Bill Weld facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Weld
Weld in 2024
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 79) Smithtown, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican (before 2016, 2019–present)
Other political affiliations	No Labels (2024–present) Libertarian (2016–2019)
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 "Bill" 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. He started his career as a lawyer for the United States House Committee on the Judiciary. Later, he became the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He also served as the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. He worked on many important cases. He later left his job due to disagreements over an ethics investigation.

Weld was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1990. He won reelection in 1994 by the largest margin in Massachusetts history. In 1996, he ran for the United States Senate but lost. Weld resigned as governor in 1997. He wanted to become the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. However, a senator blocked his nomination, so he withdrew it. In 2006, Weld tried to become Governor of New York but withdrew from that race too.

In 2016, Weld ran for Vice President of the United States. He was the running mate for Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party. They received almost 4.5 million votes. This was the most votes ever for a Libertarian ticket. It was also the best result for any third-party ticket since 1996.

Weld later rejoined the Republican Party. In 2019, he challenged President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary election. He won one delegate in Iowa. This made him the first Republican to win a delegate against an acting president since 1992. Weld stopped his campaign in March 2020. He later supported Joe Biden for president.

Early Life and Education

Weld was born in Smithtown, New York. His father, David, was an investment banker. His mother, Mary, was a descendant of William Floyd. Floyd was one of the people who signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Many of Weld's ancestors attended Harvard University. Two buildings at Harvard are named after his family.

Weld went to Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1966 with high honors. He studied economics at University College, Oxford in England. In 1970, he earned his law degree from Harvard Law School.

Early Career in Law

Working on the Nixon Impeachment

Weld started his law career in 1974. He worked for the United States House Committee on the Judiciary. This committee was looking into whether President Richard Nixon should be removed from office. Weld helped write a report about the reasons for impeaching a president. He also worked with Hillary Clinton during this time.

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts

Working on the impeachment case made Weld interested in criminal law. In 1978, he ran for Massachusetts Attorney General but did not win.

In 1981, Weld became the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts. This means he was the top federal prosecutor in the state. During his time, his office went after large banks for money laundering and other financial crimes. He also investigated corruption in the Boston city government. More than 20 city workers were charged or convicted. By 1985, The Boston Globe newspaper said Weld was very important in prosecuting financial institutions. He gained a reputation for fighting corruption. He won 109 out of 111 cases.

Moving to the Justice Department

Weld greeting President Ronald Reagan in 1988

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan promoted Weld. He became the head of the Criminal Division of the Justice Department in Washington. Weld was in charge of supervising all federal prosecutions. This included cases investigated by the FBI.

In 1988, Weld resigned from the Justice Department. He resigned to protest what he saw as improper conduct by Attorney General Edwin Meese. Weld later testified to Congress about Meese's financial actions. Meese resigned shortly after Weld's testimony.

From 1988 to 1990, Weld worked as a senior partner at a law firm called Hale and Dorr.

Governor of Massachusetts (1991–1997)

Weld as governor.

Weld with President George H. W. Bush in 1990

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

Governor Weld announcing the revival of "The Shoe" at Cummings Center.

In 1990, Weld decided to run for Governor of Massachusetts. Even though few Republicans won elections in Massachusetts, Weld's moderate views on social issues made him a strong candidate. He won the Republican nomination.

In the main election, he ran against John Silber. Weld promised to reduce the state's debt and lower unemployment. He was elected as the 68th Governor of Massachusetts. He was the first Republican governor of Massachusetts since 1975. Governor Weld was known as a moderate Republican. This means he was careful with money but open-minded on social issues.

Under Weld's leadership, the state's business climate improved. The unemployment rate also dropped. He received good ratings for his financial policies. As Governor, he supported gay and lesbian rights. In 1992, he signed an order to recognize domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. In 1993, he signed a law to protect the rights of gay and lesbian students.

Weld also signed the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. This law created the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). It also set up the rules for charter schools in Massachusetts. He worked to privatize some state services. He also expanded Medicaid access to more residents.

In 1994, Weld won reelection with 71% of the vote. This was the biggest win for a governor in Massachusetts history. He won almost every town in the state, even Boston.

1996 Senate Election

On November 30, 1995, Weld announced he would run for the United States Senate. He challenged the sitting Democratic Senator John Kerry. This election was watched closely across the country. Kerry and Weld agreed to limit campaign spending. They also held eight debates. Even though Massachusetts usually votes for Democrats, Weld was a popular governor. Polls showed the race was very close.

In the end, Senator Kerry won reelection with 53% of the vote. Weld received 45%. This was the last very close Senate race in Massachusetts for many years.

Ambassadorship Nomination and Resignation

In July 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Weld to be the United States Ambassador to Mexico. However, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jesse Helms, refused to hold a hearing for Weld. This stopped the nomination. Weld publicly criticized Helms.

Weld resigned as governor on July 29, 1997. He wanted to focus all his attention on getting the ambassadorship. Many people thought he would not succeed. A majority of senators supported Weld. But Helms still refused to hold a hearing. After six weeks, Weld gave up. He withdrew his nomination on September 15, 1997.

Later Career

Weld speaking at Harvard Law School in 2008

Law and Business Ventures

After leaving the governorship, Weld worked at a law firm called McDermott Will & Emery. He was a partner in their Boston and Manhattan offices. He also worked as a lobbyist for several companies. A lobbyist tries to influence lawmakers on behalf of a group or company.

In 2000, Weld joined a private equity firm called Leeds Equity Partners. This firm invests in education and training companies. In 2012, Weld joined another law firm in Boston, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo. He became a partner there.

In 2005, Weld was the chief executive of Decker College in Kentucky. The college faced problems with its accreditation. It eventually closed.

Running for Governor of New York

After being Governor of Massachusetts, Weld moved to New York in 2000. In 2005, he announced he would run for Governor of New York in 2006. He hoped to become only the second person in history to be governor of two different U.S. states.

In 2006, the Republican Party in New York chose another candidate, John Faso, over Weld. Weld then withdrew from the race.

Later Political Involvement

Bill Weld and Gary Johnson in June 2016

Weld has been active in presidential politics. He supported Mitt Romney in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. In 2008, he later supported Barack Obama. In 2016, he supported John Kasich for the Republican presidential nomination.

2016 Libertarian Vice Presidential Nomination

Weld campaigning with Johnson

On May 17, 2016, Gary Johnson, who was running for president for the Libertarian Party, chose Weld as his running mate. Weld accepted the nomination for Vice President at the Libertarian National Convention.

Johnson and Weld were the first presidential ticket since 1948 to have two former governors. They polled higher than any third-party campaign since 1992. However, they were not allowed to participate in the main presidential debates.

The Johnson/Weld ticket received over 4.4 million votes. This was a record for the Libertarian Party.

2020 Presidential Campaign

Weld's 2020 campaign logo

In January 2019, Weld rejoined the Republican Party. In February 2019, he announced he was thinking about running for president. He wanted to challenge President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary. Weld criticized Trump on issues like climate change.

On April 15, 2019, Weld officially announced his candidacy. He won one delegate in the Iowa caucuses in February 2020. Weld stopped his campaign on March 18, 2020. After his campaign ended, Weld said he voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Other Activities

Weld is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. This group studies international relations. He also supported legal recognition for same-sex marriage in 2013.

Weld continues to work as a lobbyist for ML Strategies. He helps business leaders with competition and government issues. He also advises on ESG matters.

Personal Life

Weld married Susan Roosevelt Weld on June 7, 1975. Susan is a great-granddaughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. She was a professor at Harvard University. They had five children: David, Ethel, Mary, Quentin, and Frances. They divorced in 2002.

Weld's second wife is writer Leslie Marshall. They married in 2003. They live in Canton, Massachusetts.

Weld is a member of the Episcopal Church.

Writings

Weld has written three novels:

• Stillwater (2003) ISBN: 0-15-602723-2
• Mackerel by Moonlight (1999) ISBN: 0-671-03874-5
• Big Ugly (2002) ISBN: 0-7434-1037-8

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

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See Also

In Spanish: William Weld para niños