Charles Walter Stenholm (October 26, 1938 – May 17, 2023) was an American businessman and Democratic Party politician from a rural district of the state of Texas.

After establishing himself as owner-operator of a large cotton farm, he entered politics and was elected to Congress in his first run for office.

He worked as a lobbyist for food and agricultural interests, primarily with Olsson Frank Weeda, a law and lobbying firm in Washington, DC.

Stenholm was born in 1938 in Ericksdahl, Texas (sometimes identified as Stamford), a farming community in Jones County that was settled in the early 20th century largely by Swedish immigrants, including his grandparents.

Seeing an opportunity, Stenholm ran in his first campaign as a Democrat, and finished first in a crowded seven-way primary before winning the runoff with 67 percent of the vote.

[4] Stenholm frequently clashed with Democratic President Bill Clinton during his administration; he voted for three of the four articles of impeachment against him.

He was among members who personally benefited from the subsidy program, originally authorized during the Great Depression to aid small farmers in staying on their land.

[5] Stenholm worked very closely with Larry Combest, the committee's chairman and a fellow farm owner, a Republican representing the neighboring Texas's 19th congressional district.

They shepherded the 2002 Farm Bill through Congress, in which Texas got the largest increase in subsidies of any state, doubling the amount received.

The district had swung so heavily to the GOP downballot by then that many observers thought it likely that Stenholm would be succeeded by a Republican once he retired.

Stenholm was considered a major target of the Republican-dominated House in the redrawing of Texas's congressional districts in 2003, following the 2000 census.

The next-biggest chunk of Stenholm's former territory, including his cotton farm, was assigned to the equally Republican Amarillo-based 13th district, represented by Mac Thornberry.

The new district contained 60 percent of Neugebauer's former territory, a disadvantage which Stenholm could not overcome, despite his 13 terms of seniority.

[citation needed] Bush nominated Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns, a fellow Republican, for the post.

After leaving Congress, Stenholm became a lobbyist, representing various agricultural interests, including the horse meat industry.

From 2005, Stenholm was a senior policy advisor and lobbyist with Olsson Frank Weeda, a Washington law and lobbying firm that specializes in representing food, drug, and agriculture interests before federal agencies.