Richard Bryan

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Richard Bryan
Richard Bryan

In office
January 4, 1989 – January 4, 2001
Preceded by Chic Hecht
Succeeded by John Ensign

In office
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1989
Preceded by Robert List
Succeeded by Bob Miller

Born July 16, 1937 (1937-07-16) (age 70)
Washington, D.C.
Political party Democratic
Spouse Bonnie Fairchild
Profession Attorney

Richard Hudson Bryan (born July 16, 1937) was Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada and a United States Senator from Nevada. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Bryan was born in Washington, D.C. and graduated from the University of Nevada at Reno in 1959 where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. In 1963 he was admitted to the Nevada Bar.

Bryan served as a member of the Nevada Senate from 1972 to 1978. In 1979 Bryan became the Nevada Attorney General, and served in the position until 1983.

Bryan was the Governor of Nevada between 1983 and 1989. After that, he represented Nevada in the U.S. Senate from 1989 until 2001. He chose not to run for re-election in 2000. The seat was won by John Ensign.

Senator Bryan managed to kill NASA's SETI project for the scientific search of extraterrestrial civilizations against the opinion of thousands of scientists, including Dr Carl Sagan, and several Nobel prize winners. "The Great Martian Chase," he said, "may finally come to an end. As of today millions have been spent and we have yet to bag a single little green fellow. Not a single Martian has said take me to your leader, and not a single flying saucer has applied for FAA approval."

A Bryan campaign sign briefly appeared in the movie Rain Man.

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Preceded by
Robert List
Nevada Attorney General
1979 – 1983
Succeeded by
Brian McKay
Preceded by
Robert List
Governor of Nevada
1983 – 1989
Succeeded by
Bob Miller
Preceded by
Chic Hecht
United States Senator (Class 1) from Nevada
1989 – 2001
Served alongside: Harry Reid
Succeeded by
John Ensign
Preceded by
Terry Sanford
Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee
1993 – 1995
Succeeded by
Mitch McConnell
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