Who's Who
Ronald A. Klain: Appointed, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President, White HouseRon Kirk
| Office of the United States Trade Representative United States Trade Representative | |
|---|---|
| Confirmed: March 18, 2009 Nominated: Jan. 20, 2009 Announced: Dec. 19, 2008 |
Bio
- Age: 55
- Education: University Texas, JD (1979); Austin College, BA (1976)
- From: Houston, TX
- Ethnicity: Black
Kirk was the first African American elected mayor of Dallas and served two terms leading the nation's ninth-largest city. He entered politics as a teenager volunteering for George McGovern's presidential campaign. He later worked as assistant city attorney and chief lobbyist for the city of Dallas. An aide to Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, Kirk followed Bentsen to the Treasury Department at the start of the Clinton administration and returned to Texas in 1994 as secretary of state. In 2002, Kirk ran for a U.S. Senate seat but lost to John Cornyn (R). He then went into private practice as a lawyer at the Houston-based law firm of Vinson Elkins.
Last Job
- Vinson & Elkins, partner
Other Jobs
- Gardere & Wynne LLP, partner
- City of Dallas, mayor
- State of Texas, secretary of state
- City of Dallas, assistant city attorney, chief lobbyist
![[Photo of Ron Kirk]](http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/fedpage/transitiondb/photos/228/PH2009021202142.jpg)
(AP Photo/Deborah Cannon, File)
Choices at a Glance
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Campaign Fundraising
- Obama for America, $50,000 fundraiser
Financial Disclosure
View Ron Kirk's official financial disclosure statements, which describe the sources, types and amounts of income earned in a given year.
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