Abraham Kazen | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's23rd district | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | New established district |
| Succeeded by | Albert Bustamante |
| Member of theTexas State Senate from the 21st district | |
| In office 1953–1967 | |
| Preceded by | William A. Shofner |
| Succeeded by | Wayne Connally |
| Member of theTexas House of Representatives from the 75th district | |
| In office 1947–1953 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1919-01-17)January 17, 1919 Laredo, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1987(1987-11-29) (aged 68) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Laredo, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Connie Raymond |
| Relations | George P. Kazen (nephew) |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence(s) | Laredo, Texas |
| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin Cumberland School of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | Army Air Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | North Africa,Sicily, andItaly inWorld War II |
Abraham Kazen Jr., usually known asChick Kazen (January 17, 1919 – November 29, 1987), was aU.S. representative fromTexas's 23rd congressional district, the first to serve in that particular position. Elected in 1966, Kazen served until 1985, having been defeated in the 1984Democraticprimary election byAlbert G. Bustamante.
Kazen was ofMaroniteLebanese descent, and was related to the powerfulKhazen family. He was a lifelong resident of the border city ofLaredo. He graduated in 1937 from Laredo High School, renamedMartin High School. He then attended theUniversity of Texas atAustin from 1937 to 1940. In 1941, Kazen graduated from theCumberland School of Law inLebanon, Tennessee, since removed toBirmingham, Alabama.
Kazen served in 1942 as aUnited States Army Air Corps pilot at the since closedLubbock Air Force Base. DuringWorld War II, Kazen fought inNorth Africa,Sicily, andItaly as a pilot in Troop Carrier Command. He was discharged in 1953 with the rank ofcaptain.
In 1946, Kazen was elected to theTexas House of Representatives and served from 1947 to 1953. He then served in theTexas Senate from 1953 to 1967, and was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate in 1959. He served as actinggovernor of Texas on August 4, 1959. He was a member of the Texas Legislative Council for sixteen years.
He was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1966 representing the newly created 23rd District. It was the largest congressional district in area in the nation (excluding at-large districts encompassing whole states), stretching across 800 miles fromEl Paso in the west toSan Antonio in the east. It had been created when Texas' previous congressional map was thrown out by theUnited States Supreme Court in the caseWesberry v. Sanders. He was reelected eight more times with no substantive opposition.
In 1984, Kazen's opponent in the Democratic primary wasBexar County Circuit Court JudgeAlbert Bustamante. By this time, the 23rd had become a majority-Hispanic district. Due in part to the demographic changes in the district, Bustamante upset Kazen in the primary, ending Kazen's 39 years as an elected official. After Kazen's defeat, no non-Hispanic white Democrat represented a significant portion of San Antonio in the House untilLloyd Doggett had hisAustin-based district redrawn to include a section of San Antonio.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by New District | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 23rd congressional district 1967–1985 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
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