Lincoln Chafee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lincoln Chafee
Official Senate portrait
74th Governor of Rhode Island
In office January 4, 2011 – January 6, 2015
Lieutenant	Elizabeth Roberts
Preceded by	Donald Carcieri
Succeeded by	Gina Raimondo
United States Senator from Rhode Island
In office November 2, 1999 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	John Chafee
Succeeded by	Sheldon Whitehouse
Mayor of Warwick
In office January 1, 1993 – November 1, 1999
Preceded by	Charles Donovan
Succeeded by	Scott Avedisian
Personal details
Born	Lincoln Davenport Chafee (1953-03-26) March 26, 1953 (age 72) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Political party	Libertarian (2019–present)
Other political affiliations	Republican (until 2007) Independent (2007–2013) Democratic (2013–2019)
Spouse	Stephanie Birney Danforth ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	3, including Louisa
Residences	Teton Village, Wyoming, U.S.
Education	Brown University (BA)

Lincoln Davenport Chafee (born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He has held several important roles in government. He was the mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1999. Later, he served as a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007. From 2011 to 2015, he was the 74th Governor of Rhode Island.

Chafee has changed his political party several times. He started as a Republican. Then he became an Independent, and later a Democrat. In 2019, he joined the Libertarian Party. He was the last non-Democrat to hold a major statewide or Congressional office in Rhode Island.

Lincoln Chafee is the son of John Chafee, who was also a famous Republican politician. His father was the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, the United States Secretary of the Navy, and a U.S. Senator. Lincoln Chafee first entered politics in 1985. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1999 to fill his father's seat after his father passed away. He then won a full term in 2000.

Chafee was the only Republican Senator to vote against using military force in Iraq before the Iraq War. He lost his re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. After this, Chafee started supporting the Democratic Party. He even helped with Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. In 2015, he tried to become the Democratic candidate for president but later dropped out. In 2020, he sought the Libertarian nomination for president but also withdrew.

Early Life and Education

Lincoln Davenport Chafee was born on March 26, 1953, in Providence, Rhode Island. His parents were Virginia (née Coates) and John Chafee. His family has a long history in Rhode Island politics.

He went to public schools in Warwick, Rhode Island, and also to Phillips Academy. At Brown University, he was the captain of the wrestling team. In 1975, he earned a degree in classics. After college, he studied at Montana State University to become a farrier, someone who shoes horses. For seven years, he worked as a farrier at racetracks in the U.S. and Canada. He said that working with horses taught him to be a calmer person.

Local Politics (1985–1999)

Chafee started his political career in 1985. He was elected as a delegate to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention. A year later, he won a seat on the Warwick City Council and was re-elected in 1988.

In 1992, he became Warwick's first Republican mayor in 32 years. He was re-elected three more times. People liked his fair and sensible way of governing. He worked well with the City Council, even though most members were Democrats.

As mayor, Chafee managed the city's money carefully. He improved the city's financial health. He also focused on protecting the environment. He bought open land, planted trees, and created new historic areas. His recycling programs helped reduce waste. Warwick also received an award for its efforts to protect Greenwich Bay.

United States Senate (1999–2007)

Senate Elections

2000 Election

After his father announced he would not run for re-election in 2000, Lincoln Chafee decided to run for the same Senate seat. When his father, John Chafee, passed away in October 1999, Governor Lincoln Almond appointed Lincoln Chafee to finish his father's term.

In the main election, he ran against Robert Weygand, a U.S. Representative. Chafee won the election with 57% of the votes.

2006 Election

In 2005, Steve Laffey, the mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, decided to challenge Chafee in the Republican primary election. Chafee won the primary election in September 2006.

However, Chafee lost the general election to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. Whitehouse received 54% of the votes. After his loss, Chafee said he was unsure if he would stay with the Republican Party.

Time in the Senate

Chafee was known for being a moderate Republican. This meant his views were often more liberal than many other Republicans. Some conservatives called him a "Republican In Name Only" (RINO). In 2006, he was rated as the most liberal Republican in the Senate.

Chafee often disagreed with the Republican Party leaders. He did not vote for President George W. Bush in the 2004 election. Instead, he wrote in the name of former president George H. W. Bush. He often criticized the younger Bush's environmental policies.

Fiscal Policy

Chafee voted against tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. He believed that cutting taxes would reduce government income and increase the national debt. In 2005, he voted to bring back a higher income tax rate for the wealthiest people.

He also supported free trade agreements. These agreements aim to make it easier for countries to trade goods and services.

Environmental Policy

Chafee was one of the few Republicans who voted against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He was part of a group called Republicans for Environmental Protection. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club supported him because of his strong stance on environmental issues.

He also helped create a law in 2002 to clean up and redevelop abandoned urban buildings. This helped many cities across the U.S.

Social Policy

Chafee supported a woman's right to choose. He was also one of only six Republicans to vote against a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in 2004. He voted against it again in 2006. He was the only Republican senator at the time to support the legalization of same-sex marriage.

He supported affirmative action and gun control. He was against the death penalty.

Foreign Policy

Chafee was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against the use of force in Iraq before the Iraq War. He also voted for a plan that suggested a timeline for U.S. troops to leave Iraq.

He is involved with J Street, a group that supports diplomatic solutions for the Arab–Israeli conflict.

Time Away from Politics (2007–2009)

Lincoln Chafee giving a lecture at Brown University in 2007

In 2006, Chafee became a visiting fellow at Brown University. He led a student group studying U.S. foreign policy.

In September 2007, Chafee officially left the Republican Party. He became an Independent. He said he left because the Republican Party was moving away from its original values, like being careful with money. He felt the party was cutting taxes without also cutting spending.

In 2008, he endorsed Barack Obama for president. He also joined the advisory board of J Street, which promotes peace between Israel and its neighbors.

Governor of Rhode Island (2011–2015)

2010 Election for Governor

On January 4, 2010, Chafee announced he would run for Governor of Rhode Island as an Independent. The current governor, Donald Carcieri, could not run again.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg supported Chafee. Bloomberg said Chafee would put Rhode Islanders' interests first. On November 2, 2010, Chafee won the election. He received 36% of the votes in a race with seven candidates.

Joining the Democratic Party

In August 2012, Chafee said he would attend the Democratic National Convention to support President Obama. After much talk, Chafee officially joined the Democratic Party on May 30, 2013.

Challenges as Governor

Chafee became governor during a difficult economic time. Unemployment was very high. He also inherited a crisis where several cities were close to bankruptcy.

As a former mayor, Chafee strongly supported the state's cities and towns. He increased state aid and helped struggling communities. One city, Central Falls, did declare bankruptcy. Chafee appointed someone to help run the city and get it back on track. The city came out of bankruptcy the next year.

Chafee had promised to lower the state sales tax. He also worked to restore funding for local education and higher education, which had been cut by the previous governor.

Social Issues as Governor

In 2012, Chafee refused to send a prisoner charged with murder to federal custody. He did this because Rhode Island had not had an execution since 1842. He wanted to protect the state's policy against the death penalty.

Chafee also strongly supported a bill that legalized same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. He signed it into law on May 2, 2013.

38 Studios Issue

Chafee was the only public figure in Rhode Island who strongly opposed a deal made by the previous governor. This deal involved a $75 million loan to a video game company owned by former baseball star Curt Schilling. The company went bankrupt.

As head of the agency that secured the loan, Chafee started a lawsuit to get money back for Rhode Island taxpayers. So far, about $17 million has been recovered.

Decision Not to Run in 2014

Polling showed Chafee was behind in the Democratic primary for governor. So, on September 4, 2013, he announced he would not run for re-election. He was only the fourth governor in Rhode Island's history not to seek a second term.

2016 Presidential Campaign

On April 9, 2015, Chafee announced he was exploring a run for President of the United States as a Democrat. He officially declared his candidacy on June 3, 2015. His campaign focused on ten issues, with "Prosperity Through Peace" as his slogan.

After a difficult debate performance and low poll numbers, Chafee ended his campaign on October 23, 2015. He later supported Hillary Clinton after she won the Democratic nomination.

Later Activities

Chafee thought about running against Sheldon Whitehouse for his old Senate seat in 2018 but decided not to.

Between 2018 and 2019, Chafee and his family moved to Teton Village, Wyoming. In 2020, Chafee joined an advisory board that supports the National Popular Vote. He has also endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president in the 2024 election.

2020 Presidential Campaign

In 2017, Chafee said he might run for president again. On March 11, 2019, he officially switched from the Democratic Party to the Libertarian Party. He said he was "fiscally conservative and socially liberal," which fits the Libertarian views.

On January 5, 2020, Chafee officially filed to run for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination. He announced his candidacy on January 8. His campaign focused on issues like foreign intervention, the war on drugs, and government spending.

On April 5, 2020, Chafee announced on Facebook that he was ending his campaign for the Libertarian presidential nomination. He did not endorse any other candidate for president.

Political Views

While in the U.S. Senate, Chafee was seen as a "moderate" or even "liberal Republican." He often disagreed with conservative views. Later, as governor, he tried to find a middle ground that sometimes upset both liberal and conservative groups. He believes in a calm approach to U.S. foreign policy, careful spending, and liberal social policies.

Domestic Policy

Elections

Chafee supports requiring voters to show photo identification at polling places. In 2011, he signed a law in Rhode Island making this a requirement. He believed it would help ensure fair elections.

In 2013, he signed a law that entered Rhode Island into the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. This aims to elect the president based on the national popular vote.

Environment

Chafee is against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also opposed a bill in 2003 that critics said would increase air pollution. He has been recognized by environmental groups for his leadership.

Metric System

Chafee supports the U.S. switching to the metric system.

Same-Sex Marriage

Chafee is against a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. As governor, he signed a bill into law that legalized civil unions in 2011. In 2013, he signed the law that legalized same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. He was a strong supporter of this bill.

Taxes

As governor, Chafee called for a cut in commercial property taxes to help businesses in Providence. He received good ratings from some taxpayer groups for his fiscal policies.

While in the U.S. Senate, Chafee voted against the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. He was worried they would mostly benefit the wealthy and increase the federal debt. He believed it was important for government income to match its spending.

Foreign Policy

Chafee visits with Ecuadoran Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Isabel Salvador in 2008. Chafee has called for increased U.S. engagement in Latin America.

Iran

Chafee supports President Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran. He believes in finding peaceful solutions and cultural exchange. He is strongly against a war with Iran.

Israel

Chafee has criticized what he sees as a religious influence on U.S. policy toward Israel. He opposes the expansion of Israeli settlements. However, he also believes Israel's security is very important. He serves on the advisory council of J Street.

Chafee preparing to speak at the U.S. Naval War College in 2014. Chafee has said the U.S. "must make international decisions with brains and not biceps" and criticized Hillary Clinton's vote in support of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. To Chafee's left are Major General Kevin R. McBride, Rear Admiral Walter E. Carter Jr. and Brigadier General Rick Baccus.

Latin America

Chafee believes the U.S. government should work more closely with its neighbors in Latin America.

Russia

Chafee thinks improving relations with the Russian Federation should be a top priority for the U.S. He has called for lifting sanctions against Russia.

War

While in the Senate, Chafee was the only Republican to vote against the law that allowed the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He believes the U.S. should make international decisions using "brains and not biceps." He has called for an end to "perpetual wars." He believes the U.S. should take risks for peace. He has said that his anti-war stance is a main reason he joined the Libertarian Party.

Endorsements

Chafee supported George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election. However, he did not support Bush in 2004. In 2008, Chafee endorsed Barack Obama for president. He also helped with Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.

Personal Life

Lincoln Chafee married Stephanie Birney Danforth in January 1990. They have three children: Louisa, Caleb, and Thea. Their daughter, Louisa, qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in sailing. Chafee is a member of The Episcopal Church. As of 2019, he lives in Teton Village, Wyoming.

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Lincoln Chafee para niños

• List of American politicians who switched parties in office
• 2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates
• Republican and conservative support for Barack Obama in 2008
• Rockefeller Republican
• Lowell Weicker, another liberal Republican senator who was elected governor of his home state (Connecticut) as a third-party candidate.