Kenny Hulshof

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Kenny Hulshof

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 9th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 1997–
Preceded by	Harold Volkmer
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	May 22, 1958 (age 48) Sikeston, Missouri
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Renee Hulshof
Religion	Roman Catholic

Kenneth C. "Kenny" Hulshof (born May 22, 1958) is a politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, currently representing Missouri's 9th congressional district (map) in the United States House of Representatives. Hulshof was born in Sikeston, Missouri and attended the University of Missouri. Hulshof earned his J.D. from the University of Mississippi Law School. 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.

Hulshof sought the Republican nomination for Boone County Prosecuting Attorney in 1990, but was defeated in the primary by Kevin Crane. In 1994 the Ninth District Republican Committee selected Hulshof to replace Missouri University political science professor Rick Hardy as the GOP's 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. Volkmer attacked Hulshof as being a puppet of Newt Gingrich and Hulshof said that Volkmer voted twenty times to raise taxes in twenty years. Hulshof won the election by a 49%-47% margin, and has been easily re-elected in every election since. Hulshof made known his desire to run for Governor of Missouri in 2004, but in the end withdrew in favor of then-Secretary of State Matt Blunt, who won.

Hulshof's voting record in the House is fairly conservative; among other issues, he has voted against abortion rights and same-sex marriage, while supporting the death penalty and the Patriot Act. [1]

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-Columbia.

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 will play the drums.