Politician Bob Dole Remembered

 By Jason Moreno

Bob Dole died on December 5, 2021. He was 98 years old when he died. He was born in Russell, Kansas. Bob Dole fought in World War 2 and was seriously wounded in the war. This gave him a disability that left him permanently without feeling in his right hand and arm. Part of his left hand was also left numb. After the war, he ran for office in 1950 and was elected to Kansas House of Representatives. He only served for two terms. He would later run for Kansas 6th congressional district in 1960. He served from 1961 to 1969.  

   

Bob Dole would later run for the Senate to represent Kansas. He won and served from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican leader of the Senate during the final years of his tenure including three non-consecutive years as senate majority leader. During his time in the senate he was a big disability advocate. He helped pass a landmark civil rights bill called the “Americans With Disabilities Act” in 1990. This bill was voted overwhelmingly by both parties in the federal government. This bill prohibited discrimination based on disability. 

In 1996, he ran for president. He ran for the Republican primary and won the nomination. He ran against Bill Clinton who was the incumbent. He wasn’t able to win the general election. After his presidential run, He engaged in a career of writing, consulting, public speaking, and television appearances. Bob Dole was the first defeated presidential nominee to become a political celebrity.