Lincoln Chafee
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Lincoln Chafee was the Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. First elected governor on the independent ticket in 2010, he became the only sitting governor in the country who was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. Chafee was sworn in on January 4, 2011.
On May 30, 2013, during his first and only gubernatorial term, Chafee changed his party affiliation again, this time becoming a Democrat. Chafee cited two main reasons for registering with the Democratic Party in 2013: first, he doubted that he could run a competitive re-election campaign in 2014 without the financial backing and other resources provided by major party organizations; second, Chafee was a major supporter of Democratic President Barack Obama, whom Chafee knew from their days as U.S. Senate colleagues. After switching from independent to Democrat, Chafee was expected to seek re-election as governor in 2014. Instead, he announced in September 2013 that he would not run for a second term.[1][2]
Chafee filed to run for the 2020 Libertarian nomination for president of the United States on January 5, 2020.[3] He ended his presidential campaign on April 5, 2020.[4] Chafee had previously run for president as a Democrat in 2016, but withdrew from the race on October 23, 2015, before the Democratic primary.[5][6]
Chafee previously served as a Republican U.S. Senator from 1999 to 2007. Chafee succeeded his father in the Senate following his death in 1999. Chafee was appointed to fill the vacancy and he won a full, six-year term in 2000. In 2006, Chafee lost his seat to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. Chafee left the Republican Party and became an independent the following year.[7]
Prior to his Senate term, Chafee was a delegate to Rhode Island's Constitutional Convention and a member of the City Council of Warwick, Rhode Island. From there, he was elected as the mayor of Warwick.[8]
Biography
Chafee was born in Rhode Island. He graduated from Brown University and later studied at the Montana State University horseshoeing school in Bozeman. He then spent seven years working as a farrier at racetracks in the U.S. and Canada.[8]
Chafee entered politics in 1985 when he was a delegate to Rhode Island's Constitutional Convention. The next year, he won election to Warwick's City Council. In 1992, he became the city's mayor, a post he held until his Senate appointment in 1999.[8]
Following his departure from the U.S. Senate in 2007, Chafee accepted a post as a distinguished visiting fellow at Brown University's Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies, where he worked with undergraduates studying American foreign policy. He remained in that position until beginning his campaign for governor in January 2010.[8]
Education
- Montana State University
- B.A., Brown University
- Phillips Academy[8]
Political career
Rhode Island Governor (2011-2015)
Chafee was elected Governor of Rhode Island as an independent in November 2010 and took office on January 4, 2011, becoming the only sitting governor in the country who was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. Chafee held that distinction until May 30, 2013, when he registered as a member of the Democratic Party. A variety of factors contributed to Chafee's decision to switch from independent to Democrat, including his consistent support for President Obama and his trepidation about campaigning for re-election in 2014 without the backing of a major party.[9][10] Chafee's party switch marked the first time since 1995 that Rhode Island had a Democrat in the governor's office. At the time, Chafee's switch made for a total of 20 governors in the United States that were Democrats. 30 were Republicans.[11]
Job creation ranking
A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chafee was ranked number 42. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.[12][13]
Pension reform
In 2011, State Treasurer Gina Raimondo (D) ordered new estimates of the state's pension liability. Finding that the liability had increased from $4.9 billion to $7.3 billion, Raimondo pushed the issue to the top of the agenda.[14] Raimondo and Chafee introduced a pension reform plan which received bipartisan support in both chambers of the state legislature and was passed in November 2011.[15]
U.S. Senator (1999-2007)
Chafee previously served as a Republican U.S. Senator from 1999 to 2007. Chafee was appointed to fill the vacancy created by his father's death in 1999. Chafee won a full, six-year term in 2000. In 2006, Chafee lost his seat to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.[7]
Elections
2016
Presidency
Chafee was a Democratic presidential candidate in 2016. He withdrew from the Democratic primary on October 23, 2015. A national poll published on July 15, 2015, by Monmouth University did not register any support for Chafee.[16] His national support had been hovering at below one percent at the time of his withdrawal, according to Real Clear Politics.[17] As for fundraising, Chafee raised only $11,000 in the third quarter of 2015, according to the Associated Press.[18]
2014
Chaffee was eligible for re-election in 2014, and the now Democratic incumbent was considered likely to seek a second term in the governor's office. However, Chafee announced on September 4, 2013, that he would spend the remainder of his term focusing on governing rather than campaigning for re-election. "I want to devote all my time, all my energy, to the task at hand," he stated.[2][11]
2010
Chafee faced Frank T. Caprio (D), John F. Robitaille (R), Ken Block (Moderate), Ronald Algieri (I), Todd Giroux (I), and Joseph M. Lusi (I) in the general election on November 2, 2010.[19]
| Governor of Rhode Island, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Frank T. Caprio | 23% | 78,896 | |
| Republican | John F. Robitaille | 33.6% | 114,911 | |
| Independent |  Lincoln Chafee |
36.1% | 123,571 | |
| Moderate | Ken Block | 6.5% | 22,146 | |
| Independent | Ronald Algieri | 0.2% | 793 | |
| Independent | Todd Giroux | 0.3% | 882 | |
| Independent | Joseph M. Lusi | 0.3% | 1,091 | |
| Total Votes | 342,290 | |||
Full history
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2006 On November 7, 2006, Sheldon Whitehouse won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Lincoln Chafee (R) in the general election.[20]
2000 On November 7, 2000, Lincoln Chafee won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Robert A. Weygand (D) Kenneth P. Proulx (I) and Christopher Young (Reform) in the general election.[21]
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Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Lincoln Chafee. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Governor of Rhode Island
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
- Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth H. Roberts
- Lincoln Chafee presidential campaign, 2016
- Presidential election, 2016
External links
- Governor
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Footnotes
- ↑ The Associated Press, "RI Gov. Chafee open to running for 2nd term as Dem," December 14, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 ABC News, "RI Gov. Lincoln Chafee Won't Run for 2nd Term," September 4, 2013
- ↑ The Hill, "Lincoln Chafee files to run for president as a Libertarian," January 6, 2020
- ↑ Providence Journal, "Chafee ends presidential bid," April 5, 2020
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Lincoln Chafee announces long-shot presidential bid," June 3, 2015
- ↑ CNN Politics, "Lincoln Chafee drops out of Democratic primary race," October 23, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Rhode Island Governor, "Linc Chafee," accessed November 3, 2012
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Chaffee for Governor, "About," accessed November 3, 2012
- ↑ Politico, "Lincoln Chafee switches affiliation to Democrat," May 30, 2013
- ↑ Brown Political Review, "BPR Talks with Gov. Lincoln Chafee (Video)," May 22, 2013
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Boston Globe, "R.I. Governor Lincoln Chafee to switch to Democratic Party," May 29, 2013
- ↑ The Business Journals, "Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states," June 27, 2013
- ↑ The Business Journals, "How state governors rank on their job-growth record," June 27, 2013
- ↑ National Review, "Rhode Island’s Pension Reform, Plus Thoughts on Sustainable Victories," November 18, 2011
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Rhode Island Pension Reform Bill Heads To Legislative Vote Next Week ," November 11, 2011
- ↑ Boston.com, "Literally zero people support Lincoln Chafee in new poll," July 15, 2015
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "2016 Democratic Presidential Nomination," accessed October 23, 2015
- ↑ Associated Press, "Chafee ends his presidential campaign," October 23, 2015
- ↑ NPR, "Rhode Island State Profile," accessed June 2, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Donald Carcieri (R) |
Governor of Rhode Island 2011 - 2015 |
Succeeded by Gina Raimondo (D) |
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State of Rhode Island Providence (capital) |
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