Ben Chandler
Albert Benjamin Chandler III (born September 12, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States representative for Kentucky's 6th congressional district from 2004 to 2013. A Democrat, Chandler was first elected to Congress in a 2004 special election. He served until January 2013, having been defeated for re-election by Andy Barr in the 2012 elections.
Ben Chandler
Early life, education and career[edit]
Chandler was born in Versailles, Kentucky on September 12, 1959, the son of Lucie "Toss" (née Dunlap) and A. B. Ben Chandler Jr.[1] His paternal grandfather, A. B. Happy Chandler., served as Governor of Kentucky, Commissioner of Baseball, and as a U.S. Senator.[2][3]
Chandler graduated with distinction from the University of Kentucky with a BA in History and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Chandler became a private practice lawyer in Lexington, KY before starting his political career.
Early political career[edit]
Chandler started his political career as State Auditor (per the Constitution of the Commonwealth, officially called the "Auditor of Public Accounts") from 1991 to 1995. In 1995, Chandler won the Attorney General of Kentucky race by a 20-point margin, making him the youngest sitting attorney general in the nation at the time.[4] In 1999, Chandler was reelected to a second term as attorney general with no political opposition.[3]
As attorney general, Chandler championed Kentucky's "No Call" list and collected thousands of dollars in fines to the state for companies that did not comply with the new law.[5] Chandler also strengthened federal laws regarding the "No Call" registry.[6]
Also during his time as attorney general, Chandler recovered $45 million from one of Kentucky's largest insurance companies when it illegally moved funds out of state. This $45 million now funds the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.[7]
Post-congressional career[edit]
Chandler did not run for Governor in 2015,[26][27][28] though he has hinted that he might run for office again in the future.[29]
From 2013 to 2016, Chandler served as executive director of the Kentucky Humanities Council. Since 2016, he has been the CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.[30] He is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.[31]