Ben Carson is the former U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He was confirmed by a Senate vote of 58-41 on March 2, 2017. He left office on January 20, 2021.[1]
On May 3, 2015, Carson announced his bid for the presidency, a day before his scheduled campaign kickoff in Detroit, Michigan. "I’m willing to be a part of the equation, and, therefore, I’m announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Carson said in an interview with Sinclair Broadcasting.[2]
Carson suspended his campaign for president on March 4, 2016, at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Carson had released a statement on March 2, 2016, saying that he could "not see a political path forward in light of last evening's Super Tuesday primary results." On March 1, 2016—Super Tuesday—Carson failed to win any of the 11 states holding presidential primary elections for the Republican nomination.[3]
Biography[edit]
Benjamin Solomon Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 18, 1951.[4] When Carson was eight years old, his parents divorced, and his father, Robert Carson, a Baptist minister and factory worker, left Detroit, leaving the family in financial trouble. Carson and his older brother, Curtis, were raised by their mother, Sonya Carson, who earned a living doing domestic work.[5] He was a poor student, but with his mother’s encouragement and guidance, he focused on his studies and excelled. Carson attended Southwestern High School in Detroit.[6]
Carson studied psychology at Yale University. This is where he met his future wife, Candy, who is also from Detroit, when he was a senior and she was a sophomore. She was studying music and played first violin with the Yale Symphony. Carson graduated in 1973. The couple married after Candy’s graduation in 1975 and returned to Michigan. Candy supported the family while Carson attended the University of Michigan Medical School[7]
Career[edit]
Below is an abbreviated outline of Carson's academic, professional, and political career:
- 2017-2021: U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- 2015-2016: Candidate for President of the United States
- 1984-2013: Director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
Trump cabinet appointment[edit]
| Nomination tracker | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate: Ben Carson | ||
| Position: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | ||
| Confirmation progress | ||
 | Announced: | December 5, 2016 |
| Hearing: | January 12, 2017 |
| Committee: | Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs |
| Reported: | January 24, 2017 23-0 |
| Confirmed: | March 2, 2017 |
| Vote: | 58-41 |
Carson was selected as Trump's nominee for U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development on December 5, 2016. Carson appeared before the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for his confirmation hearing on January 12, 2017. On January 24, 2017, the committee unanimously voted to favorably report Carson's nomination to a full Senate vote. He was confirmed to the position by a Senate vote of 58-41 on March 2, 2017.[1][8][9]
At his confirmation hearing, Carson discussed a range of topics, including housing regulations, public assistance programs, fair housing, and connections between housing and health.
- On deregulation. Trump made deregulation a key part of his 2016 campaign platform, and Carson noted that deregulation includes federal regulations related to housing policy. In his opening statement, he said, "President-Elect Trump has talked about the importance of deregulation. That applies to housing as well. Overly burdensome housing regulations are bad for everyone and are increasing income inequality. But when land use for local housing supply is less regulated, workers of all skill types will choose to move to the productive locations. Many forms of land use regulation have perpetuated segregation. Complex webs of covenants and zoning ordinances across U.S. cities—in particular for low-density development—superimposed on already highly-segregated neighborhoods, have slowed integration."[10]
- On public assistance programs. Asked by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) about limits to public assistance programs for low-income Americans, Carson responded, "We have to be cognizant of our fiscal responsibilities as well as our social responsibilities. Would we love to put every single person in a beautiful unit forever? Absolutely, that would be ideal. But don’t have the necessary funding. But the other thing that I emphasize is that safety net programs are important, and I would never advocate abolishing them without an alternative."
- On the Fair Housing Act. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) asked Carson to elaborate on his views on HUD's role in implementing the Fair Housing Act. Carson responded, "As you probably know, that act says that we want people who are receiving HUD grants to look around and see if they find anything that looks like discrimination, and then we want them to come up with a solution on how to find the problem. They're not responding to people saying there's a problem, they're saying go and look for a problem and give us a solution. ... We have people sitting around a desk in Washington, D.C., and deciding how things should be done. ... I don't have any kind of problem with affirmative action or at least integration, but I do have a problem with people on high dictating it when they don't know anything about what's going on in the area."
- On the connection between health and housing. Carson noted that a connection between health and housing would be a key focal point of HUD under his leadership. In his opening statement, he said, "There is a strong connection between housing and health, which is of course my background. ... Substandard housing conditions such as pest infestation, the presence of lead paint, faulty plumbing, and overcrowding, which disproportionately affect low-income and minority families, lead to health problems such as asthma, lead poisoning, heart disease, and neurological disorders. ... I can tell you that lead poisoning irreversibly affects brain and nervous system development, resulting in lower intelligence and reading disabilities. ... I am passionate about health as you may have guessed, and where one lives should not cause health problems. So I look forward to working with HUD's Safe and Healthy Homes program and others on these issues. We cannot have social mobility without a strong healthy foundation in the home."
Pediatric neurosurgeon[edit]
After medical school, Carson completed his residency in neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1984, at age 33, he became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Carson gained international notoriety in 1987 when he led the team that traveled to Germany to separate conjoined twins Patrick and Benjamin Binder. The twins were seven months old and joined at the skull. The 22-hour operation, performed by Carson and a team of 70 medical professionals from Johns Hopkins Hospital, was the first of its kind.[11]
After 29 years as director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Carson retired on June 30, 2013.[5]
Author[edit]
Carson is the author of several books, including his autobiography, "Gifted Hands." In 2009, the book was made into a television movie starring Cuba Gooding Jr.[6] Carson's other books include One Nation, Think Big, The Big Picture, and Take the Risk.
Philanthropist[edit]
In 1994, Carson and his wife founded The Carson Scholars Fund. The organization funds scholarships for students in grades 4 through 11 who excel academically and exhibit humanitarian qualities; it also provides funding and support to schools to establish reading rooms.[12]
Political involvement[edit]
Prior to his presidential run in 2016, Carson had never run for or held public office, but he gained national attention in 2008 when President George W. Bush honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "his skills as a surgeon, high moral standards, and dedication to helping others."[6][13] Carson has been a sought-after public speaker for many years, giving speeches about his life story, but his popularity as a speaker soared among conservative audiences following his 2013 National Prayer Breakfast speech that was critical of President Obama’s tax policies and signature healthcare law. The president was seated a few feet from Carson during his speech.[6][14]
During an interview with conservative talk show host Glenn Beck after the February 7, 2013, prayer breakfast, Carson said he did not intend to run for office. The day after the prayer breakfast, The Wall Street Journal praised the neurosurgeon in an editorial headlined "Ben Carson for President." Supporters also formed a super PAC called "Run Ben Run" in 2013 to encourage Carson to enter politics.[15]
Issues[edit]
Presidential preference[edit]
2016 presidential endorsement[edit]
✓ Carson endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[16]
- See also: Endorsements for Donald Trump
| 2016 Presidential Endorsements by Former Presidential Candidates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Candidate | Date | Source |
 Carly Fiorina |
Ted Cruz (primary) |
March 2016 | Politico |
| Ted Cruz |
Donald Trump |
September 2016 | CNN |
| Jim Gilmore |
Donald Trump |
September 2016 | Politico |
 Bernie Sanders |
 Hillary Clinton |
July 2016 | CNN |
| Martin O'Malley |
Hillary Clinton |
June 2016 | |
| Rick Santorum |
Donald Trump |
May 2016 | Reuters |
| Mike Huckabee |
Donald Trump |
May 2016 | |
| Rick Perry |
Donald Trump |
May 2016 | CNN |
| George Pataki |
John Kasich |
April 2016 | ABC News |
| Jeb Bush |
Ted Cruz |
March 2016 | Politico |
| Ben Carson |
Donald Trump |
March 2016 | Politico |
| Carly Fiorina |
Ted Cruz |
March 2016 | Politico |
| Bobby Jindal |
Marco Rubio |
February 2016 | Tampa Bay Times |
| Lindsey Graham |
Jeb Bush |
January 2016 | NBC News |
Elections[edit]
2016[edit]
Presidential campaign[edit]
Carson was a Republican presidential candidate in 2016. On May 3, 2015, Carson announced his bid for the presidency, a day before his scheduled campaign kickoff in Detroit, Michigan. "I’m willing to be a part of the equation, and, therefore, I’m announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Carson said in an interview with Sinclair Broadcasting.[17]
Carson announced that he had formed a presidential exploratory committee on March 3, 2015. He said, "I very much need and look forward to your feedback and help. All of us are frustrated with the way Washington has let us down. The career politicians simply don't understand the disappointment, anger and pain in real America. As they cater to the special interests first, they don't even seem to care about how failed policies actually affect us, the people of the United States. I think it's time for us to show them how much we do care about the job they are doing. ...If I believe that I have your support and your commitment to help, I will run for president to lead this great country to a brighter future."[18] Only three previous presidents had held no prior political office: Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, and Dwight Eisenhower.[19]
On March 2, 2016, a day after Carson failed to win any states in the Super Tuesday Republican primary contests, his campaign released a statement saying it could "not see a political path forward in light of last evening's Super Tuesday primary results." Carson stated his intentions not to attend the eleventh Republican debate on March 3, 2016, and said he planned to make an announcement about his political future on March 4, 2016.[20] On March 4, 2016, he announced the suspension of his campaign. Carson stated, "Even though I might be leaving the campaign trail, you know there’s a lot of people who love me, they just won’t vote for me. But I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation."[3][21]
Personal[edit]
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Carson married Candy Rustin in July 1975.[22] The couple has three sons, Murray, Benjamin Jr., and Rhoeyce, and two grandchildren. They are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[23]
Noteworthy events[edit]
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
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On November 9, 2020, Carson's deputy chief of staff announced that Carson had tested positive for COVID-19.[24]
See also[edit]
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Presidential election, 2016
- Ben Carson presidential campaign, 2016
- Donald Trump potential high-level administration appointments
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The New York Times, "Ben Carson Is Confirmed as HUD Secretary," March 2, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Ben Carson says he will run for president," May 3, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 NBC News, "Ben Carson Suspends 2016 Campaign at CPAC," March 4, 2016
- ↑ Biography.com, "Ben Carson Biography," accessed January 13, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The History of African Americans at Johns Hopkins University, "Dr. Ben Carson," accessed January 13, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 NPR.org, "5 Things You Should Know About Ben Carson," May 4, 2015
- ↑ Carson Scholars, "Dr. Carson: General Information," accessed January 13, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, "Executive Session to vote on a Nomination," accessed January 24, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Trump to nominate Carson to lead U.S. housing, urban policy," December 5, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, "Written Statement for the Record by Dr. Ben Carson," January 12, 2017
- ↑ April Siese, Bustle.com, "Who Are The Conjoined Twins Ben Carson Separated? Patrick & Benjamin Binder Were Seven Months Old When He Performed The Surgery," August 9, 2015
- ↑ Carson Scholars Fund, "About CSF," accessed January 14, 2016
- ↑ White House Archives, "President Bush Honors Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients," June 19, 2008
- ↑ Sam Brodey, Mother Jones, "Ben Carson Isn't Waiting Until the Election's Over to Cash In," May 29, 2015
- ↑ Kathleen Grey, USA Today, "How Ben Carson transformed from doctor to 2016 presidential candidate," October 12, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Carson: 'There are two different Donald Trumps'," March 11, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Ben Carson says he will run for president," May 3, 2015
- ↑ YouTube.com, "Ben Carson Announces Exploratory Committee," accessed March 10, 2015
- ↑ International Business Times, "Herman Cain Candidacy: No Precedent for a President Without Political Experience," October 3, 2011
- ↑ Politico, "Carson says he sees no 'political path' to GOP nomination," March 2, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Ben Carson announces campaign is over," February 4, 2016
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "How Love Happens: Dr. Ben Carson and Candy Carson," accessed January 13, 2016
- ↑ Frederick Reese, Heavy.com, "Candy Carson, Ben’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know," August 3, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Ben Carson is the latest Trump official to test positive for coronavirus," November 9, 2020
