Richard Blumenthal

Richard Blumenthal
Official portrait, 2011
United States Senator
from Connecticut
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Serving with Chris Murphy
Preceded byChris Dodd
23rd Attorney General of Connecticut
In office
January 9, 1991 – January 5, 2011
Governor
Preceded byClarine Nardi Riddle
Succeeded byGeorge Jepsen
Member of the Connecticut Senate
from the 27th district
In office
November 4, 1987 – January 3, 1991
Preceded byAnthony Truglia
Succeeded byGeorge Jepsen
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
from the 145th district
In office
April 11, 1984 – November 4, 1987
Preceded byAnthony Truglia
Succeeded byNicholas Pavia
United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut
In office
June 22, 1977 – November 1, 1981
President
Preceded byPeter Dorsey
Succeeded byAlan Nevas
Personal details
Born (1946-02-13) February 13, 1946 (age 78)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Cynthia Malkin
(m. 1982)
Children4, including Matt
Relatives
Education
Signature
WebsiteSenate website
Military service
Branch/service
Years of service1970–1976
RankSergeant

Richard Blumenthal[a] (/ˈblmənθɑːl/ BLOO-mən-thahl; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of the Senate,[3] with a net worth over $100 million.[4] He was Attorney General of Connecticut from 1991 to 2011.

Blumenthal graduated from Harvard University, where he was chair of The Harvard Crimson, then studied for a year at Trinity College, Cambridge, before attending Yale Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. From 1970 to 1976, Blumenthal served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, attaining the rank of sergeant. After law school, Blumenthal passed the bar and served as administrative assistant and law clerk for several Washington, D.C. figures. From 1977 to 1981, he was United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. In the early 1980s he worked in private law practice, including as volunteer counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Blumenthal served one term in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1985 to 1987; in 1986 he was elected to the Connecticut Senate and began service in 1987. He was elected Attorney General of Connecticut in 1990 and served for 20 years. During this period political observers speculated about him as a contender for governor of Connecticut, but he never pursued the office. Blumenthal announced his 2010 run for the U.S. Senate after incumbent Senator Chris Dodd announced his retirement. He faced Linda McMahon, a professional wrestling magnate, in the 2010 election, winning with 55% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 5, 2011. After Joe Lieberman retired in 2013, Blumenthal became Connecticut's senior senator. He was reelected in 2016 with 63.2% of the vote, becoming the first person to receive more than a million votes in a statewide election in Connecticut, and reelected again in 2022.

  1. ^ "Blumenthal, Richard A." Follow the Money. Open Secrets. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  2. ^ Tomasson, Robert E. (October 11, 1981). "Westport Lawyer Prepares for U.S. Role". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Richard Blumenthal- Net Worth - Personal Finances". OpenSecrets.
  4. ^ Anand, Priya (August 17, 2012). "Blumenthal at high end of Senate millionaires' club: Financial disclosure forms: Senator's estimated net worth soars from $73 million to $112 million". Connecticut Post. Bridgeport, CT.


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