# Chuck Larson

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{{Short description|American politician (born 1968)}}
{{Other uses|Charles Larson (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image         = Charles W Larson Jr.jpg
| name          = Charles W. Larson Jr.
| caption       =
| birth_date    = 
| birth_place   = [Newton, Iowa](/source/Newton%2C_Iowa), U.S.
| office        = [United States Ambassador to Latvia](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Latvia)
| president     = [George W. Bush](/source/George_W._Bush)
| term_start    = February 12, 2008
| term_end      = January 20, 2009
| predecessor   = [Catherine Todd Bailey](/source/Catherine_Todd_Bailey)
| successor     = [Judith G. Garber](/source/Judith_G._Garber)
| state1        = Iowa
| state_senate1 = Iowa
| district1     = 19th
| term_start1   = January 13, 2003
| term_end1     = January 8, 2007
| predecessor1  = [Sheldon L. Rittmer](/source/Sheldon_L._Rittmer)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=27733 | title=Our Campaigns - IA State Senate 19 Race - Nov 05, 2002 }}</ref>
| successor1    = [Rob Hogg](/source/Rob_Hogg)
| state2        = Iowa
| state_house2  = Iowa
| district2     = 55th
| term_start2   = January 1993
| term_end2     = January 2003
| predecessor2  = [Mark Shearer](/source/Mark_Shearer)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=739665 | title=Our Campaigns - IA State House 055 Race - Nov 03, 1992 }}</ref>
| successor2    = [Clarence Hoffman](/source/Clarence_Hoffman)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=691048 | title=Our Campaigns - IA State House 055 Race - Nov 07, 2000 }}</ref>
| party         = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
| education     = [University of Iowa](/source/University_of_Iowa) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts))<br>[University of Iowa College of Law](/source/University_of_Iowa_College_of_Law) ([JD](/source/Juris_Doctor))
| occupation    = Attorney
| spouse        = 
| children      = 2
| website       = [http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/member.do?id=158&ga=81 Larson's website]
| footnotes     =  
}}
'''Charles W. 'Chuck' Larson Jr.''' (born April 1, 1968, in [Newton](/source/Newton%2C_Iowa), [Iowa](/source/Iowa)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chucklarson.com/about.htm |title=Biography of Chuck Larson |accessdate=2007-12-02 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050316170254/http://www.chucklarson.com/about.htm |archivedate=2005-03-16}}</ref>) is the former [Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary](/source/Ambassador) of the US to the [Republic of Latvia](/source/Latvia).<ref>{{cite press release |title=Personnel Announcement  |publisher=The White House, Office of the Press Secretary |date=2007-11-30 |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/11/20071130-8.html |accessdate=2007-12-02 }}</ref>  Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Larson was the [Iowa State Senator](/source/Iowa_Senate) from the 19th District from 2003 to 2007, was a member of the [Iowa House of Representatives](/source/Iowa_House_of_Representatives) from 1993 to 2001, and is a former chairman of the [Republican Party of Iowa](/source/Republican_Party_of_Iowa).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/25/washington/25campaign.html?ei=5088&en=9ce66a32d93baa4d&ex=1314158400&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all |title=It's Never Too Early to Gear Up For '08 Race |accessdate=2008-06-03 |author=Adam Nagourney | work=The New York Times | date=2006-08-25}}</ref>  He was succeeded in the Iowa Senate by [Democrat](/source/Iowa_Democratic_Party) [Rob Hogg](/source/Rob_Hogg).

During his most recent term of office, Larson served on several committees in the Iowa Senate – the Commerce committee; the Education committee; the Judiciary committee; the Ways and Means committee; and the Ethics committee, where he was co-chair. In 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Larson to the President's Advisory Commission for Drug Free Communities, on which he continues to serve.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/99929.htm | title=Larson, Charles W., Jr | date=4 February 2008 }}</ref>

On November 30, 2007, the [White House](/source/White_House) announced that Larson would be nominated to become Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the US to the Republic of Latvia in 2008, replacing [Catherine Todd Bailey](/source/Catherine_Todd_Bailey).<ref>{{cite press release |title=Personnel Announcement  |publisher=The White House, Office of the Press Secretary |date=2007-11-30 |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/11/20071130-8.html |accessdate=2007-12-02 }}</ref>

In May 2008, Latvian President [Valdis Zatlers](/source/Valdis_Zatlers) awarded Ambassador Larson the [Order of the Three Stars](/source/Order_of_the_Three_Stars), which is Latvia's highest award for his service to the country.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ls2group.com/team/charles-w-larson-jr/ | title=Charles W. Larson, Jr }}</ref>

In June 2009, President Barack Obama announced he was nominating [Judith Gail Garber](/source/Judith_Gail_Garber) to replace Larson as U.S. Ambassador to Latvia.

==Work==

Chuck served on the Pearl Mutual Fund board of directors from 2006 until his appointment. He prosecuted as an assistant county attorney in Jones County, Iowa from 1997 to 1999. He was then named General Counsel for the ESCO Group, a Marion, Iowa, technology services firm with more than 250 employees. He served in this capacity until 2006. He was also chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa from 2001 to 2005 and served on U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential [Kitchen Cabinet](/source/Kitchen_Cabinet).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ls2group.com/team/charles-w-larson-jr/ | title=Charles W. Larson, Jr }}</ref>

Ambassador Larson is one of the founding partners of Larson Shannahan and Slifka group (LS2group),<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=LS2group {{!}} Des Moines, Iowa {{!}} Public Relations, Government Affairs Firm |url=https://www.ls2group.com/ |access-date=12 June 2024 |website=www.ls2group.com |language=en}}</ref> a bipartisan public affairs firm in Des Moines, IA, whose projects range from local to international covering a diverse groups of sectors.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ls2group.com/what-we-do/ | title=What We do }}</ref>

==Education==

Ambassador Larson is a 1992 graduate of the [University of Iowa](/source/University_of_Iowa), where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He graduated with honors and distinction and is a member of the [Phi Beta Kappa](/source/Phi_Beta_Kappa) honor society. In 1996, Ambassador Larson received his Juris Doctor degree with distinction from the University College of Law.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/99929.htm | title=Larson, Charles W., Jr | date=4 February 2008 }}</ref>

==Military service==

Ambassador Larson served as a major in the U.S. Army Reserves spending a year in Iraq during [Operation Iraqi Freedom](/source/Operation_Iraqi_Freedom) and was awarded a [Bronze Star Medal](/source/Bronze_Star) for meritorious service in combat and the [Combat Action Badge](/source/Combat_Action_Badge).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/99929.htm | title=Larson, Charles W., Jr | date=4 February 2008 }}</ref>

In January 2008, Ambassador Larson's book ''Heroes Among Us,'' was released by [Penguin Publishing](/source/Penguin_Publishing), profiling 29 heroes from the War on Terrorism.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ls2group.com/team/charles-w-larson-jr/ | title=Charles W. Larson, Jr }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311155000/http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=MIA70099 Larson on Project Vote Smart]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061006102539/http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/member.do?id=158&ga=81 Larson's Capitol Web Address]
* {{C-SPAN|1007464}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-ia-sen}}
{{succession box| title=19th District |before=[Sheldon Rittmer](/source/Sheldon_Rittmer) | years = 2003–2003|after=[Rob Hogg](/source/Rob_Hogg)}}
{{s-dip}}
{{succession box|title=[United States Ambassador to Latvia](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Latvia)|before=[Catherine T. Bailey](/source/Catherine_T._Bailey)|after=[Judith G. Garber](/source/Judith_G._Garber)|years=2008–2009}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Larson, Chuck}}
Category:Republican Party Iowa state senators
Category:Living people
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Latvia
Category:1968 births
Category:People from Newton, Iowa
Category:People from Fremont County, Iowa
Category:Iowa lawyers
Category:Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives
Category:21st-century members of the Iowa General Assembly

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chuck Larson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Larson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Larson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.