Former Senator and VP Nominee Dies at 82

(RepublicanPress.org) – Former Senator Joel Lieberman (D-CT) served multiple roles in the government throughout his years in the public eye. After serving in the Connecticut state Senate as majority leader for multiple terms, he joined the US House of Representatives before moving on to the Senate. He also joined former Vice President Al Gore in his run for the presidency in 2000, becoming the first Jewish person VP candidate for a major party.

On March 27, Lieberman’s family announced that the 82-year-old politician passed away from complications after a fall. Ary Freilich, the former lawmaker’s brother-in-law, said the incident happened at Lieberman’s home in the Bronx. He died at the hospital in Upper Manhattan, surrounded by his loved ones.

The seasoned politician was a true believer in bipartisanship, stating in his 2012 Senate farewell speech that “partisan polarization” prevents lawmakers from making the compromises needed for a healthy democracy. After narrowly losing the vice presidency alongside Gore, Lieberman ran for his old seat in the Senate. When he lost the Democratic primary, he ran as an Independent and won. He even made a brief run for the presidency himself in 2004 but ultimately withdrew.

The former politician was also great friends with now-deceased former Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who reportedly said he should have chosen Lieberman as his running mate instead of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Highlighting his non-commitment to parties, the former senator recently helped found No Labels to give American voters a viable third option. He recently told Connecticut Public that the parties were “failing the American people.”

Lieberman’s family said his “love of God, his family, and America” was present throughout his life. Gore responded to his passing, stating he was “profoundly saddened” by the loss, and former President George W. Bush sent prayers for the Lieberman family. Former President Barack Obama called his political career “extraordinary,” and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he was “devastated.” President Joe Biden called him a “good man.”