Joe Lieberman, former US senator, Al Gore’s running mate in 2000, dead at 82

Joe Lieberman, a four-term U.S. senator from Connecticut and the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000, died Tuesday. He was 82.

>> Read more trending news

Lieberman, the first Jewish candidate on the national ticket of a major party when he ran with Al Gore, died in New York City, The Washington Post reported.

The cause of death was complications from a fall, Lieberman’s family said in a statement.

“Senator Lieberman’s love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life in the public interest,” the family said.

Lieberman’s brother-in-law, Ary Freilich, told The New York Times that Lieberman’s fall occurred at his home in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. He died in NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, according to the newspaper.

Lieberman was a fiercely independent senator and the first major Democrat to criticize then-President Bill Clinton for his sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, The New York Times reported.

In August 2000 he was named the vice presidential candidate for Gore.

In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Gore said he was “profoundly saddened” by Lieberman’s death.

“Joe was a man of deep integrity who dedicated his life to serving his country. He was a truly gifted leader, whose affable personality and strong will made him a force to be reckoned with,” Gore wrote. “It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail. I’ll remain forever grateful for his tireless efforts to build a better future for America.”

During his career in the Senate, Lieberman supported abortion rights, environmental protection, gay rights and gun control, the Post reported.

But he also supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the war that followed.

Democrats in Connecticut rejected his bid for a fourth term in 2006, but he ran as an independent and returned to Congress as he also received support from Republicans, according to the newspaper.

Although Lieberman supported John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama for president in 2008, it was Obama who said that Lieberman should remain as the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the Hartford Courant reported.

“Joe Lieberman and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but he had an extraordinary career in public service, including four decades spent fighting for the people of Connecticut,” Obama said in a statement posted to X. “He also worked hard to repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and helped us pass the Affordable Care Act. In both cases the politics were difficult, but he stuck to his principles because he knew it was the right thing to do.”

Several of Lieberman’s friends and political colleagues expressed their grief in statements posted to social media.

“Joe Lieberman was my friend for over 50 years,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “On world and national stages, he helped to define and frame an era of history. He was a fierce advocate, a man of deep conscience and conviction, and a courageous leader who sought to bridge gaps and bring people together. He was dedicated to family and faith, and he was a role model of public service.”

Ned Lamont, who defeated Lieberman in the Connecticut Democratic primary for the Senate in 2006, called him a “man of integrity” who “will be missed.

“While the senator and I had our political differences, he was a man of integrity and conviction, so our debate about the Iraq War was serious,” said Lamont, the current governor of Connecticut. “I believe we agreed to disagree from a position of principle. When the race was over, we stayed in touch as friends in the best traditions of American democracy. He will be missed.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he was “devastated” to hear about Lieberman’s death.

“My heart is with his beloved wife Hadassah and his family, and I am praying for all who knew and loved him,” Schumer said.

Former Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said he respected Lieberman’s “civility and decency.”

“He spent much of his career fighting for people who didn’t, at the time, have a lot of politicians fighting for them,” Malloy said. “I knew him for a long time, liked him very much, and respected his civility and decency -- even when we disagreed, which we sometimes did.

“The thing I’ll remember most about Joe was that he was a kind, down-to-earth person who never forgot where he came from, even when he made history as the first Jewish vice-presidential nominee of a major political party. Cathy and I send our deepest condolences to Hadassah, and the entire Lieberman family.”

Lieberman continued to irk some Democrats after leaving the Senate in 2012, the Post reported. He was most recently co-chairman of the No Labels group, Lieberman helped that organization to create an alternative to major party characters for the 2024 election, according to the newspaper.

Democrats believed that No Labels would siphon votes from President Joe Biden, allowing former President Donald Trump to return to the White House.

Lieberman grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, where his father ran a liquor store, according to The Associated Press. He graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School in New Haven. He served as Connecticut’s attorney general from 1983 to 1988, and was elected to the Senate in 1988 when he defeated Republican Lowell Weicker, the news organization reported.

After leaving the Senate in 2013, Lieberman joined a New York City law firm.

Lieberman’s funeral is scheduled for Friday at Congregation Agudath Sholom in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, the Courant reported. An additional memorial service will be announced at a later date.

0 of 14

© Cox Media Group