Stephen Edward Broden (born April 11, 1952)[citation needed] is an American businessman, pastor, political activist, broadcaster, and former professor from the state of Texas. In 2010, he was the Republican candidate for Texas's 30th congressional district for the United States House of Representatives.[1][2] He was defeated by Democratic incumbent Eddie Bernice Johnson. He was the Constitution Party's candidate for vice president in the 2024 United States presidential election.
Stephen Broden | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Broden in 2015 | |
| Born | April 11, 1952 |
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| Spouse | Donna |
| Children | 3 |
Education
editBroden graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts and then a Master of Arts degree in communication, and he later studied at the Dallas Theological Seminary, where he received a Master of Arts in Bible studies.[3]
He served as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University from 1990 to 1992 and spent 10 years in the private sector at Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) in human resources. He has been a business owner of several self-serve car wash facilities, and has also worked as a newscaster, disc jockey, and radio broadcaster, co-hosting Life and Liberty on KSKY-AM and presenting One-Minute "thought of the day" commentaries on this station.[3]
Career
editBroden founded the Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church in 1987 and became its senior pastor.[4] He has also served as president of the Fair Park Friendship Center as its executive director.[5] The center provides assistance to the community's "inner-city" families, including a clothing store and back-to-school rally where children from neighborhood families are provided with donated school supplies and family counseling.[6]
Broden advocates in the Fair Park and South Dallas areas for economic opportunity, improved access to education, and against abortion. He is a spokesman for the black anti-abortion movement in Dallas and a contributor to blackprolifemovement.blogspot.com. He is a founder of Ebony Berean, an organization whose mission includes informing African-American Pastors of the "culture war".[7]
He was affiliated with the Tea Party movement.[8][9]
Broden has been a recurring political commentator on Fox News Channel, including appearances on the Glenn Beck show.[10][11]
He was awarded "Champion of the Republican Party" by the NRCC Business Advisory Council Texas and has also received the Ronald Reagan Gold Medal Award. From 1999 to 2002 he served as Republican Precinct Chairman in DeSoto, Texas.[12]
2010 U.S. House election
edit
On March 2, 2010, Broden won the plurality of votes, in a three-way Republican primary election for the U.S. House in Texas's 30th congressional district, with 46.6%.[13] On April 13, 2010 he won the Republican Primary runoff election, with 67.5% of the votes, and became the 2010 Republican candidate for the November general election.[14]
In October 2010, Broden was accused of saying that the current federal government was "tyrannical" and suggested violent overthrow could not be ruled out if there was not a "change in leadership" resulting from the November elections during an interview with a local Dallas Television Station.[15]
Johnson ended up defeating Broden by a margin of over 54%. Johnson had the largest margin of victory of any Democrat running for the U.S. House in Texas in 2010.
Marlise Muñoz
editBroden argued[16][17] for continuation of artificial life support for the body of Marlise Muñoz and led a vigil outside the Texas hospital where her body was kept on artificial life support. She was 14 weeks pregnant when her husband found her unconscious in November, possibly from a blood clot and subsequently died from brain death.[18] Prior to her death she had indicated that she would not like to be kept artificially alive if brain dead.[19] The fetus had suffered from oxygen deprivation and was suspected to be non-viable. The fetus' lower extremities were deformed to the extent that the gender could not be determined. The unborn child also had fluid building up inside the skull (Hydrocephalus) and possibly had a heart problem.[20][21] A 2002 study estimated the cost for an ICU bed in an average U.S. hospital is $2,000 to $3,000 per day.[22] An attorney who had helped rewrite the Texas state law being used to keep her body on life support at John Peter Smith Hospital said that there was a problem with the application of the law to a patient that was no longer alive.[23] Her husband Erick, with the support of her family, successfully petitioned a court to order termination of life support.[16]
2024 presidential election
editIn 2024, Broden was selected as Randall Terry's vice presidential running mate for the Constitution Party's ticket.[24]
Personal life
editBroden and his wife, Donna, have three children.[25]
References
edit- ^ Broden for Congress Official Site
- ^ Appearances on C-SPAN[dead link]
- ^ a b "Pastor Stephen Broden: Life and Liberty". Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
- ^ "Note from the Pastor at Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church". Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ^ "Point of View Radio Talk Show". Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ^ "Fair Park Friendship Center/After School Program". Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ^ "Dallas County Young Republicans Official Site". Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ^ "Stephen Broden Inspired Tea Party Express Patriots". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ^ 9/12, Tea Party Groups Plan Rallies Throughout Dallas Area
- ^ Glenn Beck Issues Challenge to America's Pastors
- ^ Glenn Beck: What Would Martin Luther King Think of America Today?
- ^ Project Vote Smart
- ^ Office of the Secretary of State 2010 Republican Party Primary Election Night Returns[permanent dead link]
- ^ 2010 Primary Runoff Elections
- ^ Mason, Melanie (October 22, 2010). "Republican congressional candidate says violent overthrow of government is 'on the table'". The Dallas Morning News.
- ^ a b "Family cries as judge rules Munoz off life support". USA Today. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ HANKINS, LAMAR (January 15, 2014). "Freethought San Marcos: Religion corrupts advance directives and medical care". San Marcos Mercury. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Dart, Tom (January 24, 2014). "Texas hospital acknowledges brain-dead status of pregnant woman". The Guardian. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ Luscombe, Belinda (January 10, 2014). "Why the Dad Has No Say in Tragic Texas Brain Death Case". Time. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ Bazelon, Emily (January 23, 2014). "Brain-Dead Marlise Munoz's Fetus Is "Distinctly Abnormal." Please, Texas, Let This Nightmare End". Slate. Slate.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ "Brain-dead Tarrant woman's fetus is 'distinctly abnormal,' attorneys say". The Associated Press/ The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ JOHN M. LUCE, GORDON D. RUBENFELD (2002). "Can Health Care Costs Be Reduced by Limiting Intensive Care at the End of Life?". American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 165 (6): 750–754. doi:10.1164/ajrccm.165.6.2109045. PMID 11897638. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ Max B. Baker and Elizabeth Campbell. "Texas law didn't anticipate Muñoz case, drafters say". star telegram. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ Winger, Richard (April 27, 2024). "Constitution Party Vice-Presidential Nominee is Stephen E. Broden". Ballot Access News. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Pastor Stephen Broden". Irving Republican Women. February 13, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2024.