreme Court overturns Mark Woodworth's conviction in 1990 slaying outside Chillicothe". The Kansas City Star via company website. Retrieved 8 January 2013. 
8. 1 2 "Hulshof testifies as hearing wraps up in man's request for new trial". Columbia Tribune website. 4 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
9. ↑ "State ex rel. Woodworth v. Denney, SC 91021, Mo. Supreme Court". Missouri Supreme Court. January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013. 
10. ↑ 1996 Election Results
11. ↑ 1998 Election Results
12. ↑ 2000 Election Results
13. ↑ 2002 Election Results
14. ↑ 2004 Election Results
15. ↑ 2006 Election Results

External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at SourceWatch