Politics

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman has died

Jesse Rodriguez and Zoë Richards
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Senator Joe Lieberman posing for a portrait in Beijing on October 15th 2023.
Gilles Sabrié | The Washington Post | Getty Images

Former Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman has died, his family announced in a statement Wednesday. He was 82.

Lieberman died Wednesday afternoon in New York with his wife Hadassah and loved ones at his side after he suffered complications from a fall, his family said in the statement.

"Senator Lieberman's love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest," his family said.

Lieberman's passing was mourned by lawmakers in his state, including Democratic Gov. Ned LaMont, who in a statement Wednesday cited "political differences" with Lieberman but referred to the late senator as "a man of integrity and conviction."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the state was "shocked" by Lieberman's sudden death.

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"In an era of political carbon copies, Joe Lieberman was a singularity. One of one," Murphy wrote on X.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also expressed his condolences in a statement on X Wednesday, referring to Lieberman as a longtime friend of more than 50 years, "a man of deep conscience [and] conviction, [and] a courageous leader who sought to bridge gaps and bring people together."

Lieberman was the Democratic vice presidential nominee who ran with former Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election. The pair were defeated by former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

In his later years, Lieberman served as co-chairman of No Labels and was heading up the committee to vet its potential unity ticket candidates. A hefty share of the group's leadership and key staff had left over the last year. Lieberman was effectively the group's top spokesperson through its effort this last year to field a third-party ticket.