Connecticut for Lieberman

Last updated
Connecticut for Lieberman
Chairman John Mertens (2011–2013)
General SecretaryJohn Kilian (2011–2013)
Founder25 Lieberman supporters
FoundedJuly 10, 2006 (2006-07-10)
DissolvedJanuary 2013 (2013-01)
Split from Democratic Party of Connecticut
Ideology Pro-Lieberman
Political position Center [1]
ColorsBlue
Yellow (customary)

Connecticut for Lieberman was a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman in 2006. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the Democratic Party primary. [2] [3] In the succeeding general election, Lieberman received 49.7% of the vote, defeating Democrat Ned Lamont and Alan Schlesinger of the Republican Party. [4]

Contents

Party origins

The party was established on July 10, 2006, and began collecting signatures in case Lieberman did not win the Connecticut Democratic primary. [5] On August 8, 2006, Lieberman lost the Democratic primary to Lamont. The next day, over 7,500 signatures were filed with the Secretary of State's office in support of Lieberman's candidacy. On August 23, the Secretary of State announced that the party had filed enough valid signatures and would appear on the ballot in November. [6]

The party's formation is similar to that of A Connecticut Party, created for Lowell Weicker's 1990 campaign for Governor under their label.[ citation needed ]

Post-election dispute

After the election, contention developed between two different groups, one supportive of Lieberman and one critical of him, with each faction asserting that it controlled the party. On August 9, 2006, the day following the primary, Lieberman supporter Stuart R. Korchin changed his party registration to Connecticut for Lieberman. [7] "When Mr. Korchin filled out a short form in August at the Cheshire Town Hall changing his party affiliation from Democrat to Connecticut for Lieberman, the information could not be properly entered in the state’s electronic voter database." [8]

On November 15, 2006, John Orman changed his party registration from Democratic to the Connecticut for Lieberman Party, having been told by the Secretary of the State that there were no registered party members. [8] Orman, a professor of politics at Fairfield University, had briefly challenged Lieberman for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in 2006. [9] [10]

Party rules were filed with Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz on December 21, 2006, by Orman. According to Ted Bromely, a state elections attorney who works for her office, then said, "If someone wanted to challenge it, they'd have to go to court." [7] [8] [11]

On January 12, 2007, Korchin filed a different set of party rules with the Secretary of the State, which were also accepted. [7] In response to an inquiry, Korchin received a letter from a lawyer in the Secretary of the State's office on January 17, 2007, stating that the state had "very limited jurisdiction" over intraparty battles, and was not taking a position over just who was in charge. [8]

In Milford in January 2007, at what was billed as an "organizational meeting" of the party, Orman and Korchin appeared, each claiming to be the party chairman. Korchin announced the annual party meeting would be held in August and left, after which the Milford gathering elected Orman as chair, by a 5–1 margin. [12]

On July 10, 2007, Orman wrote to Bysiewicz and Jeffrey Garfield, executive director of the Elections Enforcement Commission. He asked them to have the state attorney general's office investigate the petitioning done by Lieberman in 2006. Orman's contention was that Lieberman had violated state law by knowingly circulating false petitions, in that he had no actual intent to join or form a new party. [13]

The next month, Korchin told the Hartford Advocate that he had held another party meeting on August 9, although he refused to say where it had occurred. Orman said he had not been informed of any such meeting. [14] Korchin responded that Orman had been notified but had "declined to attend in an e-mail." [15]

On March 6, 2008, there was a statewide party caucus organized by the faction that had chosen Orman as party chair. With Orman declining to run for re-election, John Mertens was elected to succeed him. [16]

Lieberman himself was never a member of the party; he was a registered Democrat. [17] The Senate website listed him as an Independent Democrat. [18]

Party mission

The two competing factions have differing views of the party's mission in the wake of the 2006 election.

As Orman expressed it in 2007, "What we said was that if the state was going to allow a fake institution to exist, we were going to turn that fake institution into a real party to hold Joe accountable." [14]

Korchin, however, stated: "Connecticut for Lieberman is a new political party that carries on what used to be the ideals of the Democratic Party: A liberal approach to domestic issues coupled with a strong commitment to a robust foreign policy. New members who subscribe to this platform are welcome." [19]

Later activities and demise

Activist John Mertens was nominated as the party's candidate for United States Senate in 2010. Mertens had been an ardent critic of Senator Lieberman, and during an interview with Monmouth University's student newspaper, he said: "[In 2012] the party will run a candidate against Joe Lieberman!" [20] Lieberman, however, announced in January 2011 that he would not seek re-election to his Senate seat in 2012. [21]

In January 2013, the party lost its minor party status after not fielding any candidates in the November 2012 elections. Mertens, who left the party and became an Independent shortly after the elections, said, "We don't have a ballot line. With Joe retiring, its purpose has been kind of served." [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Lieberman</span> American politician (1942–2024)

Joseph Isadore Lieberman was an American politician and lawyer 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 U.S. presidential 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowell Weicker</span> American politician (1931–2023)

Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the 85th Governor of Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2006 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, 2006, with all 33 Class 1 Senate seats being contested. The term of office for those elected in 2006 ran from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2013. Prior to the election cycle, the Republican Party controlled 55 of the 100 Senate seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Bysiewicz</span> 109th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut

Susan Bysiewicz is an American politician and attorney who has served as the 109th lieutenant governor of Connecticut since 2019. She previously served as the 72nd secretary of the state of Connecticut from 1999 to 2011 and a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ned Lamont</span> Governor of Connecticut since 2019

Edward Miner Lamont Jr. is an American businessman and politician serving since January 2019 as the 89th governor of Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Greenwich selectman from 1987 to 1989 and was the party's nominee for the United States Senate in 2006, losing to incumbent Joe Lieberman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman won his fourth and final term in the Senate, under the Connecticut for Lieberman party banner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Schlesinger</span> American politician

Alan Schlesinger is an American attorney, entrepreneur, and Republican politician. He has previously served as the mayor of Derby, Connecticut from 1994 to 1998 and as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1981 to 1993. He campaigned unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in Connecticut's 5th congressional district in 1984, 1990, and 1998.

In U.S. politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who loosely identifies with the ideals of the Democratic Party but chooses not to be a formal member of the party or is denied the Democratic nomination in a caucus or primary election. Independent Democrat is not a political party. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as independent Democrats.

John Michael Orman was a politics professor at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He was the 1984 Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Congress seat in Connecticut's fourth district, and briefly challenged Senator Joseph Lieberman for the 2006 Democratic Senate nomination. As of 2007, Orman was one of two people claiming to be the current chairman of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party. He was born in Brazil, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2012 United States Senate elections were held on November 6, 2012, with 33 of the 100 seats in the Senate, all Class 1 seats, being contested in regular elections whose winners would serve six-year terms beginning January 3, 2013, with the 113th Congress. Democrats had 21 seats up for election, plus 1 Independent and 1 Independent Democrat, while the Republicans had only 10 seats up for election. The presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives, elections for governors in 14 states and territories, and many state and local elections were also held on the same day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Party of Connecticut</span> Political party in Connecticut

The Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Connecticut. Its chair is Nancy DiNardo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span> Federal election results list

The 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut was a midterm election which took place on November 2, 2010 to decide a Class III Senator from the State of Connecticut to join the 112th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Dodd suffered from dropping approval ratings in the past few years due to major controversies, leading him to announce in January 2010 that he would retire, instead of seeking a sixth term. As Dodd was a Democrat, Richard Blumenthal, incumbent State Attorney General, announced on the same day that he would run for Dodd's seat. The Connecticut Democratic Party nominated Blumenthal on May 21. Businesswoman Linda McMahon won the state party's nominating convention and the August 10 Republican primary to become the Republican candidate. This was the first open Senate seat in Connecticut since 1980 where Dodd was first elected. Blumenthal was the only non-incumbent Democrat to win a non-special election in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010, to elect the 88th Governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Republican Governor Jodi Rell had announced in a press conference in Hartford on November 9, 2009, that she would not seek re-election in 2010. The sites Cook Political Report and CQ Politics both rated the election as a toss-up. This was the first open seat gubernatorial election in the state since 1994. As of 2023, this is the last time the Governor’s office in Connecticut changed partisan control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 6, 2012, in conjunction with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Primaries to elect Senate candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties were held on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Connecticut Attorney General election</span>

The 2010 Connecticut attorney general election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the 24th attorney general of the state of Connecticut. Five-term incumbent attorney general Richard Blumenthal declined to seek re-election in 2010, instead opting to run for Connecticut's open U.S. Senate seat held by the retiring Christopher Dodd. Blumenthal's decision not to seek a sixth term set-up the first open race for attorney general in the state since Blumenthal's election in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Connecticut</span> Overview of the procedure of elections in the U.S. state of Connecticut

Various kinds of elections in Connecticut occurs annually in each of the state's cities and towns, the exact type of which is dependent on the year. Elections for federal and statewide offices occur in even-numbered years, while municipal elections occur in odd-numbered ones. The office of the Connecticut Secretary of State oversees the election process, including voting and vote counting. In a 2020 study, Connecticut was ranked as the 20th easiest state for citizens to vote in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Connecticut elections</span>

Elections for state and federal offices for the 2010 election cycle in Connecticut, US, were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Any necessary primary elections for the Republican and Democratic parties were held on Tuesday, August 10, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor and lieutenant governor of Connecticut, concurrently with the election of Connecticut's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. This race's Democratic margin of victory was the closest to the national average of 3.1 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral history of Ned Lamont</span> American politician

This is the electoral history of Ned Lamont, the 89th and current Governor of Connecticut. He previously ran for governor in 2010, and was the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span> Election for Governor of Connecticut

The 2022 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Democratic Governor Ned Lamont ran for re-election to a second term in office. The race simultaneously took place with the election to the state's Class III Senate seat. This election featured a rematch of the previous 2018 gubernatorial election, pitting Lamont against Republican Bob Stefanowski, who he previously defeated by 3.2% of the vote. This time Lamont won re-election by a wider margin, becoming the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial election by more than 5 points in the state since 1986. This is the first time since 1994 that Tolland County voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election.

References

  1. ↑ "Sen. Joe Lieberman Leaves Divided Legacy : It's All Politics". NPR. 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  2. ↑ "CQPolitics.com - Many Factors in Play as Senate Primary Nears in Connecticut". Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved August 9, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) of "Many Factors in Play as Senate Primary Nears in Connecticut", from Congressional Quarterly. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
  3. ↑ Petitioning Parties Archived August 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine (PDF). Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
  4. ↑ Kornblut, Anne E.; Peters, Jeremy W. (November 7, 2006). "Lieberman Prevails Against Lamont in Connecticut". The New York Times . Retrieved December 20, 2006.
  5. ↑ Many Factors in Play as Senate Primary Nears in Connecticut Archived August 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
  6. ↑ Susan Bysiewicz (August 23, 2006). "SECRETARY BYSIEWICZ: SEN. LIEBERMAN COLLECTS ENOUGH VALID SIGNATURES TO GAIN NOVEMBER BALLOT ACCESS" (PDF) (Press release). Government of Connecticut. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 Peter Urban (March 28, 2007). "2 claim leadership of Lieberman party". Connecticut Post.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Medina, Jennifer (January 18, 2007). "Lieberman's Party, but Someone Else's Fight". The New York Times . Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  9. ↑ Hladky, Gregory B. (November 20, 2006). "Critic delights in taunting Lieberman". The New Haven Register . Archived from the original on December 17, 2006. Retrieved December 20, 2006.
  10. ↑ Zeller, Shawn (December 1, 2006). "Crashing the Lieberman Party". The New York Times . Retrieved December 20, 2006.
  11. ↑ "Sen. Lieberman's Party Taken Over By Critic". Associated Press. January 3, 2007. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007.
  12. ↑ Bailey, Melissa (January 19, 2007). "'Lieberman Party' Hijackers Win HoJo Skirmish". New Haven Independent. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  13. ↑ Lockhart, Brian (July 11, 2007). "Critic calls for probe of Lieberman's party". The Advocate (Stamford) . Archived from the original on April 5, 2009.
  14. 1 2 Bulger, Adam (August 16, 2007). "Whose Party Is It?". Hartford Advocate . Archived from the original on April 6, 2009.
  15. ↑ Korchin, Stuart (August 23, 2007). "It's Not Your Party, Dr. Orman". Hartford Advocate . Archived from the original on April 6, 2009.
  16. ↑ "Election of New Officers". March 10, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  17. ↑ MacEachern, Frank (September 18, 2007). "Lieberman registers to vote as a Democrat, wife and daughter unaffiliated". The Stamford Times . Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
  18. ↑ "Senators of the 110th Congress". United States Senate . Retrieved September 20, 2007.
  19. ↑ Letters to the Editor (December 28, 2007). "This Chairman Disputes 'Facts'". Greenwich Citizen. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008.{{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  20. ↑ "Expired Website". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Lieberman to Announce Retirement From Senate". NBC Connecticut. January 18, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Lieberman splinter group loses minor party status". GreenwichTime. January 7, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.