United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman
lost the August 8th Democratic
primary to Ned Lamont
. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.
; his support of Florida governor Jeb Bush
in the Terri Schiavo
case; his initial willingness to compromise on Social Security
privatization; his alliances with Republicans; and his attacks on other Democrats.
On March 13, 2006, Ned Lamont announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. Lamont was more liberal than Lieberman, but he was not immune from criticism from within his own party. The New Republic
senior editor and "liberal hawk" Jonathan Chait
, who is critical of Lieberman on a variety of issues, wrote:
Early polling showed Lieberman with as much as a 46 point lead, but subsequent polls showed Lamont gaining until Lamont took the lead just weeks before the primary. Lieberman released several campaign advertisements over the summer of 2006, seeking to connect himself to former President of the United States
Bill Clinton
and to portray Lamont as standing for little more than opposition to Lieberman. Lamont struck back against some of Lieberman's more negative ads with an advertisement produced by well-known political consultant Bill Hillsman
. In Lamont's ad, a foreboding narrator says, "Meet Ned Lamont. He can't make a decent cup of coffee, he's a bad karaoke
singer, and he has a messy desk." Lamont then chimes in, "Aren't you sick of political attack ads that insult your intelligence? Senator Lieberman, let's stick to issues and pledge to support whoever wins the Democratic primary."
From midmorning August 7 to well past August 9, Lieberman's official campaign site was taken offline; officials from Lieberman's campaign claimed "dirty politics
" and "Rovian tactics
" on the part of Lamont's supporters, and more specifically, a sustained Distributed Denial of Service attack that, according to the Lieberman campaign, had left the site down for several days.
Tim Tagaris, Lamont's Internet communications director, denied the charge and attributed the downtime to the fact that the Lieberman campaign had chosen an inferior web host, or ISP, and was only paying $15/month to operate its site (in comparison to the $1500/month being spent by the Lamont campaign). On December 20, 2006, a joint investigation by Connecticut Attorney General
Richard Blumenthal
's office and the U.S. attorney's office cleared the Lamont campaign of the hacking accusations. A spokesman for Kevin O'Connor
, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, stated, "The investigation has revealed no evidence the problems the Web site experienced were the result of criminal conduct."
Lieberman was backed by the Human Rights Campaign
, the United States Chamber of Commerce
, the Defenders of Wildlife
, and Planned Parenthood
; he received endorsements from The Hartford Courant
, The New Haven Register, and the Connecticut Post
. Lamont was backed by the National Organization for Women
, MoveOn.org, and Democracy for America
; he received the endorsement of The New York Times
.
Lamont won the primary with 51.79% of the vote, as opposed to Lieberman's 48.21%. However, in his concession speech, Lieberman announced that he would stand by his prior statements that he'd run as an independent if he lost the Democratic primary.
In the Republican Party primary, Alan Schlesinger drew fire in July when it was revealed that he had been gambling under an alias in order to avoid detection as a card counter. Despite calls to withdraw from the race, Schlesinger remained in the race, ultimately becoming the Republican nominee when no other Republican challengers entered the race.
On June 12, Ned Lamont began running radio ads promising if he lost the primary to endorse Lieberman, challenging Lieberman to abandon consideration of an independent run by making a similar pledge. Lieberman refused to make this pledge; his campaign manager, Sean Smith said, "Are we going to support Ned Lamont? Ah, no!"
On July 3 in Hartford, Lieberman announced that he would collect signatures in order to guarantee himself a position on the November ballot. Both Lieberman and Smith said that Lieberman will run as a "petitioning Democrat" and will caucus with Senate Democrats if elected. On July 10, the Lieberman campaign officially filed paperwork allowing him to collect signatures to form a new political party, the Connecticut for Lieberman party.
Upon Lieberman's announcement, independent polls continued to show him favored to win a plurality or outright majority of the vote in a three-way general election (see below). The petition issue led to charges against the Lieberman campaign of political opportunism and lack of respect for the political process. Lieberman received strong support from many prominent conservative pundits and publications. "[H]is most vocal support came from places like The Weekly Standard, National Review
, and Commentary Magazine; Sean Hannity
, Bill Kristol and right-wing radio
hosts cheered for his victory." Thus, "Lieberman was able to run in the general election as the de facto Republican candidate — every major Republican office-holder in the state endorsed him — and to supplement that GOP base with strong support from independents."
On August 29, Lieberman began airing an ad, named "Soothing", featuring images of a sunset over an ocean beach, while a female narrator says "you might enjoy a break from Ned Lamont's negative advertising. So just sit back and think about - good stuff." The Lamont campaign stood by their advertisements.
There was some debate over what impact Lieberman's campaign would have on several tight House races in Connecticut. Some argued that Lieberman would bring out Republican supporters, who would vote for Lieberman and then cross over to support the Republican House candidates. Others, such as Rahm Emanuel
, argued that having two Democrats running against each other will increase the Democratic turnout, which will then benefit the Democratic House candidates.
and DSCC
Chair Chuck Schumer issued the following joint statement on the Connecticut Senate race:
According to The Hill
, a Democratic aide to a high-ranking senator commented that Lieberman might be stripped of his Democratic privileges in the Senate. "At this point Lieberman cannot expect to just keep his seniority," said the aide. "He can’t run against a Democrat and expect to waltz back to the caucus with the same seniority as before. It would give the view that the Senate is a country club rather than representative of a political party and political movement."
On August 21, 2006 a group of New Haven Democrats cited Connecticut General Statutes section 9-61 in a complaint filed with the New Haven Democratic Registrar of Voters, Sharon Ferrucci, demanding that she purge Lieberman from the Democratic voter rolls. The statute reads in part: "Knowingly becoming a candidate for office on ticket of a new party automatically separates voter from his former party." Lieberman's campaign manager called it a "dirty political trick". Ferrucci rejected the complaint.
for alleged corruption, describing it as a meeting place for "forces of evil" in a published interview. Waterbury's Democratic Mayor Michael Jarjura
, had endorsed Lieberman after the primary. Swan later apologized for the statement saying the comment was aimed at former Mayor Philip Giordano
, who was arrested for sexual crimes with a minor, as "slime" and former Governor John G. Rowland
, a Waterbury native, who was indicted for corruption, as "evil". Both Giordano and Rowland were forced to resign from their positions due to criminal activities. As Jarjura failed to accept Swan's apology, Lamont himself was forced to apologize for the comments. On August 22 Lamont announced former Democratic state chairman George Jepsen would be the chairman of the general election campaign. He denied this was a demotion of Swan.
anchor Chuck Roberts
asked Hotline
senior editor John Mercurio about the effects of the recent London terrorist plot
on the 2006 Connecticut Senate race:
Roberts later apologized personally to Lamont on the air:
stated that Democratic leaders feared the visible role black activists Al Sharpton
and Jesse Jackson
had at Lamont's primary night rally "might drive Republican, independent and even some Democratic voters into support of Lieberman's independent candidacy."
had run full page ads in the Hartford Courant in support of Lieberman. Lamont supporters claim that Vets for Freedom is a de facto Republican organization and point out the similarities between this organization and the Swift Vets
, who had connections to Republican officials.
, claiming Lieberman had created a "media spectacle". Lieberman responded by releasing an e-mail Lamont sent the senator at the time, in which Lamont wrote he reluctantly supported Lieberman's stance critical of Clinton.
Lamont then called for Lieberman to "move on" from publicly criticizing Clinton:
Lieberman's speech in 1998 had occurred after the President had gone on prime time television to admit his relationship with Lewinsky. Lieberman believes his speech defused partisan tension over a "media spectacle" already present prior to the senator's speech.
. One of these ads suggested that voters should wear their coats inside out to protest Lieberman's campaign as an independent candidate.
Lieberman responded with the "Blackboard" ad, where the words "Democrat" and "Republican" are separated by a line and Lieberman erased it, stressing his appeal was primarily to the state's largest voter bloc, unaffiliated voters.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, fundraising and cash on hand (as of dates specified) are as follows:
In the days before the Democratic Party primary, the Lieberman campaign invoked the "millionaire rule", believing that Lamont's personal campaign contributions had exceeded federal limits. Despite having more than double Lamont's funding, Lieberman accepted contributions up to a higher $6,300 limit per individual. The normal limit is $2,300. Between the primary and the general election, Lamont added over $2 million of his own money to his campaign effort.
According to published reports, as of late October, Lamont had spent over $12.7 million of personal funds on his campaign, while Lieberman had raised over $14 million.
Lieberman won every county in the November general election. http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/datagraph.php?year=2006&fips=9&f=0&off=3&elect=0
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
lost the August 8th 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...
primary to Ned Lamont
Ned Lamont
Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the...
. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.
Democratic primary
The primary election for the Senate election in Connecticut was held on August 8, 2006. The Democratic Party primary pitted incumbent Joe Lieberman against cable executive Ned Lamont.Candidates
- Joe Lieberman, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Ned Lamont, former GreenwichGreenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
selectman
Campaign
Because Connecticut was believed to be a Democratic stronghold, Connecticut's Senate seat was considered safe to remain as a Democratic seat by political analysts, but Lieberman's continued support for conservative and Bush administration policies made him vulnerable to a Democratic primary challenger. Lieberman's critics objected to what they call Lieberman's lack of commitment to the Democratic party; his opposition to affirmative action; his opposition to a Connecticut state law that would require Catholic hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims; his membership in the bipartisan Gang of 14Gang of 14
The Gang of 14 was a term coined to describe the bipartisan group of Senators in the 109th United States Congress who successfully negotiated a compromise in the spring of 2005 to avoid the deployment of the so-called nuclear option over an organized use of the filibuster by Senate...
; his support of Florida governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
in the Terri Schiavo
Terri Schiavo
The Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
case; his initial willingness to compromise on Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
privatization; his alliances with Republicans; and his attacks on other Democrats.
On March 13, 2006, Ned Lamont announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. Lamont was more liberal than Lieberman, but he was not immune from criticism from within his own party. The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
senior editor and "liberal hawk" Jonathan Chait
Jonathan Chait
Jonathan Chait is a writer for New York magazine. He was previously a senior editor at The New Republic and a former assistant editor of The American Prospect. He also writes a periodic column in the Los Angeles Times.- Personal life :...
, who is critical of Lieberman on a variety of issues, wrote:
I can't quite root for Lieberman to lose his primary. What's holding me back is that the anti-Lieberman campaign has come to stand for much more than Lieberman's sins. It's a test of strength for the new breed of left-wing activists who are flexing their muscles within the party. These are exactly the sorts of fanatics who tore the party apart in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They think in simple slogans and refuse to tolerate any ideological dissent.
Early polling showed Lieberman with as much as a 46 point lead, but subsequent polls showed Lamont gaining until Lamont took the lead just weeks before the primary. Lieberman released several campaign advertisements over the summer of 2006, seeking to connect himself to former President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
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...
and to portray Lamont as standing for little more than opposition to Lieberman. Lamont struck back against some of Lieberman's more negative ads with an advertisement produced by well-known political consultant Bill Hillsman
Bill Hillsman
William Gerard Hillsman, Jr. is an American political consultant and advertising executive. He works and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
. In Lamont's ad, a foreboding narrator says, "Meet Ned Lamont. He can't make a decent cup of coffee, he's a bad karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
singer, and he has a messy desk." Lamont then chimes in, "Aren't you sick of political attack ads that insult your intelligence? Senator Lieberman, let's stick to issues and pledge to support whoever wins the Democratic primary."
From midmorning August 7 to well past August 9, Lieberman's official campaign site was taken offline; officials from Lieberman's campaign claimed "dirty politics
Dirty tricks
Dirty tricks are unethical, duplicitous, slanderous or illegal tactics employed to destroy or diminish the effectiveness of political or business opponents...
" and "Rovian tactics
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
" on the part of Lamont's supporters, and more specifically, a sustained Distributed Denial of Service attack that, according to the Lieberman campaign, had left the site down for several days.
Tim Tagaris, Lamont's Internet communications director, denied the charge and attributed the downtime to the fact that the Lieberman campaign had chosen an inferior web host, or ISP, and was only paying $15/month to operate its site (in comparison to the $1500/month being spent by the Lamont campaign). On December 20, 2006, a joint investigation by Connecticut Attorney General
Connecticut Attorney General
The Connecticut Attorney General is the state attorney general of Connecticut.The Attorney General is elected to a four-year term. The current Attorney General is George Jepsen, a Democrat serving since January 5, 2011.-List of Attorneys General:...
Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut....
's office and the U.S. attorney's office cleared the Lamont campaign of the hacking accusations. A spokesman for Kevin O'Connor
Kevin J. O'Connor (attorney)
Kevin J. O'Connor is an attorney appointed by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as Connecticut’s 48th United States Attorney in 2002. From January to April 2006, O'Connor served as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States. In 2007, O'Connor...
, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, stated, "The investigation has revealed no evidence the problems the Web site experienced were the result of criminal conduct."
Lieberman was backed by the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
, the United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce is an American lobbying group representing the interests of many businesses and trade associations. It is not an agency of the United States government....
, the Defenders of Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife is a United States-based, 501 non-profit organization founded in 1947, "dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities." The organization is active in political interventions and lobbying aimed at protection of wildlife, and...
, and Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
; he received endorsements from The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
, The New Haven Register, and the Connecticut Post
Connecticut Post
The 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,...
. Lamont was backed by the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
, MoveOn.org, and Democracy for America
Democracy for America
Democracy for America is a progressive, people-powered political action committee, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists,...
; he received the endorsement of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Lamont won the primary with 51.79% of the vote, as opposed to Lieberman's 48.21%. However, in his concession speech, Lieberman announced that he would stand by his prior statements that he'd run as an independent if he lost the Democratic primary.
In the Republican Party primary, Alan Schlesinger drew fire in July when it was revealed that he had been gambling under an alias in order to avoid detection as a card counter. Despite calls to withdraw from the race, Schlesinger remained in the race, ultimately becoming the Republican nominee when no other Republican challengers entered the race.
Results
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Ned Lamont Ned Lamont Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the... |
146,587 | 52% |
| Joe Lieberman Joe Lieberman Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,... |
136,468 | 48% |
Candidates
- Ned Lamont (D): On August 8, GreenwichGreenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
businessman Ned Lamont received 52% of the vote in the statewide Democratic Primary for one of Connecticut'sConnecticutConnecticut 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...
seats in the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe 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...
. He defeated incumbentIncumbentThe incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Senator Joe Lieberman, who ran in the November election as a petitioning candidate of the Connecticut for Lieberman party line. In order to get onto the primary ballot on May 19, 2006, LamontNed LamontEdward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the...
received 33% of the vote at the Democratic State Convention, well above the 15% threshold needed to appear on the primary ballot without having to collect signatures. Sean Smith, who at the time was the campaign manager for Senator Lieberman, dismissed his performance, claiming that many delegates at the convention saw the endorsement question as a "free vote" to "register displeasure with Lieberman without it costing them anything," and speculated that those voters would return to Lieberman in the August primary. Lieberman dismissed Smith as his campaign manager the morning after Lieberman's primary defeat on August 8.
Lamont differed from Lieberman on various issues. He opposed the Iraq War and the USA Patriot ActUSA PATRIOT ActThe USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
, opposed the creditor-friendly changes to U.S. bankruptcyBankruptcyBankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
law, opposed federal intervention in cases such as the Terri Schiavo caseTerri Schiavo caseThe Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
, opposed the federal earmark system (i.e. pork barrelPork barrelPork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
projects), and said he would have led the charge against the Samuel AlitoSamuel AlitoSamuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
nomination. (Although Lieberman was one of 41 Democrats who voted against the Alito confirmation, he was one of 18 Democrats to vote for clotureClotureIn parliamentary procedure, cloture is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure or, informally, a guillotine. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. Clôture is French for "ending" or "conclusion"...
. If cloture did not pass, a vote on the confirmation would have been blocked (unless Republicans had taken the controversial step of invoking the so-called "nuclear optionNuclear optionIn U.S. politics, the "nuclear option" allows the United States Senate to reinterpret a procedural rule by invoking the argument that the Constitution requires that the will of the majority be effective on specific Senate duties and procedures...
").
- Alan Schlesinger (R): On May 20, 2006, Connecticut Republicans nominated former DerbyDerby, ConnecticutDerby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...
Mayor Alan SchlesingerAlan SchlesingerAlan Schlesinger is an attorney, former Derby, Connecticut mayor, former Connecticut State Representative, and three-time unsuccessful Congressional candidate who received the Republican nomination for the seat representing Connecticut that is currently held by U.S...
. In July, it was revealed that he was involved in inappropriate gambling activities: Schlesinger gambled under the alias "Alan Gold" to avoid detection as a card counter. On July 21, the Hartford Courant reported that Schlesinger had been sued by two New Jersey casinos for gambling debts. Schlesinger quickly faced fire from state party officials and some, including Connecticut Governor Jodi RellJodi RellMary 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,...
, called on him to withdraw. Connecticut GOP chairman George Gallo had considered previous Republican Senate candidate Jack OrchulliJack OrchulliJack Orchulli . He was raised in Alpha, New Jersey, went to Phillipsburg Catholic High School and, then, received a degree from Rutgers University. He later attended night school and received a master's degree in finance from B. M. Baruch College in New York City...
as a possible replacement if Schlesinger had withdrawn. On July 24, however, Courant colummist Kevin Rennie suggested former State Senator Bill Aniskovich of BranfordBranford, Connecticut-Landmarks and attractions:Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places . These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture...
— who was defeated in 2004 while seeking his eighth term — would replace Schlesinger if he withdrew. Other possible replacements included U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor, State Senator John McKinney of Fairfield and Derby state representative Themis Klarides.
- Joe LiebermanJoe LiebermanJoseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
(I), the incumbent three-term senator, was running for his fourth term. Lieberman was Al GoreAl GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
's vice presidential running mate in the 2000 electionUnited States presidential election, 2000The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
. The Gore/Lieberman ticket won the popular vote but controversially lost the electoral college voteUnited States Electoral CollegeThe Electoral College consists of the electors appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...
to George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
After a heated primary, Lieberman was defeated by Lamont 52% to 48%. Soon after his defeat, his campaign submitted the required signatures to run under the new Connecticut for Lieberman Party. While many of his Democratic colleagues tried to convince him to drop his bid, he stood firm on his promise to run. The day after losing in the primary, Lieberman fired the majority of his campaign staff including his campaign managerCampaign managerA campaign manager is a paid or volunteer individual, whose role is to coordinate the campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting out the vote , and other activities supporting the effort, directly.Apart from the candidate, they are often a campaign's most visible leader...
.
- Ralph Ferrucci (G): Connecticut Green PartyConnecticut Green PartyThe Connecticut Green Party is the Connecticut affiliate of the Green Party. The party is committed to grassroots democracy, social justice, non-violence and ecological wisdom. Those are also the four pillars of Green politics. Ralph Nader, perhaps the most well known Green Party figure in the...
nominee, artist, truck driver, 2004 congressional candidate, and 2003 "Guilty Party" New HavenNew Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
mayoral candidate. Ferrucci received more than 15% of the vote when he challenged New Haven mayor John DeStefano, Jr.John DeStefano, Jr.John DeStefano, Jr. is the current mayor of New Haven, Connecticut. He was the Democratic candidate in 2006 for Governor of Connecticut, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell. He was also the named defendant in the landmark 2009 U.S. Supreme Court case of Ricci v...
in 2003. Ferrucci had the least amount of money on hand of all the candidates and claimed to be the only candidate to publicly state his disapproval over Israel's invasion of Lebanon2006 Israel-Lebanon conflictThe 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
.
- Timothy Knibbs (CC) ran as the nominee of the Concerned Citizens PartyConcerned Citizens PartyThe Concerned Citizens Party is the Connecticut affiliate of the Constitution Party. The party's name is related to ballot access issues in Connecticut which have made it advantageous for the group to retain a name differing from the national organization with which they are affiliated...
. He also ran for the states other senate seat in 2004.
Connecticut for Lieberman party
On July 3 in Hartford, Lieberman announced that he would collect signatures in order to guarantee himself a position on the November ballot. Both Lieberman and Smith said that Lieberman will run as a "petitioning Democrat" and will caucus with Senate Democrats if elected. On July 10, the Lieberman campaign officially filed paperwork allowing him to collect signatures to form a new political party, the Connecticut for Lieberman party.
Upon Lieberman's announcement, independent polls continued to show him favored to win a plurality or outright majority of the vote in a three-way general election (see below). The petition issue led to charges against the Lieberman campaign of political opportunism and lack of respect for the political process. Lieberman received strong support from many prominent conservative pundits and publications. "[H]is most vocal support came from places like The Weekly Standard, National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
, and Commentary Magazine; Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
, Bill Kristol and right-wing radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
hosts cheered for his victory." Thus, "Lieberman was able to run in the general election as the de facto Republican candidate — every major Republican office-holder in the state endorsed him — and to supplement that GOP base with strong support from independents."
On August 29, Lieberman began airing an ad, named "Soothing", featuring images of a sunset over an ocean beach, while a female narrator says "you might enjoy a break from Ned Lamont's negative advertising. So just sit back and think about - good stuff." The Lamont campaign stood by their advertisements.
There was some debate over what impact Lieberman's campaign would have on several tight House races in Connecticut. Some argued that Lieberman would bring out Republican supporters, who would vote for Lieberman and then cross over to support the Republican House candidates. Others, such as Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
, argued that having two Democrats running against each other will increase the Democratic turnout, which will then benefit the Democratic House candidates.
Democratic reaction
On August 9, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry ReidHarry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
and DSCC
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
Chair Chuck Schumer issued the following joint statement on the Connecticut Senate race:
According to The Hill
The Hill (newspaper)
The Hill, a subsidiary of News Communications Inc., is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C. since 1994.Its first editor was Martin Tolchin, a veteran correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times....
, a Democratic aide to a high-ranking senator commented that Lieberman might be stripped of his Democratic privileges in the Senate. "At this point Lieberman cannot expect to just keep his seniority," said the aide. "He can’t run against a Democrat and expect to waltz back to the caucus with the same seniority as before. It would give the view that the Senate is a country club rather than representative of a political party and political movement."
On August 21, 2006 a group of New Haven Democrats cited Connecticut General Statutes section 9-61 in a complaint filed with the New Haven Democratic Registrar of Voters, Sharon Ferrucci, demanding that she purge Lieberman from the Democratic voter rolls. The statute reads in part: "Knowingly becoming a candidate for office on ticket of a new party automatically separates voter from his former party." Lieberman's campaign manager called it a "dirty political trick". Ferrucci rejected the complaint.
Waterbury statement controversy
Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan criticized the strongly pro-Lieberman city of WaterburyWaterbury
Waterbury is a city in Connecticut in the United States.Waterbury may also refer to any one of the following:-Places:United States*Waterbury, Nebraska*Waterbury, Vermont*Waterbury , Vermont,a village within the town of Waterbury, Vermont....
for alleged corruption, describing it as a meeting place for "forces of evil" in a published interview. Waterbury's Democratic Mayor Michael Jarjura
Michael Jarjura
Michael Jarjura is the Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut.He was first elected in 2001 and reelected in 2003. In 2005, he was elected to a third term as a write-in candidate after losing the Democratic primary...
, had endorsed Lieberman after the primary. Swan later apologized for the statement saying the comment was aimed at former 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....
, who was arrested for sexual crimes with a minor, as "slime" and former 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...
, a Waterbury native, who was indicted for corruption, as "evil". Both Giordano and Rowland were forced to resign from their positions due to criminal activities. As Jarjura failed to accept Swan's apology, Lamont himself was forced to apologize for the comments. On August 22 Lamont announced former Democratic state chairman George Jepsen would be the chairman of the general election campaign. He denied this was a demotion of Swan.
"Al-Qaeda candidate"
On August 11, CNN Headline NewsCNN Headline News
HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
anchor Chuck Roberts
Chuck Roberts
Chuck Roberts is an American broadcast journalist, most notable for being the former weekday news anchor on Headline News, based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia...
asked Hotline
The Hotline
The Hotline is a daily political briefing published by the Atlantic Media Company from its headquarters at The Watergate complex in Washington, DC. It is edited by Reid Wilson with Josh Kraushaar...
senior editor John Mercurio about the effects of the recent London terrorist plot
2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada...
on the 2006 Connecticut Senate race:
Roberts later apologized personally to Lamont on the air:
Impact of Lamont allies
Opinion columnist Robert NovakRobert Novak
Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak was an American syndicated columnist, journalist, television personality, author, and conservative political commentator. After working for two newspapers before serving for the U.S. Army in the Korean War, he became a reporter for the Associated Press and then for...
stated that Democratic leaders feared the visible role black activists Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
and Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
had at Lamont's primary night rally "might drive Republican, independent and even some Democratic voters into support of Lieberman's independent candidacy."
Vets For Freedom
On August 15, 2006, the Stamford Advocate reported that an organization called Vets For FreedomVets For Freedom
Vets For Freedom is an American political advocacy organization founded in 2006 by veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars. Its stated purpose is advocacy of victory in America's ongoing War on Terrorism, and support of candidates with positions consistent with this goal. Vets For Freedom is a...
had run full page ads in the Hartford Courant in support of Lieberman. Lamont supporters claim that Vets for Freedom is a de facto Republican organization and point out the similarities between this organization and the Swift Vets
Swift Vets and POWs for Truth
Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth , was a political group of United States Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of opposing John Kerry's candidacy...
, who had connections to Republican officials.
E-mail controversy
In early September, Lamont attacked Lieberman's response to the 1998 scandal involving President Clinton's affair with intern Monica LewinskyMonica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
, claiming Lieberman had created a "media spectacle". Lieberman responded by releasing an e-mail Lamont sent the senator at the time, in which Lamont wrote he reluctantly supported Lieberman's stance critical of Clinton.
Lamont then called for Lieberman to "move on" from publicly criticizing Clinton:
Lieberman's speech in 1998 had occurred after the President had gone on prime time television to admit his relationship with Lewinsky. Lieberman believes his speech defused partisan tension over a "media spectacle" already present prior to the senator's speech.
Turncoat ads
In late September, Lamont's campaign aired a controversial television ad that depicted various actors portraying Connecticut voters referring to Lieberman as a turncoatTurncoat
A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party...
. One of these ads suggested that voters should wear their coats inside out to protest Lieberman's campaign as an independent candidate.
Lieberman responded with the "Blackboard" ad, where the words "Democrat" and "Republican" are separated by a line and Lieberman erased it, stressing his appeal was primarily to the state's largest voter bloc, unaffiliated voters.
Finances
Lieberman and Lamont fought a hotly contested and expensive primary battle for the Democratic nomination. Republican candidate Schlesinger gained his party's nomination through the Republican convention and raised and spent relatively little. Minor candidates' fundraising was almost nonexistent.According to the Center for Responsive Politics, fundraising and cash on hand (as of dates specified) are as follows:
| Candidate | Report date | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lieberman (CFL) | 2006-07-19 | $8,904,642 | $6,512,697 | $3,487,184 |
| Lamont (D) | 2006-07-19 | $4,116,131 | $3,763,327 | $352,953 |
| Schlesinger (R) | 2006-06-30 | $113,581 | $38,001 | $75,578 |
| Ferruci (G) | 2006-06-30 | $1,290 | $604 | $684 |
In the days before the Democratic Party primary, the Lieberman campaign invoked the "millionaire rule", believing that Lamont's personal campaign contributions had exceeded federal limits. Despite having more than double Lamont's funding, Lieberman accepted contributions up to a higher $6,300 limit per individual. The normal limit is $2,300. Between the primary and the general election, Lamont added over $2 million of his own money to his campaign effort.
According to published reports, as of late October, Lamont had spent over $12.7 million of personal funds on his campaign, while Lieberman had raised over $14 million.
Lieberman
Democratic U.S. Senators
Democratic U.S. Congressmen
Democratic former U.S. Senators
Republicans
* = candidate for U.S. Senate in his home state Newspapers
|
Lamont
Democratic Senators
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Other Democrats
* = candidate for U.S. Senate in his home state Local officials
Organizations
Newspapers
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Polling
| Date | Ned Lamont (D) | Alan Schlesinger (R) | Joe Lieberman (CFL) | Margin of error (+/- %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2006 http://americanresearchgroup.com/ | 37% | 8% | 49% | 4% |
| September 19, 2006 | 45% | 3% | 47% | 4% |
| August 22, 2006 | 42% | 3% | 44% | 3.5% |
| Date | Ned Lamont (D) | Alan Schlesinger (R) | Joe Lieberman (CFL) | Margin of error (+/- %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 6, 2006 | 38% | 8% | 50% | 3.8% |
| November 1, 2006 | 37% | 8% | 49% | 3.2% |
| October 20, 2006 | 35% | 7% | 52% | 3.3% |
| September 28, 2006 | 39% | 5% | 49% | 2.9% |
| August 17, 2006 | 41% | 4% | 53% | 2.7% |
| July 20, 2006 | 27% | 9% | 51% | 2% |
| June 8, 2006 | 18% | 8% | 56% | 2.1% |
| May 2, 2006 | 13% | 10% | 56% | 2.5% |
| Date | Ned Lamont (D) | Alan Schlesinger (R) | Joe Lieberman (CFL) | Margin of error (+/- %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 31, 2006 | 40% | 9% | 48% | 4.5% |
| October 5, 2006 | 40% | 6% | 50% | 4.5% |
| September 14, 2006 | 43% | 5% | 45% | 4.5% |
| August 21, 2006 | 43% | 6% | 45% | 4.5% |
| August 12, 2006 | 41% | 6% | 46% | 4.5% |
| July 23, 2006 | 40% | 13% | 40% | 3% |
| June 19, 2006 | 29% | 15% | 44% | 4.5% |
| Date | Ned Lamont (D) | Alan Schlesinger (R) | Joe Lieberman (CFL) | Margin of error (+/- %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 3, 2006 | 39% | 7% | 51% | 4% |
| Date | Ned Lamont (D) | Alan Schlesinger (R) | Joe Lieberman (CFL) | Margin of error (+/- %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2006 | 38% | 9% | 49% | 3.9% |
| October 11, 2006 | 40% | 4% | 53% | 4.2% |
| September 12, 2006 | 38% | 7% | 51% | 4.2% |
| Date | Ned Lamont (D) | Alan Schlesinger (R) | Joe Lieberman (CFL) | Margin of error (+/- %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2, 2006 http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1192 | 37% | 8% | 49% | 4.1% |
| October 5, 2006 http://elections.us.reuters.com/content/midterms/zogby3.html | 33% | 4% | 53% | 4.1% |
| Date | Ned Lamont (D) | Alan Schlesinger (R) | Joe Lieberman (CFL) | Margin of error (+/- %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 31, 2006 http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-elections06.html http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2006/senate/ct/connecticut_senate_race-21.html#polls | 42.5% | 6% | 47.4% | 4.3% |
| October 19, 2006 http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-flash06.html?project=elections06-ft&h=495&w=778&hasAd=1 http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2006/senate/ct/connecticut_senate_race-21.html#polls | 43.2% | 4% | 48.6% | 4.3% |
| September 28, 2006 http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-flash06.html?project=elections06-ft&h=495&w=778&hasAd=1 http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2006/senate/ct/connecticut_senate_race-21.html#polls | 44% | 4% | 45.8% | 4.2% |
| September 10, 2006 http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-flash06.html?project=elections06-ft&h=495&w=778&hasAd=1 | 49% | 3% | 46% | 4.3% |
| August 28, 2006 | 39.4% | 2% | 49.4% | 4.2% |
Results
Lieberman won with approximately 50% of the vote, and will serve a six-year term from January 3, 2007 to January 3, 2013. Exit polls showed that Lieberman won the vote of 33% of Democrats, 54% of independents and 70% of Republicans.External links
- State of Connecticut Secretary of State: 2006 Primary and Election Information
- State of Connecticut Secretary of State: Statement of Vote
- Lieberman campaign website (Inactive)
- Lamont campaign website
- Schlesinger campaign website (Inactive)
- Ferrucci campaign website (Inactive)
- Knibbs campaign website