Jim Talent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Talent
Official Senate portrait
United States Senator from Missouri
In office November 23, 2002 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Jean Carnahan
Succeeded by	Claire McCaskill
Chair of the House Small Business Committee
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Jan Meyers
Succeeded by	Don Manzullo
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Joan Horn
Succeeded by	Todd Akin
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 92nd district
In office January 9, 1985 – January 6, 1993
Preceded by	Donna Ann Coleman
Succeeded by	David Klarich
Personal details
Born	James Matthes Talent (1956-10-18) October 18, 1956 (age 68) Des Peres, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Brenda Lee Lyons ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	3
Education	Washington University (BA) University of Chicago (JD)

James Matthes Talent (born October 18, 1956) is an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator for the state of Missouri from 2002 to 2007. As a member of the Republican Party, he represented the people of Missouri in Washington, D.C.

Before becoming a senator, Talent was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for eight years. In 2000, he ran for Governor of Missouri but lost a very close election to Bob Holden. Two years later, he won a special election for the U.S. Senate. In 2006, he lost his re-election campaign to Claire McCaskill.

After his time in the Senate, Talent became an important advisor in politics. He worked on Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns and is a respected expert at The Heritage Foundation, a research group. He also works with a company in Washington, D.C. that helps businesses talk to the government.

Early Life and School

Jim Talent grew up in Des Peres, Missouri, a town near St. Louis. His father was the first person in his family to go to college and graduated from Harvard Law School. His mother grew up on a small farm and worked as a court reporter.

Talent was a great student. He graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1973. He then went to Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned a degree in political science and won an award for being the best student in his subject. After college, he went to the University of Chicago Law School and earned a law degree in 1981.

After law school, he worked for a judge and taught law at Washington University. He married Brenda Lee Lyons in 1984, and they have three children.

Political Career

Talent's career in politics started in 1984 when he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He served there for eight years and became a leader for the Republican members.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1992, Talent was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, which is part of Congress. He represented a district in the suburbs of St. Louis. He defeated the person who held the seat before him, Joan Kelly Horn.

Talent was re-elected several times. One of his biggest achievements in the House was writing a law to help change the country's welfare system. This system provides help to people in need. From 1997 to 2001, he was the chairman of the House Small Business Committee, which helps small companies across the country.

Running for Governor of Missouri

In 2000, Talent decided not to run for re-election to Congress. Instead, he ran for governor of Missouri. The election was very close, but he was narrowly defeated by the Democratic candidate, Bob Holden.

U.S. Senate

Senator Talent speaks to a group of sailors from Missouri in 2004.

In 2002, a special election was held for one of Missouri's Senate seats. Talent won the election and became a U.S. Senator. He was sworn in to finish the term of Mel Carnahan, who had passed away.

During his time in the Senate, Talent was involved in some discussions about campaign money. He received money from people whose fundraising activities were later questioned. Talent returned the money he had received from them.

As a senator, Talent served on several important committees. These included the Armed Services Committee, which deals with the military, and the Agriculture Committee, which works on issues important to farmers.

2006 Senate Election

Talent ran for re-election in 2006 against Claire McCaskill. The race was very competitive. Talent had support from many groups, including the Missouri Farm Bureau and the St. Louis Police Officers' Association.

The election was one of the closest in the country that year. On Election Day, McCaskill won with 50% of the vote, while Talent received 47%.

Political Views

Jim Talent meets with John Roberts, who was then a nominee for Chief Justice, in 2005.

Jim Talent is known as a conservative politician. This means he generally believes in limited government, individual freedom, and traditional values. Groups that track voting records gave him high scores for voting conservatively.

Energy and the Environment

Talent supported using more renewable fuels, like those made from soybeans. He believed this would help America become less dependent on oil from other countries. He also supported drilling for oil in the Arctic to increase the country's energy supply.

Health Care

Talent supported a government program called Medicare Part D, which helps older Americans pay for their prescription medicines. He also wanted to make it easier for small businesses to offer health insurance to their workers.

Protecting Military Families

Talent worked on a law to protect members of the military from unfair loans. Some lenders charged very high interest rates, and this law put a limit on how much they could charge service members.

Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research was a major topic of debate when Talent was in the Senate. This research involves using special cells that can develop into many different types of body tissue. Some people believe it could lead to cures for diseases.

Initially, Talent was against using federal money for research on stem cells that came from embryos. Later, he changed his position, saying that technology was changing and it was important to find a balance between science and moral concerns. This was a big issue in Missouri, where voters were deciding on a state law about the research.

Election Results

Here is a look at how Jim Talent performed in his major elections:

• 2006 U.S. Senate Election
  • Claire McCaskill (Democrat): 50%
  • Jim Talent (Republican): 47%

• 2002 U.S. Senate Election
  • Jim Talent (Republican): 50%
  • Jean Carnahan (Democrat): 49%

• 2000 Missouri Governor Election
  • Bob Holden (Democrat): 49%
  • Jim Talent (Republican): 48%

• 1992 U.S. House of Representatives Election
  • Jim Talent (Republican): 50%
  • Joan Kelly Horn (Democrat): 48%