Sam Caligiuri
Encyclopedia
Sam S. F. Caligiuri is a lawyer
and former Connecticut State Senator
. In 2010, he ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, but switched for a House seat in Connecticut's 5th congressional district
. He was ultimately unsuccessful, losing closely behind Chris Murphy
, 54-46%.
In November 2006, Caligiuri was elected to the Connecticut State Senate to represent the 16th District, which comprises the eastern half of Waterbury
as well as the city's eastern suburbs of Cheshire
, Southington
, and Wolcott
.
, a Master's from Yale University
, and a Juris Doctor
degree from Catholic University of America School of Law. His law practice is focused on public finance
.
Caligiuri served as Deputy Legal Counsel to former Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland
during Rowland's first term, before entering private practice prior to Rowland's landslide re-election in 1998 over then-Congresswoman Barbara Bailey Kennelly. He then ran for Alderman in Waterbury and had been serving as President of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen when he was called upon to succeed Mayor Philip Giordano
upon Giordano's arrest on charges of illegal conduct with children. Under the City's Charter, the President of the Board of Aldermen becomes the Acting Mayor of the City when the sitting Mayor becomes incapacitated. Caligiuri became the Acting Mayor when Giordano was arrested. Caligiuri swung into action immediately to restore confidence. He selected a chief of staff and put a plan in place to lead Waterbury through this difficult period. Caligiuri took a leave of absence from his law practice and served full-time for the remainder of his predecessor's term, which ended on December 31, 2001.
, was vacating the seat to successfully challenge incumbent Republican Congresswoman Nancy Johnson.
Caligiuri was the lone Republican in the legislature to vote against the final version of the 2007-2008 state budget. He opposed exceeding the state's constitutional spending cap.
In July 2007 Caligiuri demanded a moratorium on further paroles in Connecticut following the home invasion
murders of the Petit family by two paroled convicts. Investigation by the Hartford Courant revealed irregularities in the Connecticut parole process. In September 2007, Governor M. Jodi Rell
announced a moratorium on the parole of violent offenders. On January 22, 2008 a special session was held which passed laws declaring home invasion a Class A felony and reforming the parole board. Caligiuri was the prime sponsor of a proposed Three Strikes Law
in Connecticut, which was not adopted in the special session.
in .
Caligiuri first planned to challenge Democratic incumbent Chris Dodd in the 2010 U.S. Senate election, as he indicated in February 2009. On March 18, 2009, he filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission
to run for the seat. On March 31, 2009, Caligiuri formally announced his candidacy for Congress instead, although he didn't formally end his Senate campaign until November 24, 2009. On May 21, 2010, Caligiuri received the state Republican Party's endorsement at its convention by winning 68% of the delegate votes on the first ballot. On August 10, 2010, Caligiuri defeated challengers Justin Bernier and Mark Greenberg in the Republican primary.
In the November 2 general election, Caligiuri lost to the incumbent Murphy by a 54% to 46% margin.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and former Connecticut State Senator
Connecticut Senate
The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 94,600 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits...
. In 2010, he ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, but switched for a House seat in Connecticut's 5th congressional district
Connecticut's 5th congressional district
Connecticut's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the northwestern part of the state, the district runs from...
. He was ultimately unsuccessful, losing closely behind Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy may refer to:*Chris Murphy , member of the band Sloan*Chris Murphy , member of the British ska band [spunge]*Chris Murphy , Australian Idol finalist in 2006...
, 54-46%.
In November 2006, Caligiuri was elected to the Connecticut State Senate to represent the 16th District, which comprises the eastern half of Waterbury
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
as well as the city's eastern suburbs of Cheshire
Cheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
, Southington
Southington, Connecticut
Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of Connecticut's 1st congressional district. It is situated about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, about 80 miles northeast of New York City, 105 miles southwest of Boston and 77 miles west of Providence...
, and Wolcott
Wolcott, Connecticut
Wolcott is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,215 at the 2000 census.Wolcott was founded in 1796 and was originally named Farmingbury...
.
Legal career
A native of Waterbury, he is a partner with the Hartford office of Day Pitney, Connecticut's largest law firm. He received a B.A. from Boston CollegeBoston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, a Master's from 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...
, and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Catholic University of America School of Law. His law practice is focused on public finance
Public finance
Public finance is the revenue and expenditure of public authoritiesThe purview of public finance is considered to be threefold: governmental effects on efficient allocation of resources, distribution of income, and macroeconomic stabilization.-Overview:The proper role of government provides a...
.
Caligiuri served as Deputy Legal Counsel to former Connecticut Governor 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...
during Rowland's first term, before entering private practice prior to Rowland's landslide re-election in 1998 over then-Congresswoman Barbara Bailey Kennelly. He then ran for Alderman in Waterbury and had been serving as President of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen when he was called upon to succeed Mayor Philip Giordano
Philip Giordano
Philip Giordano is the former Republican mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut, and a convicted sex offender. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela, to Italian parents and his family moved to the United States when he was two years old....
upon Giordano's arrest on charges of illegal conduct with children. Under the City's Charter, the President of the Board of Aldermen becomes the Acting Mayor of the City when the sitting Mayor becomes incapacitated. Caligiuri became the Acting Mayor when Giordano was arrested. Caligiuri swung into action immediately to restore confidence. He selected a chief of staff and put a plan in place to lead Waterbury through this difficult period. Caligiuri took a leave of absence from his law practice and served full-time for the remainder of his predecessor's term, which ended on December 31, 2001.
Connecticut Senate
Caligiuri's 2006 state senate victory was a rare bright spot for Connecticut's Republicans taking a previously Democratic seat. The departing incumbent from the 16th District, Democrat Chris MurphyChris Murphy (politician)
Christopher Scott "Chris" Murphy is the U. S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.Murphy previously served in the Connecticut House of Representatives and the Connecticut Senate....
, was vacating the seat to successfully challenge incumbent Republican Congresswoman Nancy Johnson.
Caligiuri was the lone Republican in the legislature to vote against the final version of the 2007-2008 state budget. He opposed exceeding the state's constitutional spending cap.
In July 2007 Caligiuri demanded a moratorium on further paroles in Connecticut following the home invasion
Home invasion
Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally...
murders of the Petit family by two paroled convicts. Investigation by the Hartford Courant revealed irregularities in the Connecticut parole process. In September 2007, Governor M. Jodi Rell
M. Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
announced a moratorium on the parole of violent offenders. On January 22, 2008 a special session was held which passed laws declaring home invasion a Class A felony and reforming the parole board. Caligiuri was the prime sponsor of a proposed Three Strikes Law
Three strikes law
Three strikes laws)"are statutes enacted by state governments in the United States which require the state courts to hand down a mandatory and extended period of incarceration to persons who have been convicted of a serious criminal offense on three or more separate occasions. These statutes became...
in Connecticut, which was not adopted in the special session.
2010
Caligiuri challenged Democratic incumbent Chris MurphyChris Murphy (politician)
Christopher Scott "Chris" Murphy is the U. S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.Murphy previously served in the Connecticut House of Representatives and the Connecticut Senate....
in .
Caligiuri first planned to challenge Democratic incumbent Chris Dodd in the 2010 U.S. Senate election, as he indicated in February 2009. On March 18, 2009, he filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
to run for the seat. On March 31, 2009, Caligiuri formally announced his candidacy for Congress instead, although he didn't formally end his Senate campaign until November 24, 2009. On May 21, 2010, Caligiuri received the state Republican Party's endorsement at its convention by winning 68% of the delegate votes on the first ballot. On August 10, 2010, Caligiuri defeated challengers Justin Bernier and Mark Greenberg in the Republican primary.
In the November 2 general election, Caligiuri lost to the incumbent Murphy by a 54% to 46% margin.
External links
- Sam Caligiuri for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Profile at Connecticut Senate Republicans
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- FOX News - Parties Announce Target House Races, March 10, 2010