Bingaman, Jeff (1943-…), served in the United States Senate from 1983 to 2013. Bingaman, a Democrat, represented New Mexico.
Bingaman was born on Oct, 3, 1943, in El Paso, Texas. His full name is Jesse Francis Bingaman, Jr. He grew up in Silver City, New Mexico. Bingaman earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University in 1965 and a law degree from Stanford University in 1968. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1968 to 1974. He was assistant New Mexico attorney general in 1969.
From 1970 to 1978, Bingaman had a private law practice. He was elected attorney general of New Mexico in 1979. He held that post until 1982, when he was elected to his first term in the U.S. Senate. He took office as a senator in 1983. In the Senate, Bingaman served as chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He was a supporter of efforts to protect public lands and increase funding for science research. He also supported efforts to increase the availability of affordable health care. Bingaman did not seek reelection in 2012.
