Player Profile: Kent Conrad

Courtesy Who Runs Gov

Current Position: Senator (since January 1987)

Why He Matters: Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, is regarded as a fiscally astute legislator who frequently relies on his experience as a former state tax commissioner.

Conrad, 60, has been dubbed the “statistician” by Time magazine (which also named him one of the country’s best senators in 2006) and has been teased by his Senate colleagues for his frequent use of charts during budget presentations. His nickname? The “chart man.”"Kent Conrad:The Statistician," Time Magazine, April 14, 2006 (1)"Kent Conrad:The Statistician," Time Magazine, April 14, 2006

The American magazine named him one of the “10 Most Economically Literate Members of Congress” and his hometown Bismarck Tribune called Conrad “the most influential senator North Dakota has ever produced.” The American also noted that he picked up another nickname in the Senate — "Chainsaw" — for his aggressiveness in making sure numbers add up.Newmyer, Tory, "10 Most Economically Literate Members of Congress," The American, January/February 2007 (2)Newmyer, Tory, "10 Most Economically Literate Members of Congress," The American, January/February 2007

An avid baseball fan, Conrad is modest in almost everything he does: He balances his checkbook daily, never drinks more than two cocktails at one sitting and hunts down discounts on travel.

As Senate Budget Committee chairman, Conrad has been unafraid to take on President Barack Obama's debut budget. In March 2009, the Democratic senator introduced his own five-year plan that would slash the deficit by two-thirds over the next five years, but eliminate Obama's proposed middle-class tax cut and any plans for broad health-care reform.Rogers, David, Politico.com, "Conrad Carves Up Obama's Budget," March 24, 2009(3)Rogers, David, Politico.com, "Conrad Carves Up Obama's Budget," March 24, 2009

Conrad's term ends in 2012.

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