Kastenmeier made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district in 1956, losing to RepublicanDonald Tewes by 11 points. In a rematch in 1958 he defeated Tewes by 6,200 votes, and became the first Democrat to hold the seat in 28 years. He won a third race with Tewes in 1960, and faced another close contest in 1962. However, he romped to a fourth term in 1964 and was re-elected with comfortable majorities twelve more times over the next 24 years, serving from the 86th United States Congress to the 101st.[1]
As a congressman, Kastenmeier was skeptical of American military intervention overseas, and was an early opponent of the Vietnam War, coming out in opposition in 1965.[4]
In 1990, Kastenmeier unexpectedly lost his re-election bid to Republican Scott Klug, a former television anchor who was nearly 30 years his junior.[6] After leaving Congress, Kastenmeier served briefly on a judicial reform commission before retiring.[4]
Legacy
Kastenmeier lived in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and then Arlington, Virginia, where he died on March 20, 2015.[7] A week before his death in 2015, in an interview with Madison's Capital Times, Kastenmeier warned of American overseas interventions, saying, "There are far too many trouble spots in the world. And we must always remember what history has taught us, that it's always very easy to get in, but terribly hard to get out."[8] In eulogizing his former colleague, Congressman Dave Obey said of Kastenmeier, "I never saw him cast a vote for political reasons. I never saw him cast a vote that was contrary to his beliefs."[4]
^Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1958 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 774. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1960). "Wisconsin state party platforms and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1960 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 654, 695. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1962). "Wisconsin elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1962 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 865. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1964). "Elections in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1964 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 761. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1966). "Elections in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1966 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 752. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1968). "Elections in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1968 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 721. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1970). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1970 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 812. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^"Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1971 (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1971. p. 312. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1973). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1973 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 818. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1975). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1975 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 820. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1977). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1977 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 907. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1979). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 917. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1981). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1981-1982 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 909. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1983). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1983-1984 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 904. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1985). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1985-1986 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 900, 918. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Theobald, H. Rupert; Barish, Lawrence S., eds. (1987). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1987-1988 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 900. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1989). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1989-1990 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 919. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1991). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1991-1992 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 909. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
Further reading
Borders, Rebecca and C. C. Dockery. "You Can't Go Home Again: Bob Kastenmeier". In Beyond the Hill. New York: University Press of America, 1995, pp. 41–44.
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