Jim Douglas
Encyclopedia
James H. Douglas is an American politician
from the U.S. state
of Vermont
. A Republican
, he was elected the 80th Governor of Vermont
in 2002 and was reelected three times with a majority of the vote. He left the office in January 2011.
On August 27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek re-election for a fifth term in 2010.
On January 3, 2011, Douglas became an executive in residence at Middlebury College
where he taught a 24 student course titled Vermont Government and Politics.
, Massachusetts
. In 1968, he graduated from East Longmeadow High School, East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Middlebury College
in Middlebury, Vermont, where he had been active in the College Republicans
. At Middlebury College, Douglas was a Russian Studies major. Vermont maintains a sister-state relationship with Karelia
, Russia
, though this relationship was started in 1991 under the governorship of Madeline Kunin.
In November 1972, Douglas was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives
, where he became the House Majority Leader
during his third two-year term at the age of 25. He left the Vermont General Assembly
in 1979, afterwards serving as a top aide to Governor Richard A. Snelling
. Douglas was elected Secretary of State
in November 1980, a post which he held until 1992. That year he sought election to the U.S. Senate
, but was defeated by Democratic incumbent Patrick Leahy
. In November 1994 he was elected State Treasurer
, after receiving the endorsement of both major parties.
, Douglas defeated Democratic Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine
, 45 to 42 percent. The Vermont constitution requires that the state legislature select who is to become governor if no candidate receives over 50% of the votes. Because neither candidate won 50% of the vote, Douglas was officially selected by the legislature as required by the state constitution. Douglas won reelection to a second two-year term in 2004, defeating Democrat Peter Clavelle
, 59 to 38 percent.
In early 2005, Douglas announced that he would not run against Democratic-leaning independent Jim Jeffords
in the 2006 Senate race. In April 2005, Jeffords announced that he would not seek re-election, which led to speculation that Douglas would throw his hat into the ring against Vermont independent Congressman Bernie Sanders
, who had announced his candidacy for the seat. On April 30, Douglas announced again that he would not seek Jeffords' seat, and simultaneously announced that he would run for re-election for governor in 2006. Many pundits believed that Douglas was the only Republican who could possibly defeat Sanders, and his decision to run for governor effectively handed the open Senate seat to Sanders. Douglas was re-elected governor with 57% of the vote over Democrat Scudder Parker
.
On May 22, 2007, Governor Douglas signed a landmark civil rights bill banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity
by employers, financial institutions, housing, public accommodations, and other contexts. This bill had already passed both chambers of the legislature by a veto-proof majority, so a veto would not have been able to prevent this bill from becoming law. Douglas had previously vetoed a similar bill in 2006.
Douglas decided to stand for re-election in 2008 and ran unopposed in the Republican primary on September 9, 2008. His principal challengers in the general election were Independent/Progressive
Anthony Pollina
, and Democrat Gaye Symington
. Douglas won a fourth term, although with his lowest percentage since his initial narrow victory over Doug Racine.
Douglas became the first governor to meet with President Barack Obama
in the White House on February 2, 2009. He also served as Chairman of the National Governors Association
from 2009 to 2010.
On April 6, 2009 Douglas vetoed the bill allowing marriage for same sex couples in Vermont. The Vermont House and Senate overrode the veto the next day, marking the first time Douglas had been overridden during his tenure.
On June 2, 2009, Democrats in the Vermont House and Senate voted to override Douglas's veto of the Vermont state budget.
On August 27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek re-election in 2010.
In early 2010, Douglas became the first American political leader to receive the National Order of Quebec
from the government of Quebec and Premier Jean Charest
at a ceremony at the Quebec National Assembly. He was recognized for strengthening Vermont's historical bonds with Quebec and making improved relations with the province a priority of his governorship.
Douglas remains popular among Vermonters. As of June 17, 2010 his approval rating stood at 65 percent.
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Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. A Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, he was elected the 80th Governor of Vermont
Governor of Vermont
The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...
in 2002 and was reelected three times with a majority of the vote. He left the office in January 2011.
On August 27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek re-election for a fifth term in 2010.
On January 3, 2011, Douglas became an executive in residence at Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
where he taught a 24 student course titled Vermont Government and Politics.
Early career
Douglas was born in SpringfieldSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. In 1968, he graduated from East Longmeadow High School, East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in Middlebury, Vermont, where he had been active in the College Republicans
College Republicans
The College Republican National Committee is a national organization for college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States...
. At Middlebury College, Douglas was a Russian Studies major. Vermont maintains a sister-state relationship with Karelia
Karelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, though this relationship was started in 1991 under the governorship of Madeline Kunin.
In November 1972, Douglas was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...
, where he became the House Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
during his third two-year term at the age of 25. He left the Vermont General Assembly
Vermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself...
in 1979, afterwards serving as a top aide to Governor Richard A. Snelling
Richard A. Snelling
Richard Arkwright Snelling was the 76th and 78th Governor of Vermont from 1977 to 1985 and from January 10, 1991 until his death from heart failure.He was the son of Walter O...
. Douglas was elected Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
in November 1980, a post which he held until 1992. That year he sought election to the U.S. Senate
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...
, but was defeated by Democratic incumbent Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
. In November 1994 he was elected State Treasurer
State Treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 49 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. Texas abolished the position of Texas State Treasurer in 1996....
, after receiving the endorsement of both major parties.
Governor of Vermont
In the 2002 gubernatorial election to succeed five-term Governor Howard DeanHoward Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, Douglas defeated Democratic Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine
Doug Racine
Douglas A. Racine , is current Vermont Secretary of Human Services, a former Vermont State Senator and was the 77th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. He is a Democrat. Racine was a candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Vermont. He previously ran for governor in 2002, but...
, 45 to 42 percent. The Vermont constitution requires that the state legislature select who is to become governor if no candidate receives over 50% of the votes. Because neither candidate won 50% of the vote, Douglas was officially selected by the legislature as required by the state constitution. Douglas won reelection to a second two-year term in 2004, defeating Democrat Peter Clavelle
Peter Clavelle
Peter A. Clavelle is a Vermont politician and former mayor of Burlington. He was first elected mayor in 1989, serving seven terms...
, 59 to 38 percent.
In early 2005, Douglas announced that he would not run against Democratic-leaning independent Jim Jeffords
Jim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
in the 2006 Senate race. In April 2005, Jeffords announced that he would not seek re-election, which led to speculation that Douglas would throw his hat into the ring against Vermont independent Congressman Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
, who had announced his candidacy for the seat. On April 30, Douglas announced again that he would not seek Jeffords' seat, and simultaneously announced that he would run for re-election for governor in 2006. Many pundits believed that Douglas was the only Republican who could possibly defeat Sanders, and his decision to run for governor effectively handed the open Senate seat to Sanders. Douglas was re-elected governor with 57% of the vote over Democrat Scudder Parker
Scudder Parker
Scudder Parker is a Democratic politician from Vermont.Parker grew up on a dairy farm in a region of Vermont known as the Northeast Kingdom. Parker attended Union Theological Seminary, and became an ordained minister, like his father and grandfather...
.
On May 22, 2007, Governor Douglas signed a landmark civil rights bill banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
by employers, financial institutions, housing, public accommodations, and other contexts. This bill had already passed both chambers of the legislature by a veto-proof majority, so a veto would not have been able to prevent this bill from becoming law. Douglas had previously vetoed a similar bill in 2006.
Douglas decided to stand for re-election in 2008 and ran unopposed in the Republican primary on September 9, 2008. His principal challengers in the general election were Independent/Progressive
Vermont Progressive Party
The Vermont Progressive Party is an American political party. It was founded in 1999 and is active only in the U.S. state of Vermont. In terms of the dominant two parties in the United States, it enjoys support from "traditional liberal" Democrats and working class Republicans. The party is...
Anthony Pollina
Anthony Pollina
Anthony Pollina is a Progressive American politician, who has run several times for elected office in the state of Vermont.-1984 US Congressional Election:...
, and Democrat Gaye Symington
Gaye Symington
Gaye R. Symington is the former Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly...
. Douglas won a fourth term, although with his lowest percentage since his initial narrow victory over Doug Racine.
Douglas became the first governor to meet with President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the White House on February 2, 2009. He also served as Chairman of the National Governors Association
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
from 2009 to 2010.
On April 6, 2009 Douglas vetoed the bill allowing marriage for same sex couples in Vermont. The Vermont House and Senate overrode the veto the next day, marking the first time Douglas had been overridden during his tenure.
On June 2, 2009, Democrats in the Vermont House and Senate voted to override Douglas's veto of the Vermont state budget.
On August 27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek re-election in 2010.
In early 2010, Douglas became the first American political leader to receive the National Order of Quebec
National Order of Quebec
The National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as l'Ordre national du Québec, and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Quebec...
from the government of Quebec and Premier Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
at a ceremony at the Quebec National Assembly. He was recognized for strengthening Vermont's historical bonds with Quebec and making improved relations with the province a priority of his governorship.
Douglas remains popular among Vermonters. As of June 17, 2010 his approval rating stood at 65 percent.
Cabinet and administration
| The Douglas Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| Governor Governor of Vermont The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four... |
Jim Douglas | 2003 2011 |
| Lt. Governor | Brian Dubie Brian Dubie Brian E. Dubie is an American politician and former 78th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. He served four terms as Vermont’s lieutenant governor... |
2003 2011 |
| Secretary of Administration | Michael K. Smith Charles Plympton Smith Charles Plympton Smith Charles Plympton Smith is a banker and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Vermont who served in the Vermont House of Representatives. The son of banker and state senator Frederick Plympton Smith, he received a B.A... Michael K. Smith Neale F. Lunderville Neale F. Lunderville Neale F. Lunderville is a government official from the state of Vermont. Lunderville served as the Secretary of the Agency of Administration under Governor Jim Douglas... |
2003 2005 2005 2006 2006 2008 2008 2011 |
| Secretary of Commerce & Community Development | Kevin Dorn | 2003 2011 |
| Secretary of Natural Resources | Elizabeth "Wibs" McLain Thomas Torti George Crombie Jonathan Wood Jonathan Wood Jonathan Wood aka Jonathan Patrick Moore is an Australian actor who has appeared in theatre, film and television.-Biography:He graduated from the Adelaide Centre for Performing Arts in 2004. Wood appeared in Neighbours as teacher Angus Henderson who had an inappropriate relationship with Rachel... |
2003 2005 2005 2007 2007 2008 2008 2011 |
| Secretary of Agriculture | Steve Kerr Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history... Roger Allbee |
2003 2006 2006 2011 |
| Secretary of Human Services | Charles Plympton Smith Charles Plympton Smith Charles Plympton Smith is a banker and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Vermont who served in the Vermont House of Representatives. The son of banker and state senator Frederick Plympton Smith, he received a B.A... Michael K. Smith Cynthia LaWare Robert Hofmann |
2003 2005 2005 2006 2006 2008 2008 2011 |
| Secretary of Transportation | Patricia MacDonald Dawn Terrill Neale F. Lunderville Neale F. Lunderville Neale F. Lunderville is a government official from the state of Vermont. Lunderville served as the Secretary of the Agency of Administration under Governor Jim Douglas... David Dill David Dill David K. Dill is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 6A, which includes portions of Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties in the northeastern part of the state... |
2003 2004 2004 2006 2006 2008 2008 2011 |
| Commissioner of Labor | Michael Bertrand Patricia MacDonald Patricia Moulton Powden |
2003 2004 2004 2007 2007 2010 |
| Commissioner of Public Service | David O'Brien David O'Brien David O'Brien was an actor best known for his long-running role as Dr. Steve Aldrich on The Doctors.... |
2003 2011 |
| Commissioner of Public Safety | Kerry Sleeper Thomas Tremblay |
2003 2007 2007 2011 |
| Commissioner of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration | John Crowley John Crowley John Crowley is an American author of fantasy, science fiction and mainstream fiction. He studied at Indiana University and has a second career as a documentary film writer... Paulette Thabault Michael Bertrand |
2003 2006 2006 2010 2010 2011 |
| Chief Recovery Officer | Tom Evslin Tom Evslin Tom Evslin formerly served as Chief Technology Officer for the State of Vermont. Formerly he was Chief Recovery Officer responsible for coordinating the State's use of federal stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act... |
2009 2010 |
Electoral history
External links
- Vermont Governor Jim Douglas official state website
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