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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Democrat of Rhode Island
Statistics
Party: Democrat
Born: October 20, 1955; New York City, New York
Education: Yale University, B.A. Architecture, 1978; University of Virginia, J.D., 1982
Occupation: Director Business Regulation, State of Rhode Island; Assistant to Attorney General of Rhode Island; Legal Counsel to the Governor of Rhode Island; Director, Office of the Governor of Rhode Island; Director, Rhide Island Departmet of Business Regulation; United States Attorney, Rhode Island
Family: Married - Sandra, 2 children
Religion: Episcopalian
Political Career: United States Attorney for Rhode Island, 1994-1998; Rhode Island State Attorney General, 1999-2003; Candidate for Rhode Island Governor, 2002; elected U.S. Senate 2006.
Committees: Budget Committee; Environment and Public Works Committee; Judiciary Committee; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (“HELP”) Committee; and the Special Committee on Aging. He chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime an Terrorism and the EPW subcommittee on Oversight.
Why Your Support
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is committed to protecting women’s rights. He has voted against all federal attempts to ban women’s reproductive freedom and choices. He has also voted in favor of expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. JAC has supported Whitehouse since he ran for the Senate in 2006 and his voting record on Israel, choice and separation of religion and state has shown that support to be warranted. Currently, his only challenger is Barry Hinckley, a software executive and Tea Party activist. Whitehouse is more than a perfect vote, he is outspoken on the issues that matter most to JAC members. Fortunately, he is also the favorite to win.
Background
The Census Bureau estimated that Rhode Island, the smallest state in the nation, has a population of slightly over 1 million people. Health services and tourism are Rhode Island’s largest industries. Democrats currently hold the majority of both chambers of the state legislature. There two Democratic U.S. Representatives and both U.S. Senators are Democrats.
About The Candidate
Sheldon Whitehouse grew up in New York City, born to a family with a lengthy social and political pedigree. The son of career diplomat Charles S. Whitehouse and grandson of diplomat Sheldon Whitehouse, he is descended from William Bradford, colonial governor of Massachusetts. He is married to Dr. Sandra Thornton, a marine biologist, who was also born into a socially and politically connected family. Her step-grandfather was prominent essayist and critic Edmund Wilson. For the 2007 year, Whitehouse was ranked second-most liberal senator by the National Journal. He supports stem cell research, abortion rights, LGBT rights and gay marriage, as well as affirmative action. Whitehouse has publicly supported a reintroduction of the Equal Rights Amendment. Like his predecessor Lincoln Chafee, Whitehouse opposed intervention in Iraq (Chafee was the only Republican senator who voted against it) and the nomination of Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. Whitehouse strongly opposes the Bush tax cuts and proposals to repeal the Estate Tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax. He is in favor of gun control, has spoken out against the Patriot Act and supports a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.
