Bill Curry (politician)
Encyclopedia
William E. Curry, Jr. has been a two-time Democratic nominee for Governor of Connecticut and a White House advisor in the administration of Bill Clinton
.
and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law
. In 1978, at the age of 26, he was elected state senator from a district that included Farmington, Connecticut. Curry served two terms and then faced fellow state senator Nancy Johnson, a moderate Republican from New Britain
in 1982 for the open seat formerly held by Toby Moffett
in what was then the Sixth Congressional District.
During the ensuing eight years, Curry practiced law and worked in public policy positions in Washington, D.C. He was head of Freeze Voter, a nuclear freeze group.
In 1990, Curry was the Democratic nominee for state comptroller
after a convention fight and then won a statewide election against the Republican nominee, Joel Schiavone.
During his political career Curry has been the favored candidate of liberal Connecticut Democrats and pundits frequently at odds with the old style moderate policies favored by such figures as former Governor William O'Neill
and former party chairman John Droney
.
won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in a convention, and Curry challenged him successfully in a primary. The field in the general election included former Republican U.S. Representative John G. Rowland
, Eunice Groark
(lieutenant governor under the departing officeholder, Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
), Curry and Tom Scott, a former Republican legislator from Milford, Connecticut
and talk show host running a conservative, anti-tax independent candidacy
Rowland won that election by three points.
After the election, Curry accepted a post as Counselor to the President and served as domestic strategist in the Clinton White House.
Curry left the Clinton Administration after the 1996 election and served as Visiting Fellow at the Yale School of Management
.
In 2002, Curry again ran against Rowland. While Curry did not face a primary opponent that year, the incumbent enjoyed a fund-raising advantage of roughly 5 to 1. In late September of the campaign, Curry charged that Rowland's administration had awarded contracts based on rigged bidding procedures. Although those charges later proved to be the heart of the scandal that forced Rowland to resign, plead guilty and serve a federal prison sentence, they did not become a significant issue in the campaign. Stressing his accomplishments as Governor, Rowland won his third term by a 12 point margin.
. On August 26, 2007 he endorsed a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq
. He is also a frequent guest on National Public Radio. He was also frequently on Colin McEnroe
's afternoon radio show on WTIC
.
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Education and early political life
Curry was educated at St Justin's School in Hartford and Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
. In 1978, at the age of 26, he was elected state senator from a district that included Farmington, Connecticut. Curry served two terms and then faced fellow state senator Nancy Johnson, a moderate Republican from New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
in 1982 for the open seat formerly held by Toby Moffett
Toby Moffett
Anthony John "Toby" Moffett, Jr. was an American politician from the state of Connecticut. A Democrat, Moffett served in the United States House of Representatives as the member from Connecticut's 6th congressional district from 1975 to 1983.-Early life and education:Moffett was born in Holyoke,...
in what was then the Sixth Congressional District.
During the ensuing eight years, Curry practiced law and worked in public policy positions in Washington, D.C. He was head of Freeze Voter, a nuclear freeze group.
In 1990, Curry was the Democratic nominee for state comptroller
Connecticut Comptroller
The State Comptroller is the chief fiscal guardian of the State of Connecticut. The duties and responsibilities of the state comptroller include, among other things, overseeing state accounting, preparing state financial reports, paying and administering benefits to state employees, settling...
after a convention fight and then won a statewide election against the Republican nominee, Joel Schiavone.
During his political career Curry has been the favored candidate of liberal Connecticut Democrats and pundits frequently at odds with the old style moderate policies favored by such figures as former Governor William O'Neill
William O'Neill (Connecticut politician)
William Atchison O'Neill was a twentieth century U.S. political figure, most notably as the 84th Governor of Connecticut from 1980 to 1991....
and former party chairman John Droney
John Droney
John Droney is a Connecticut politician and lawyer. He is the senior partner of Levy & Droney, a large law firm based in Farmington, Connecticut.-Career:...
.
Gubernatorial bids and the White House
In 1994, John LarsonJohn Larson
John Barry Larson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the a Democratic Party. The district is based in the state capital, Hartford.Larson is the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus....
won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in a convention, and Curry challenged him successfully in a primary. The field in the general election included former Republican U.S. Representative John G. Rowland
John G. Rowland
John Grosvenor Rowland was the 86th Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004; he is a member of the Republican Party. He is married to Patty Rowland, his second wife, and the couple have five children between them...
, Eunice Groark
Eunice Groark
Eunice S. Groark was elected the first female lieutenant governor of Connecticut in 1990. Groark ran on a ticket with Lowell Weicker, both of whom were members of A Connecticut Party...
(lieutenant governor under the departing officeholder, Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Lowell Palmer Weicker, Jr. is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the 85th Governor of Connecticut, and unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for President in 1980...
), Curry and Tom Scott, a former Republican legislator from Milford, Connecticut
Milford, Connecticut
Milford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
and talk show host running a conservative, anti-tax independent candidacy
Rowland won that election by three points.
After the election, Curry accepted a post as Counselor to the President and served as domestic strategist in the Clinton White House.
Curry left the Clinton Administration after the 1996 election and served as Visiting Fellow at the Yale School of Management
Yale School of Management
The Yale School of Management is the graduate business school of Yale University and is located on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The School offers Master of Business Administration and Ph.D. degree programs. As of January 2011, 454 students were enrolled in its MBA...
.
In 2002, Curry again ran against Rowland. While Curry did not face a primary opponent that year, the incumbent enjoyed a fund-raising advantage of roughly 5 to 1. In late September of the campaign, Curry charged that Rowland's administration had awarded contracts based on rigged bidding procedures. Although those charges later proved to be the heart of the scandal that forced Rowland to resign, plead guilty and serve a federal prison sentence, they did not become a significant issue in the campaign. Stressing his accomplishments as Governor, Rowland won his third term by a 12 point margin.
Journalism
Curry wrote a political column for the Hartford Courant in Hartford, ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. On August 26, 2007 he endorsed a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He is also a frequent guest on National Public Radio. He was also frequently on Colin McEnroe
Colin McEnroe
Colin McEnroe is an American columnist and radio personality. He currently hosts on Connecticut Public Radio, writes for The Hartford Courant, and hosts a blog, , on the Courant's website.-Early life and education:...
's afternoon radio show on WTIC
WTIC (AM)
WTIC is a 50,000-watt radio station operating out of Hartford, Connecticut, broadcasting news and talk radio. Its signal, located at 1080 kHz, can be picked up throughout southern New England by day and over several states as well as parts of Canada by night...
.