The 2016 Presidential Candidates: Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee was the the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015, and represented that state in the US Senate from 1999 to 2007. On June 3, 2015, he formally launched his campaign for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2016 election. It is his first campaign as a Democrat, after having previously been elected Senator as a Republican, and Governor as an independent.
Chafee's father, John Chafee, was the senior United States Senator from Rhode Island. John Chafee had planned to retire in 2000, but he passed away on October 24, 1999. Republican Governor Lincoln Almond appointed Lincoln Chafee, then a Republican, to fill his father's vacancy. Due to the proximity between his appointment and the scheduled election in 2000, no special election was called. Lincoln Chafee was elected to the seat with a large majority. In the Senate, Chafee was viewed as one of the most liberal Republican senators. He faced a tough primary battle against Steve Laffey in 2006, which he won. But his battle with Laffey in the primary drew heavily on his campaign funds, and alienated much of the party's conservative base. Chafee lost his bid for re-election to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, one of six Republican seats lost when Democrats regained their majority in the midterm elections of 2006. After his Senate loss, Chafee left the Republican Party, saying, "it's not my party anymore". In the 2008 presidential election, he formally endorsed the Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
In 2010 Chafee announced his candidacy for Governor of Rhode Island. He won the governorship in a four-way race with 36 percent of the vote. He officially joined the Democratic Party on May 30, 2013. Because of unsuccessful fundraising and weak support within the state Democratic primary, he decided against running for reelection in 2014.
On April 9, 2015, Chafee announced that he had formed an exploratory committee in preparation for a potential candidacy for the Democratic Party's 2016 presidential nomination. The next month, on May 29, it was confirmed that Chafee would announce his decision regarding a 2016 presidential bid on June 3. He formally announced his presidential candidacy in a speech he delivered at the George Mason Center for Politics & Foreign Relations in Arlington, Virginia on June 3, 2015.
Following are some of his political positions:
Abortion: Chafee has generally been considered "pro-choice." In the U.S. Senate, Chafee was one of three Republicans to vote against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. In 2015 Chafee said that he strongly supported "a woman's right to make her own personal reproductive decisions."
Gun Control: Chafee supports the strict regulatory control of firearms. He has received an "F" grade from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America. Chafee has said that he supports what he calls a "common sense adherence to the Second Amendment."
Death Penalty: Chafee is opposed to the death penalty. In 2011, as governor of Rhode Island, Chafee resisted an order of a federal court to transfer a prisoner in state custody to the United States government, because the prisoner in question might be subject to capital punishment, which Rhode Island had abolished.
Marijuana: Chafee has said he is receptive to the idea of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
Homeland Security: While in the Senate, Chafee was the only Republican to vote against the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which restricted habeas corpus rights of persons detained by the U.S. Department of Defense as enemy combatants.
Voter Registration: Chafee has said he supports requiring voters to present photo identification at polling places. In 2011 as Governor, he signed legislation mandating photo ID in Rhode Island elections, saying he believed requiring photo ID was a “reasonable request to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections.”
Energy: Chafee is opposed to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The League of Conservation Voters has given Chafee a 79-percent rating while, in 2006, he received an endorsement from the Sierra Club.
Metric system: Chafee supports switching the US to the metric system.
Same-sex marriage: In 2013, as governor of Rhode Island, Chafee signed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in that state, declaring that "we are living up to the ideal of our founders."
Taxes: During his term as Governor, Chafee received a "B" rating from the National Taxpayers Union, which cited his move to repeal the Rhode Island franchise tax and reduce estate taxes. In 2001 and 2003, while in the U.S. Senate, Chafee voted against the Bush tax cuts, expressing concern about unchecked growth in the federal deficit. Chafee said that "cutting taxes is easy for politicians, we love to cut taxes. It takes responsibility to make sure our revenues match our expenditures and we're not doing that right now."
Foreign policy: Chafee has called for increased U.S. engagement in Latin America. He believes that Iran represents a threat to the United States due to hostile rhetoric from the American side. He has called for deescalation combined with cultural dialog and exchange modeled after Nixonian diplomacy with China. Chafee has criticized what he has characterized as a Biblical influence on U.S. policy with respect to Israel. He has said he opposes the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He has criticized Hillary Clinton's vote in support of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Chafee has said one of the highest priorities should be improving relations with the Russian Federation and has called for rapprochement, including the lifting of sanctions against Russia. He believes that the way to solve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is through Russian accession to the European Union. While serving in the United States Senate, Chafee was one of 23 senators, and the only Republican, to vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq. When asked, in 2015, how the U.S. could most effectively deal with ISIS, Chafee said the U.S. should pursue a policy of containment through alliance-building with regional powers.
Chafee's father, John Chafee, was the senior United States Senator from Rhode Island. John Chafee had planned to retire in 2000, but he passed away on October 24, 1999. Republican Governor Lincoln Almond appointed Lincoln Chafee, then a Republican, to fill his father's vacancy. Due to the proximity between his appointment and the scheduled election in 2000, no special election was called. Lincoln Chafee was elected to the seat with a large majority. In the Senate, Chafee was viewed as one of the most liberal Republican senators. He faced a tough primary battle against Steve Laffey in 2006, which he won. But his battle with Laffey in the primary drew heavily on his campaign funds, and alienated much of the party's conservative base. Chafee lost his bid for re-election to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, one of six Republican seats lost when Democrats regained their majority in the midterm elections of 2006. After his Senate loss, Chafee left the Republican Party, saying, "it's not my party anymore". In the 2008 presidential election, he formally endorsed the Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
In 2010 Chafee announced his candidacy for Governor of Rhode Island. He won the governorship in a four-way race with 36 percent of the vote. He officially joined the Democratic Party on May 30, 2013. Because of unsuccessful fundraising and weak support within the state Democratic primary, he decided against running for reelection in 2014.
On April 9, 2015, Chafee announced that he had formed an exploratory committee in preparation for a potential candidacy for the Democratic Party's 2016 presidential nomination. The next month, on May 29, it was confirmed that Chafee would announce his decision regarding a 2016 presidential bid on June 3. He formally announced his presidential candidacy in a speech he delivered at the George Mason Center for Politics & Foreign Relations in Arlington, Virginia on June 3, 2015.
Following are some of his political positions:
Abortion: Chafee has generally been considered "pro-choice." In the U.S. Senate, Chafee was one of three Republicans to vote against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. In 2015 Chafee said that he strongly supported "a woman's right to make her own personal reproductive decisions."
Gun Control: Chafee supports the strict regulatory control of firearms. He has received an "F" grade from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America. Chafee has said that he supports what he calls a "common sense adherence to the Second Amendment."
Death Penalty: Chafee is opposed to the death penalty. In 2011, as governor of Rhode Island, Chafee resisted an order of a federal court to transfer a prisoner in state custody to the United States government, because the prisoner in question might be subject to capital punishment, which Rhode Island had abolished.
Marijuana: Chafee has said he is receptive to the idea of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
Homeland Security: While in the Senate, Chafee was the only Republican to vote against the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which restricted habeas corpus rights of persons detained by the U.S. Department of Defense as enemy combatants.
Voter Registration: Chafee has said he supports requiring voters to present photo identification at polling places. In 2011 as Governor, he signed legislation mandating photo ID in Rhode Island elections, saying he believed requiring photo ID was a “reasonable request to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections.”
Energy: Chafee is opposed to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The League of Conservation Voters has given Chafee a 79-percent rating while, in 2006, he received an endorsement from the Sierra Club.
Metric system: Chafee supports switching the US to the metric system.
Same-sex marriage: In 2013, as governor of Rhode Island, Chafee signed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in that state, declaring that "we are living up to the ideal of our founders."
Taxes: During his term as Governor, Chafee received a "B" rating from the National Taxpayers Union, which cited his move to repeal the Rhode Island franchise tax and reduce estate taxes. In 2001 and 2003, while in the U.S. Senate, Chafee voted against the Bush tax cuts, expressing concern about unchecked growth in the federal deficit. Chafee said that "cutting taxes is easy for politicians, we love to cut taxes. It takes responsibility to make sure our revenues match our expenditures and we're not doing that right now."
Foreign policy: Chafee has called for increased U.S. engagement in Latin America. He believes that Iran represents a threat to the United States due to hostile rhetoric from the American side. He has called for deescalation combined with cultural dialog and exchange modeled after Nixonian diplomacy with China. Chafee has criticized what he has characterized as a Biblical influence on U.S. policy with respect to Israel. He has said he opposes the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He has criticized Hillary Clinton's vote in support of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Chafee has said one of the highest priorities should be improving relations with the Russian Federation and has called for rapprochement, including the lifting of sanctions against Russia. He believes that the way to solve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is through Russian accession to the European Union. While serving in the United States Senate, Chafee was one of 23 senators, and the only Republican, to vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq. When asked, in 2015, how the U.S. could most effectively deal with ISIS, Chafee said the U.S. should pursue a policy of containment through alliance-building with regional powers.