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David Bernsen is an American politician who served in the Texas Senate, representing District 4 from 1999 to 2002.

Bernsen won a baseball scholarship to attend Lamar University, completing a BA in business administration in 1963. In 1976, he completed a law degree at St. Mary's University.

In 1998, he was elected to the Texas Senate as a Democrat, defeating Republican Michael Galloway with 55.15% of the vote to Galloway's 44.85%.

Following the 2000 redistricting, which left him in a more Republican-leaning district, Bernsen announced a run for Texas Land Commissioner rather than seeking reelection. He easily defeated Ray Madrigal, a businessman based in Corpus Christi, in the Democratic primary, advancing to face fellow state senator Jerry E. Patterson in the general election. (Incumbent Land Commissioner David Dewhurst had vacated the seat to run for Lieutenant Governor of Texas.) In November, Patterson defeated Bernsen with 53.2% of the vote to Bernsen's 41.5%.