Bill Weld facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Weld
Weld in 2016
68th Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 3, 1991 – July 29, 1997
Lieutenant	Paul Cellucci
Preceded by	Michael Dukakis
Succeeded by	Paul Cellucci
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division
In office September 15, 1986 – March 29, 1988
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Stephen S. Trott
Succeeded by	Edward Dennis
United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
In office November 1, 1981 – September 15, 1986
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Edward F. Harrington
Succeeded by	Frank L. McNamara Jr.
Personal details
Born	William Floyd Weld (1945-07-31) July 31, 1945 (age 80) Smithtown, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican (before 2016, 2019–present)
Other political affiliations	Libertarian (2016–2019) No Labels (2024–present)
Spouses	Susan Roosevelt ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 2002)​ Leslie Marshall ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	5
Relatives	Weld family
Education	Harvard University (BA, JD) University College, Oxford
Signature

William Floyd Weld (born July 31, 1945) is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He served as the 68th Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997.

Weld graduated from Harvard University and started his career as a lawyer. He worked for the U.S. government as a prosecutor, where he became known for fighting corruption. He was elected governor of Massachusetts in 1990 and was reelected in 1994 with a record-breaking number of votes.

Later in his career, Weld ran for other offices, including the U.S. Senate. In 2016, he ran for Vice President of the United States with the Libertarian Party. He also ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2020.

Early Life and Education

William Weld was born in Smithtown, New York. His father, David, was an investment banker. His mother, Mary, was a descendant of William Floyd, who signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence. His family has a long history with Harvard University, and two buildings there are named after them.

Weld went to Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. He then studied classics at Harvard College, graduating with highest honors in 1966. He also studied economics at University College, Oxford in England. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1970.

Early Career as a Lawyer

Working on the Nixon Impeachment Inquiry

Weld's legal career began in 1974 when he worked on the impeachment inquiry staff for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. This was during the investigation of President Richard Nixon. Weld helped write a report on the constitutional reasons for impeaching a president. One of his coworkers on the staff was a young Hillary Clinton.

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed Weld as the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts. In this role, he was the top federal prosecutor for the state. He became known for fighting public corruption and other crimes. His office successfully prosecuted many cases, earning him a national reputation. The Boston Globe newspaper praised his office for its success in winning corruption cases.

Working in the Justice Department

Weld greeting President Ronald Reagan in 1988

In 1986, President Reagan promoted Weld to lead the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He supervised all federal criminal cases, including those from the FBI.

In 1988, Weld resigned from the Justice Department. He did this to protest the actions of Attorney General Edwin Meese. Weld and another top official, Arnold Burns, later testified before Congress about their concerns. This showed Weld was willing to stand up for his principles.

Governor of Massachusetts (1991–1997)

Weld as governor.

Weld with President George H. W. Bush in 1990

In 1990, Weld ran for Governor of Massachusetts. Even though Massachusetts had many more Democratic voters, Weld's moderate views helped him win. He promised to cut taxes and improve the state's economy. He defeated John Silber and became the first Republican governor of Massachusetts in 16 years.

As governor, Weld was known for being a moderate Republican. This means he was conservative with money but liberal on social issues. He supported lower taxes and less government spending. He also supported gay rights and a woman's right to choose.

Key Actions as Governor

Governor Weld presenting a grant to the City of Lowell in 1994

• Economic Policies: Weld's leadership helped improve the business climate in Massachusetts. The state's unemployment rate dropped during his first term.
• Education Reform: He signed the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. This law created the MCAS standardized test and allowed for the creation of charter schools.
• Social Issues: Weld was a strong supporter of LGBT rights. In 1992, he signed an order recognizing domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. He also signed a law to protect the rights of gay and lesbian students.
• A Fun Moment: In 1996, after signing a bill to protect the environment, he celebrated by jumping fully clothed into the Charles River.

In the 1994 election, Weld was reelected by a huge margin. It was the largest victory in the history of Massachusetts governor races.

Cabinet and Administration

Later Political Career

1996 Senate Election

In 1995, Weld decided to run for the U.S. Senate against the incumbent Democrat, John Kerry. The race was one of the most watched in the country. Weld and Kerry were known for being respectful to each other during the campaign. They even agreed to a spending limit and held eight debates. In the end, Kerry won the election.

Ambassador Nomination

In 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Weld to be the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. However, the chairman of a key Senate committee, Jesse Helms, refused to hold a hearing for his nomination. Helms disagreed with Weld's moderate views on social issues.

Weld publicly criticized Helms for blocking him. After a six-week battle, Weld withdrew his name from consideration. He resigned as governor to focus on the nomination, saying he wanted to fight for what he believed in.

2016 Vice Presidential Campaign

Bill Weld and Gary Johnson in June 2016

In 2016, Weld left the Republican Party to join the Libertarian Party. He became the vice-presidential running mate for Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico. They were the first presidential ticket since 1948 to have two former governors.

The Johnson/Weld ticket received nearly 4.5 million votes. This was the best result for a Libertarian ticket in history and the highest for any third-party ticket since 1996.

2020 Presidential Campaign

Weld's 2020 campaign logo

Weld rejoined the Republican Party in 2019 to run for president. He challenged the incumbent president, Donald Trump, for the Republican nomination. Weld said he was concerned about issues like climate change.

He won one delegate in the Iowa caucuses, which was a rare achievement for someone challenging a sitting president from their own party. He ended his campaign in March 2020. Later that year, he endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for president.

Personal Life

Weld married Susan Roosevelt Weld, a great-granddaughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, in 1975. They had five children together. The couple divorced in 2002. Weld is now married to writer Leslie Marshall. They live in Canton, Massachusetts.

Weld is a fan of the band the Grateful Dead and enjoys playing blindfold chess.

Images for kids

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  Governor Weld announcing the revival of "The Shoe" at Cummings Center with Cummings Properties president James McKeown and founder Bill Cummings.

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  Weld speaking at Harvard Law School in 2008

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  Weld campaigning with Johnson

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  Weld (left) in 2024 with former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and the incumbent governor Maura Healey

Electoral history

1996 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Kerry (incumbent)	1,334,345	52.7%	1.77
	Republican	Bill Weld	1,142,837	45.2%	4.2
	Conservative	Susan C. Gallagher	70,013	2.8%	N/A
	Natural Law	Robert C. Stowe	7,176	0.3%	N/A
	Write-in		1,515	0.1%	0.0
Total votes			2,555,886	100.0%

1990 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bill Weld	1,175,817	50.2	20.63
	Democratic	John Silber	1,099,878	46.9	18.2
	Independent	Leonard Umina	62,703	2.7	–
	Independent	Dorothy Stevens (write-in)	872	0.0	–
Total votes			2,339,270	100.0

See also

In Spanish: William Weld para niños