Lieberman, Joseph I. (Joseph Isadore), 1942-2024

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Joseph Isadore Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is an American politician, lobbyist, and attorney who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was its nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2000 election. During his final term in office, he was officially listed as an independent Democrat and caucused with and chaired committees for the Democratic Party.

A graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, Lieberman was elected as a "Reform Democrat" in 1970 to the Connecticut Senate, where he served three terms as Majority Leader. After an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980, he served as state Attorney General from 1983 to 1989. He narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Lowell Weicker in 1988 to win election to the U.S. Senate and was re-elected in 1994, 2000, and 2006. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in the 2000 United States presidential election, running with presidential nominee and then Vice President Al Gore, and becoming the first Jewish candidate on a major American political party presidential ticket.

In the 2000 presidential election, Gore and Lieberman won the popular vote by a margin of more than 500,000 votes, but lost the deciding Electoral College to the Republican George W. Bush/Dick Cheney ticket 271–266. He also unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election. During his Senate re-election bid in 2006, Lieberman lost the Democratic Party primary election, but won re-election in the general election as a third party candidate under the "Connecticut for Lieberman" party label. Never a member of that party, he remained a registered Democrat while he ran.

Lieberman was officially listed in Senate records for the 110th and 111th Congresses as an Independent Democrat, and sat as part of the Senate Democratic Caucus. However, after his speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention in which he endorsed John McCain for president, he no longer attended Democratic Caucus leadership strategy meetings or policy lunches. On November 5, 2008, he met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to discuss his future role with the Democratic Party. Ultimately, the Senate Democratic Caucus voted to allow him to keep the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Subsequently, he announced that he would continue to caucus with the Democrats. Before the 2016 election, he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president and in 2020 endorsed Joe Biden for president.

As Senator, Lieberman introduced and championed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and legislation that led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. During debate on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as the crucial 60th vote needed to pass the legislation, his opposition to the public health insurance option was critical to its removal from the resulting bill signed by President Barack Obama.

Lieberman died on March 27, 2024 in New York City.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn General Records of the Department of Justice, 1790 - 2002. Congressional Committee Chairmen Correspondence Files, 1982 - 1998. National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Duncan, Kenneth. Correspondence, 1993-1999. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn Controlled Congressional Correspondence, January 1, 1988–December 31, 2004 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Audrey Beck Papers Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Staff Personnel Correspondence and Memoranda, July 12, 1966–January 16, 1967 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Lieberman, Joseph I. Joseph I. Lieberman : commercials , 1982-1994. University of Oklahoma, Political Community Archives
referencedIn Joseph Lieberman Candidacy Sermon Collection, 2000 The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
referencedIn Records of the Task Force on National Health Care (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 1994. Steven Edelstein's Files, 1993 - 1994 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Board Correspondence, 2006–2008 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Presidential Photographs, 1/20/2009 - 1/20/2017 Barack H. Obama Library
referencedIn American political campaigns miscellany, 1868-2008, (bulk 1968-1980). Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
referencedIn Connecticut Citizens Action Group Records., undated, 1964-2002 Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Correspondence Files of the Secretary, May 5, 1998–January 19, 2001 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the Environmental Protection Agency, 1944 - 2006. Controlled Correspondence of Assistant Administrator Charles L. Grizzle, 1/1989 - 12/1993 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Sound Recordings of Radio Programs, Speeches, and Special Events, 1984–2000 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Houghton Mifflin Company correspondence, 1881-1981 (inclusive), 1940-1979 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn American political campaigns miscellany, 1868-2008 (bulk 1968-1980). Cornell University Library
creatorOf Lieberman, Joseph,. Best Stage for action plays. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Controlled and Major Correspondence, January 1, 1990–December 31, 1993 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Political ephemera, 2001-2004. State Historical Society of North Dakota State Archives
referencedIn General Correspondence and Decision Files, 12/14/1960 - 12/31/2000 National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn Bob Englehart Papers University of Connecticut. Libraries
referencedIn White House Central Files Name Files, 8/1974 - 1/1977 Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn Correspondence Relating to Inquiries, July 25, 1966–May 1967 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Legislative Program Files, April 1, 2004–September 30, 2013 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Byrd, Harry Flood, 1914-. Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. papers, [1920?], 1960, 1966, 1982-2005. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Congressional Committee Chairman Correspondence Files of the 109th Congress, January 1, 2004–December 31, 2006 National Archives at College Park
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Beck, Audrey Phillips, 1931-1983 person
associatedWith Beck, Audrey Phillips, 1931-1983 person
associatedWith Byrd, Harry Flood, 1914- person
associatedWith Connecticut Citizens Action Group. corporateBody
memberOf Connecticut. General Assembly. Senate corporateBody
associatedWith Connecticut. Office of the Attorney General corporateBody
memberOf Democratic Party (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Duncan, Kenneth. person
associatedWith Gore, Al, 1948- person
associatedWith Granoff, Michael person
correspondedWith Houghton Mifflin Company. corporateBody
associatedWith McCain, John, 1936-2018 person
associatedWith Schorr, William M. collector. person
memberOf United States. Congress. Senate corporateBody
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
employeeOf Wiggin & Dana corporateBody
associatedWith Wright, Dick collector. person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Yale Law School corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Yale University. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York City NY US
New Haven CT US
Stamford CT US
New York City NY US
Subject
Advertising, political
American drama
Radio advertising
Television advertising
Occupation
Attorneys general
Lawyers
Lobbyists
Senators, U.S. Congress
State Senator
Activity

Person

Birth 1942-02-24

Death 2024-03-27

Male

Americans

English

Information

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