Clarence Cain
Charter member of Zeta Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma; challenge UVA’s racist environment and help build black infrastructure at UVA; served as director of the Transition Program, prominent lawyer of Philly who died of AIDs
Clarence Cain is an American businessman and politician. He was the Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 2010 from the state of Kentucky, but he lost to the incumbent Democrat, Rand Paul. Cain is also a former CEO of the energy company, WestStar, and a former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Cain was born on October 18, 1944, in Glasgow, Kentucky. He attended Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville, where he earned a law degree. After law school, he worked for the Kentucky Attorney General’s office and then joined WestStar as an attorney.
In 1997, Cain was appointed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by President Bill Clinton. He served as chairman of the commission from 2001 to 2005. In 2008, he retired from WestStar and entered politics, running for the Senate seat held by Jim Bunning, who was retiring.
During his Senate campaign, Cain faced backlash for his ties to WestStar, which was accused of polluting the air and water in Kentucky. Cain denied any wrongdoing by the company and said he was proud of his record as CEO. However, he lost the election to Rand Paul, who received 56% of the vote to Cain’s 44%.
Since his Senate campaign, Cain has largely stayed out of politics. However, he has remained active in the energy industry, serving on the boards of several energy companies. He is also a philanthropist, supporting causes related to education and the arts.
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