Sam Coppersmith
Encyclopedia
Samuel G. "Sam" Coppersmith (born May 22, 1955 in Johnstown
, Pennsylvania
) is a former Democratic
United States
Congressman
from Arizona
from 1993 to 1995.
Coppersmith graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, and then worked as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department, assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
. He then earned a law degree from Yale Law School
. After law school, he clerked for Judge William C. Canby, Jr.
, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and served as an assistant to the Mayor of Phoenix
.
In 1992, Coppersmith won the Democratic primary in Arizona's 1st District and defeated three-term Republican John Rhodes III in 1992. Coppersmith's win was one of the biggest upsets in Arizona political history. The district had already been strongly Republican (a Democrat had not represented the district since 1953), but had become even more Republican when many Hispanic neighborhoods in Phoenix were shifted to the 2nd District. Also, popular Senator
John McCain
(who had represented the district from 1983 to 1987) was running for reelection.
While serving in Congress, he kept a campaign promise by returning a congressional pay raise he opposed by writing a check each month to the U.S. Treasury. Coppersmith also gained national attention with his leadership of the effort to eliminate the Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor program, an effort that united a coalition of budget-cutters, environmentalists, and foreign policy experts concerned about plutonium
. Also, through his efforts, the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Education talked with each other to end an interpretation of labor laws that kept parents in some Arizona schools from participating in their children's classrooms.
In 1994, Coppersmith gave up his seat after only one term to run for the Senate when Dennis DeConcini
retired. He lost to fellow Congressman Jon Kyl
.
After leaving Congress, Coppersmith spent two years as the chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party. He is currently an attorney specializing in real estate law and a managing partner of the law firm of Coppersmith Schermer & Brockelman P.L.C. He has a blog
called LiberalDesert.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
) is a former 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...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
from 1993 to 1995.
Coppersmith graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, and then worked as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department, assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. He then earned a law degree from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
. After law school, he clerked for Judge William C. Canby, Jr.
William C. Canby, Jr.
William Cameron Canby, Jr. is currently a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sitting in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born on May 22, 1931, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Canby earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1953 on an ROTC scholarship, graduating summa...
, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and served as an assistant to the Mayor of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.
In 1992, Coppersmith won the Democratic primary in Arizona's 1st District and defeated three-term Republican John Rhodes III in 1992. Coppersmith's win was one of the biggest upsets in Arizona political history. The district had already been strongly Republican (a Democrat had not represented the district since 1953), but had become even more Republican when many Hispanic neighborhoods in Phoenix were shifted to the 2nd District. Also, popular Senator
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...
John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
(who had represented the district from 1983 to 1987) was running for reelection.
While serving in Congress, he kept a campaign promise by returning a congressional pay raise he opposed by writing a check each month to the U.S. Treasury. Coppersmith also gained national attention with his leadership of the effort to eliminate the Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor program, an effort that united a coalition of budget-cutters, environmentalists, and foreign policy experts concerned about plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
. Also, through his efforts, the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Education talked with each other to end an interpretation of labor laws that kept parents in some Arizona schools from participating in their children's classrooms.
In 1994, Coppersmith gave up his seat after only one term to run for the Senate when Dennis DeConcini
Dennis DeConcini
Dennis Webster DeConcini is a former Democratic U.S. Senator from Arizona. Son of former Arizona Supreme Court Judge Evo Anton DeConcini, he represented Arizona in the United States Senate from 1977 until 1995....
retired. He lost to fellow Congressman Jon Kyl
Jon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son...
.
After leaving Congress, Coppersmith spent two years as the chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party. He is currently an attorney specializing in real estate law and a managing partner of the law firm of Coppersmith Schermer & Brockelman P.L.C. He has a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
called LiberalDesert.