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In 1970, Beard was appointed state personnel commissioner by newly-elected Republican [[Governor]] [[Winfield Dunn]].<ref name=findagrave>Robin Leo Beard Jr. (1939-2007) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed October 29, 2021.</ref> In 1972, Beard entered the [[Republican Party|GOP]] [[primary]] election for the reconfigured 6th congressional district,<ref name="nashpostobit"/> which was significantly redrawn by the state legislature to be more friendly to a Republican candidate.  

In 1970, Beard was appointed state personnel commissioner by newly-elected Republican [[Governor]] [[Winfield Dunn]].<ref name=findagrave>Robin Leo Beard Jr. (1939-2007) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed October 29, 2021.</ref> In 1972, Beard entered the [[Republican Party|GOP]] [[primary]] election for the reconfigured 6th congressional district,<ref name="nashpostobit"/> which was significantly redrawn by the state legislature to be more friendly to a Republican candidate.  

In November 1972, buoyed by the reelection campaign of [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], Beard unseated the Democrat U.S. Representative William Robert Anderson (born 1921), a former [[United States Navy]] commander of the ''Nautilus'' during the first underwater crossing of the [[North Pole]] in 1958. Anderson was also a stanch critic of the [[Vietnam War]] and was considered a protégé of Admiral [[Hyman Rickover]]. [[U.S. President]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] presented Anderson with the Legion of Merit.<ref>Anderson, William Robert | Tennessee Encyclopedia, accessed October 29, 2021.</ref>

In November 1972, buoyed by the reelection campaign of [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], Beard unseated the Democrat U.S. Representative William Robert Anderson (born 1921), a former [[United States Navy]] commander of the ''Nautilus'' during the first underwater crossing of the [[North Pole]] in 1958. Anderson was also a stanch critic of the [[Vietnam War]] and was considered a protégé of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover]]. [[U.S. President]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] presented Anderson with the Legion of Merit.<ref>Anderson, William Robert | Tennessee Encyclopedia, accessed October 29, 2021.</ref>

Beard excelled at constituent service and held his mostly Republican district for five House terms. However, [[Conservative Democrat]]s continued to dominate in state legislative seats in the district well into the 1980s.

Beard excelled at constituent service and held his mostly Republican district for five House terms. However, [[Conservative Democrat]]s continued to dominate in state legislative seats in the district well into the 1980s.

In the heavily Democrat year of 1974, Beard was not damaged by the [[Watergate]] affair, for which voters repudiated Republican candidates who had nothing to do with the scandal. He received that year 56.6 percent of the vote. In 1976, Beard faced former U.S. Senator Ross Bass (1918-1993) who had represented the 6th district from 1955 to 1964. However, Beard easily turned back this challenge despite [[Jimmy Carter]]'s victory over [[Gerald Ford]] in Tennessee. Despite his name recognition, Bass was unable to overcome the challenge of running in territory unfamiliar with him. Beard took over 74 percent of the vote in 1978, and was unopposed in 1980, when [[Ronald Reagan]] unseated Jimmy Carter..

In the heavily Democrat year of 1974, Beard was not damaged by the [[Watergate]] affair, for which voters repudiated Republican candidates who had nothing to do with the scandal. He received that year 56.6 percent of the vote. In 1976, Beard faced former U.S. Senator Ross Bass (1918-1993) who had represented the 6th district from 1955 to 1964. However, Beard easily turned back this challenge despite [[Jimmy Carter]]'s victory over [[Gerald Ford]] in Tennessee. Despite his name recognition, Bass was unable to overcome the challenge of running in territory unfamiliar with him. Beard took over 74 percent of the vote in 1978, and was unopposed in 1980, when [[Ronald Reagan]] unseated Jimmy Carter.

In 1982, Beard declined to seek a sixth House term and ran successfully for the Republican nomination to oppose freshman Democratic [[United States Senator]] James Ralph "Jim" Sasser (born 1936). Beard, however, made little headway in the race against Sasser, a supporter of [[Georgia]]'s Jimmy Carter in a 20-point landslide. In a [[television]] advertisement that received largely unfavorable national attention, Beard depicted Sasser as soft on [[Fidel Castro]] by showing an actor dressed to look like Castro light his cigar with an American bill and retorted, "Muchas gracias, Señor Sasser."<ref>THE 1982 ELECTIONS: NEGATIVE ADVERTISING - The Washington Post, accessed October 29, 2021.</ref>

In 1982, Beard declined to seek a sixth House term and ran successfully for the Republican nomination to oppose freshman Democratic [[United States Senator]] James Ralph "Jim" Sasser (born 1936). Beard, however, made little headway in the race against Sasser, a supporter of [[Georgia]]'s Jimmy Carter in a 20-point landslide. In a [[television]] advertisement that received largely unfavorable national attention, Beard depicted Sasser as soft on [[Fidel Castro]] by showing an actor dressed to look like Castro light his cigar with an American bill and retorted, "Muchas gracias, Señor Sasser."<ref>THE 1982 ELECTIONS: NEGATIVE ADVERTISING - The Washington Post, accessed October 29, 2021.</ref>

Except for the reelection of Governor [[Lamar Alexander]] in 1982, Tennessee would not win another statewide race until 1994, when they captured the governorship with [[Don Sundquist]] and both Senate seats taken by [[Bill Frist]] and [[Fred Thomson]].

Except for the reelection of Governor [[Lamar Alexander]] in 1982, Tennessee would not win another statewide race until 1994, when they captured the governorship with [[Don Sundquist]] and both Senate seats taken by [[Bill Frist]] and [[Fred Thompson]].

From 1984 to 1987 and again from 1992 to 1995, Beard served as a [[NATO]] deputy secretary-general in [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]].<ref>Robin Beard Obituary (2007) - Charleston, SC - Charleston Post & Courier (postandcourier.com), accessed October 29, 2021.</ref> Beard later ran an import-export business in  [[Washington, D.C.]], for a time resided in the liberal stronghold of Alexandria, [[Virginia]]. Beard retired to Charleston County, [[South Carolina]], where he later ran unsuccessfully in 2006 for a seat on the county school board.

From 1984 to 1987 and again from 1992 to 1995, Beard served as a [[NATO]] deputy secretary-general in [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]].<ref>Robin Beard Obituary (2007) - Charleston, SC - Charleston Post & Courier (postandcourier.com), accessed October 29, 2021.</ref> Beard later ran an import-export business in  [[Washington, D.C.]], for a time resided in the liberal stronghold of Alexandria, [[Virginia]]. Beard retired to Charleston County, [[South Carolina]], where he later ran unsuccessfully in 2006 for a seat on the county school board.