Blumenthal, Richard, 1946-

<p>Originally sworn in on January 5, 2011, Richard Blumenthal is serving his second term as a United States Senator from the State of Connecticut.</p>

<p>Senator Blumenthal served an unprecedented five terms as Connecticut’s Attorney General, fighting for people against large and powerful special interests. His aggressive law enforcement for consumer protection, environmental stewardship, labor rights, and personal privacy has helped reshape the role of state attorneys general nationwide, and resulted in the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars for Connecticut taxpayers and consumers each year.</p>

<p>A key player in the national fight against Big Tobacco, he helped bring an end to deceptive marketing aimed at children – a victory significantly lowering youth smoking rates, and compelling a multi-billion dollar settlement for Connecticut taxpayers. He also helped lead a coalition of all 50 states that culminated in historic agreements with social networking sites to better protect children from Internet predators.</p>

BLUMENTHAL, Richard, a Senator from Connecticut; born in Brooklyn, N.Y., February 13, 1946; graduated Harvard University, B.A., 1967; attended Cambridge University, 1967-1968; graduated Yale University, J.D., 1973; editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal; served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves 1970-1976; White House aide 1969-1970; law clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun 1974-1975; administrative assistant to Senator Abraham Ribicoff 1975-1976; United States Attorney for Connecticut 1977-1981; lawyer; member of the Connecticut state house of representatives 1984-1987; member of the Connecticut state senate 1987-1990; attorney general of Connecticut 1991-2010; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 2010; reelected in 2016 for the term ending January 3, 2023.

<p>Richard Blumenthal (/ˈbluːmənθɔːl/; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, with a net worth over $100 million. He served as Attorney General of Connecticut from 1991 to 2011.</p>

<p>Born in Brooklyn, New York, Blumenthal attended Riverdale Country School, a private school in the Bronx. He graduated from Harvard College, where he was editor-in-chief of The Harvard Crimson. He studied for a year at Trinity College, Cambridge, in England before attending Yale Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. At Yale, he was a classmate of Bill and Hillary Clinton. From 1970 to 1976, Blumenthal served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, attaining the rank of sergeant.</p>

<p>After law school, Blumenthal passed the bar and served as administrative assistant and law clerk for several Washington, D.C. figures. From 1977 to 1981, he was United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. In the early 1980s he worked in private law practice, including as volunteer counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.</p>

<p>Blumenthal served one term in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1985 to 1987; in 1986 he was elected to the Connecticut Senate and began service in 1987. He was elected Attorney General of Connecticut in 1990 and served for 20 years. During this period political observers speculated about him as a contender for governor of Connecticut, but he never pursued the office.</p>

<p>Blumenthal announced his 2010 run for U.S. Senate after incumbent Senator Chris Dodd announced his retirement. He faced Linda McMahon, a professional wrestling magnate, in the 2010 election, winning with 55% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 5, 2011. After Joe Lieberman retired in 2013, Blumenthal became Connecticut's senior senator. He was reelected in 2016 with 63.2% of the vote, becoming the first person to receive more than a million votes in a statewide election in Connecticut.</p>