Diane Farrell
Encyclopedia
Diane Farrell is an American
politician who was the unsuccessful Democratic
candidate for Connecticut's 4th congressional district
in 2004 and 2006.
She was appointed by Pres. George W. Bush to become a member of the Board of Directors of the Export Import Bank of the U.S. and confirmed by the United States Senate
on August 1, 2007 for a term ending on January 20, 2011.
Farrell is a former elementary school teacher who later worked in the advertising industry and first became engaged in school politics when her children entered the public schools in Westport, Connecticut
. Prior to running for elective office, she attended the Women's Campaign School
at Yale University
.
, Diane Catherine Goss was three years old when her family moved to Westport in 1958. She graduated from Massachusetts
' Wheaton College
with a major in American Government and a minor in elementary education in 1977. In 1978, she married Karr Winslow Farrell, Jr. They have two daughters, Hilary (born 1983) and Margaret (born 1986).
's South Western Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is responsible for managing development and sprawl.
for the representation of Connecticut
's fourth congressional district. Farrell's campaign received much less national attention than that concentrated on Melissa Bean
's campaign to unseat House Dean Phil Crane
. Though her campaign was arguably aggressive, she lost the seat by about four percent. However, she was widely regarded as having made considerable progress, as she won towns beside traditionally Democratic blue-collar Bridgeport. She also barely won her home town of Westport, as well as Stamford and Norwalk, but was narrowly defeated in several others.
Diane Farrell decided against running again for the post of First Selectwoman of the Town of Westport, and filed papers with the Federal Elections Commission to raise funds for a 2006 congressional run.
defeated Diane Farrell by a margin of approximately 3%. The final tally was 106,558 (51%) for Shays, 99,993 (48%) for Farrell. This was comparable to the result in 2004, when Farrell also received 48% of the vote.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who was the unsuccessful Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate for Connecticut's 4th congressional district
Connecticut's 4th congressional district
Connecticut's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the southwestern part of the state, the district is largely suburban and consists of Bridgeport, the largest city in the state, and Stamford....
in 2004 and 2006.
She was appointed by Pres. George W. Bush to become a member of the Board of Directors of the Export Import Bank of the U.S. and confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on August 1, 2007 for a term ending on January 20, 2011.
Farrell is a former elementary school teacher who later worked in the advertising industry and first became engaged in school politics when her children entered the public schools in Westport, Connecticut
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
. Prior to running for elective office, she attended the Women's Campaign School
Women's Campaign School
is an independent, nonpartisan, issue-neutral political campaign training and leadership program hosted at Yale University by the Yale Law School. The WCS was founded in 1993 by author and scholar...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Personal data
A native of New Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
, Diane Catherine Goss was three years old when her family moved to Westport in 1958. She graduated from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
' Wheaton College
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Wheaton College is a four-year, private liberal arts college with an approximate student body of 1,550. Wheaton's residential campus is located in Norton, Massachusetts, between Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1834 as a female seminary, it is one of the oldest...
with a major in American Government and a minor in elementary education in 1977. In 1978, she married Karr Winslow Farrell, Jr. They have two daughters, Hilary (born 1983) and Margaret (born 1986).
Political career
Diane Farrell served two terms as Westport's First Selectwoman, a position equivalent to that of Mayor. She was first elected in 1997 with 59% of the vote and was reelected, with 70% of the vote, in 2001. Farrell's campaign website says she was elected to office on both occasions with the support not only of her fellow Democrats, but also a significant group of independents and Republicans. In 2002, she was elected chair of Fairfield CountyFairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
's South Western Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is responsible for managing development and sprawl.
Town administration
Under Farrell's administration, Westport invested in new schools and a new senior center, but according to The Westport News, during the same period it also had the highest tax rate in the state of Connecticut. The New York Times reported that Shays faulted Farrell for allowing Westport's property taxes to double in seven years. Farrell said that the town had the eighth lowest property tax rate in Connecticut, with "a lot to show for that money in the form of new schools and a new senior center". During her term, the town's real property revaluation (required by Connecticut law) had to be postponed due to a six-year backlog in assessments.2004
Farrell announced that she would challenge 17-year incumbent Republican Christopher ShaysChristopher Shays
Christopher H. Shays is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and represented the 4th District of Connecticut....
for the representation of Connecticut
Connecticut
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...
's fourth congressional district. Farrell's campaign received much less national attention than that concentrated on Melissa Bean
Melissa Bean
Melissa Luburich Bean is a former U.S. Representative for the who served from 2005 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
's campaign to unseat House Dean Phil Crane
Phil Crane
Philip Miller "Phil" Crane is a former American politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 2005, representing the 8th District of Illinois in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago...
. Though her campaign was arguably aggressive, she lost the seat by about four percent. However, she was widely regarded as having made considerable progress, as she won towns beside traditionally Democratic blue-collar Bridgeport. She also barely won her home town of Westport, as well as Stamford and Norwalk, but was narrowly defeated in several others.
Diane Farrell decided against running again for the post of First Selectwoman of the Town of Westport, and filed papers with the Federal Elections Commission to raise funds for a 2006 congressional run.
2006
On November 7, 2006, incumbent Representative Christopher ShaysChristopher Shays
Christopher H. Shays is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and represented the 4th District of Connecticut....
defeated Diane Farrell by a margin of approximately 3%. The final tally was 106,558 (51%) for Shays, 99,993 (48%) for Farrell. This was comparable to the result in 2004, when Farrell also received 48% of the vote.
Awards received
- 2004 Woodlands Coalition Environmental Gold Award
- 2003 Upper Fairfield Country Distinguished Leadership Award from the Anti-Defamation League
- 2003 Paul Harris Fellowship Award from Westport Sunrise Rotary
- An award from the Leadership American Program
- From the Foundation for Women's Resources
- From the American Association of Advertising Agencies
- From the University of Southern California Business School
External links
- Diane Farrell for Congress
- Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. Hillary Clinton stumps for Farrell in 4th District race. The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
October 8, 2006. - Halloran, Liz. One Fierce Nor'easter. U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, May 29, 2006. - Silvers, Susan. Farrell, Shays tangle over Iraq stand. Connecticut PostConnecticut PostThe Connecticut Post is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves the greater Bridgeport area, Fairfield County, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Bridgeport, Ansonia,...
October 6, 2006. - Farrell's 4th District Race Lures Big Name Democrats. NBC 30 October 4, 2006.
- Pazniokas, Mark. Shays-Farrell Poll: A Squeaker. Hartford Courant October 3, 2006.