1970 United States Senate election in Connecticut

1970 United States Senate election in Connecticut
	; Weicker: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%; Duffey: 30–40% 40–50% ; Dodd: 30–40% 40–50%
U.S. senator before election; Thomas J. Dodd; Democratic	Elected U.S. Senator ; Lowell Weicker; Republican

The United States Senate election of 1970 in Connecticut was held on November 3, 1970. Incumbent Democratic Senator Thomas J. Dodd ran for a third term in office. After Dodd was censured in the Senate's first modern ethics case, he lost party support for re-election but stood as an independent. Republican U.S. Representative Lowell Weicker defeated Dodd and Democratic candidate Joseph Duffey.

Background

In January 1966, Drew Pearson and Jack Anderson published a series of syndicated newspaper columns describing Senator Thomas J. Dodd's association with Julius Klein, a West German public relations consultant.^[1] The columns alleged that Dodd had engaged in fundraising improprieties and had diverted campaign funds for personal expenses. A formal Senate investigation ensued which lasted over one year, finding that Dodd had traveled to West Germany at Klein's behest and had transferred campaign funds to his personal accounts. Dodd initially refused to cooperate with the investigation by withholding financial statements and bringing several legal challenges against the committee; the committee responded by holding public hearings on the matter which severely damaged Dodd's reputation.^[1]

On June 23, 1967, the Senate voted to censure Dodd by a vote of 92 to 5. His was the seventh censure in the history of the United States Senate and the first focused on financial impropriety. The resolution stated that Dodd had used his office as a United States senator "to obtain and use for his personal benefit, funds from the public through political testimonials and a political campaign," conduct which was "contrary to accepted morals, derogates from the public trust expected of a Senator, and tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."^[1] Dodd stated in response, "I believe now, I shall continue to believe, that history will justify my conduct and my character."^[1] The Senate adopted four new rules of ethical disclosure, including a form of financial disclosure, in 1968.^[1]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Alphonsus Donahue, Stamford businessman
Joseph Duffey, anti-war activist
Edward L. Marcus, President of the Connecticut Senate

Results

1970 Democratic Senate primary^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joseph Duffey	79,166	43.55%
	Democratic	Alphonsus Donahue	66,916	36.81%
	Democratic	Edward L. Marcus	35,715	19.64%
Total votes			181,797	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

John Lupton, State Senator from Westport^[3]
Lowell Weicker, U.S. Representative from Greenwich

Results

1970 Republican Senate primary^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lowell Weicker	77,057	60.34%
	Republican	John Lupton	50,657	39.66%
Total votes			127,714	100.00%

General election

Candidates

Thomas J. Dodd, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1959 (Independent)
Joseph Duffey, anti-war activist (Democratic)
Lowell Weicker, U.S. Representative from Greenwich (Republican)

Results

United States Senate election in Connecticut, 1970^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lowell Weicker	454,721	41.74%
	Democratic	Joseph Duffey	368,111	33.79%
	Independent	Thomas J. Dodd (incumbent)	266,497	24.46%
Total votes			1,089,329	100.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic

Aftermath

Lowell Weicker was re-elected twice in 1976 and 1982 before losing a bid for a third term to Joe Lieberman in 1988. He served one term as Governor of Connecticut from 1991 to 1995. He briefly ran for President in 1980.

Thomas J. Dodd died suddenly of a heart attack on May 24, 1971. Newspaper obituaries noted that the senator had steadfastly claimed that he was innocent until the moment of his death.^[1] His son, Christopher, would join Weicker as the junior senator from Connecticut in 1981 and ran for President in 2008.

Joseph Duffey retired from electoral politics but led a long career in academia and public office, serving in both the Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton administrations. He married his campaign manager, Anne Wexler, in 1974 after both had divorced their spouses.

External links

Dissent of the Governed, a documentary made by and about the Duffey campaign

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "The Censure Case of Thomas J. Dodd of Connecticut (1967)". United States Senate. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
^ "Our Campaigns - CT US Senate- D Primary Race - Aug 19, 1970".
^ Pace, Eric (August 24, 2002). "John M. Lupton, 85, Politician and Educator in Connecticut". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
^ "Our Campaigns - CT US Senate- R Primary Race - Aug 12, 1970".
^ Our Campaigns - CT US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1970

This Connecticut elections-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[censure-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "The Censure Case of Thomas J. Dodd of Connecticut (1967)". United States Senate. Retrieved September 28, 2023.

[2] "Our Campaigns - CT US Senate- D Primary Race - Aug 19, 1970".

[3] Pace, Eric (August 24, 2002). "John M. Lupton, 85, Politician and Educator in Connecticut". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2020.

[4] "Our Campaigns - CT US Senate- R Primary Race - Aug 12, 1970".

[5] Our Campaigns - CT US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1970

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Elections in Connecticut
General	1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1982 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2021 2022 2024
State Senate	1920 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State House	2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Governor	1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 Apr 1876 Nov 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026
U.S. President	1788–89 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028
U.S. Senate	1788 1790 1791 1793 1796 1797 1801 1803 1807 1809 1812 1813 1814 1818 1819 1821 1824 1826 1831 1832 1837 1842 1852 (sp) 1854 1856 1860 1863 1866 1872 1879 1881 1885 1887 1891 1893 1897 1899 1903 1905 1909 1911 1914 1916 1920 1922 1926 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1950 1952 1956 1958 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024
U.S. House	1788 1790 1792 1794 1796 1798 1800 1802 1804 1806 1808 1810 1812 1814 1816 1818 1821 1823 1825 1827 1829 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1840 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1928 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1978 1980 1982 1984 1990 1994 1998 2000 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
See also: Political party strength in Connecticut

v t e (1968 ←) 1970 United States elections (→ 1972)
U.S. Senate	Alaska (special) Arizona California Connecticut Delaware Florida Hawaii Illinois (special) Indiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
U.S. House	Alabama Alaska Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
State governors	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Lt. Gov Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Iowa Kansas Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Lt. Gov Nebraska Lt. Gov Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Vermont Wisconsin Wyoming
Attorneys General	California Florida
State legislatures	Arizona Arizona House Arizona Senate Iowa Senate

v t e Notable third-party performances in United States elections
* Third party is endorsed by a major party
Presidential	1788–89* 1792* 1832 1848 1856 1860 1872* 1892 1896* 1912 1924 1948 1960 1968 1980 1992 1996
Senatorial (since 1940)	California 1940 Minnesota 1940 North Dakota 1940 Wisconsin 1940 Minnesota 1942 Minnesota 1942 Nebraska 1942 Virginia 1942 North Dakota 1944 Wisconsin 1944 California 1946 (Republican write-in) North Dakota 1946 North Dakota 1946 Tennessee 1946 Arkansas 1948 Alabama 1950 New Hampshire 1950 California 1952 Maine 1952 New York 1952 North Dakota 1952 Virginia 1952 South Carolina 1954 (Democratic write-in) Virginia 1954 Utah 1958 Virginia 1958 Virginia 1960 Virginia 1964 Mississippi 1966 Virginia 1966 Virginia 1966 Alabama 1968 Alaska 1968 Maryland 1968 New York 1968 Connecticut 1970 Mississippi 1970 New York 1970 Virginia 1970 Louisiana 1972 Florida 1974 Hawaii 1974 Nevada 1974 New York 1974 Utah 1974 Minnesota 1976 Virginia 1976 Alabama 1978 Arkansas 1978 Maine 1978 Mississippi 1978 New York 1980 Washington 1982 Tennessee 1984 Virginia 1990 Alaska 1992 Arizona 1992 Hawaii 1992 Louisiana 1992 Ohio 1992 Arizona 1994 Minnesota 1994 Ohio 1994 Vermont 1994 Virginia 1994 Alaska 1996 Minnesota 1996 Arizona 2000 Massachusetts 2000 Minnesota 2000 Alaska 2002 Kansas 2002 Massachusetts 2002 Mississippi 2002 Oklahoma 2002 Virginia 2002 Oklahoma 2004 Connecticut 2006 Indiana 2006 Maine 2006 Vermont 2006* Arkansas 2008 Idaho 2008 Minnesota 2008 Oregon 2008 Alaska 2010 (Republican write-in) Florida 2010 Indiana 2010 South Carolina 2010 Utah 2010 Indiana 2012 Maine 2012 Maryland 2012 Missouri 2012 Montana 2012 Vermont 2012* Kansas 2014 South Dakota 2014 Wyoming 2014 Alaska 2016 Arizona 2016 Idaho 2016 Indiana 2016 Kansas 2016 Maine 2018 New Mexico 2018 Vermont 2018* Alaska 2020* Arkansas 2020 Minnesota 2020 Nebraska 2020 Idaho 2022 North Dakota 2022 Utah 2022* Maine 2024 Nebraska 2024 Utah 2024 Vermont 2024*
Gubernatorial (since 1940)	Minnesota 1940 Wisconsin 1940 Connecticut 1942 Minnesota 1942 New York 1942 Wisconsin 1942 North Dakota 1944 Wisconsin 1944 California 1946 Tennessee 1950 Maine 1952 Vermont 1952 Tennessee 1954 Nebraska 1956 Texas 1956 Utah 1956 Oklahoma 1958 Tennessee 1958 North Dakota 1960 Tennessee 1962 Virginia 1965 Alabama 1966 Georgia 1966 Idaho 1966 Maryland 1966 New York 1966 Tennessee 1966 Alabama 1970 Arkansas 1970 New Hampshire 1970 New York 1970 Mississippi 1971 New Hampshire 1972 Texas 1972 Washington 1972 Virginia 1973 Maine 1974 Nebraska 1974 Nevada 1974 Texas 1974 Vermont 1974 Vermont 1976 Alaska 1978 California 1978 Maine 1978 Rhode Island 1978 Alaska 1982 Arizona 1982 Hawaii 1982 Alaska 1986 Arizona 1986 Illinois 1986 Maine 1986 Oklahoma 1986 Vermont 1986 Utah 1988 Alaska 1990 Connecticut 1990 Kansas 1990 Maine 1990 New York 1990 Oklahoma 1990 Oregon 1990 Utah 1992 West Virginia 1992 Alaska 1994 Connecticut 1994 Hawaii 1994 Maine 1994 New Mexico 1994 Oklahoma 1994 Pennsylvania 1994 Rhode Island 1994 Vermont 1994 Alaska 1998 Maine 1998 Minnesota 1998 New York 1998 Pennsylvania 1998 Rhode Island 1998 Kentucky 1999 New Hampshire 2000 Vermont 2000 Arizona 2002 California 2002 Maine 2002 Minnesota 2002 New Mexico 2002 New York 2002 Oklahoma 2002 Vermont 2002 Wisconsin 2002 Alaska 2006 Illinois 2006 Maine 2006 Massachusetts 2006 Minnesota 2006 Texas 2006 Louisiana 2007 Vermont 2008 New Jersey 2009 Colorado 2010 Idaho 2010 Maine 2010 Massachusetts 2010 Minnesota 2010 Rhode Island 2010 Wyoming 2010 Kentucky 2011 Virginia 2013 Alaska 2014* Hawaii 2014 Maine 2014 Rhode Island 2014 Wyoming 2014 Maine 2018 Kansas 2018 Indiana 2020 Vermont 2020* Alaska 2022 Idaho 2022 Oregon 2022 North Dakota 2024 Utah 2024 (Republican write-in)
Territorial Governors (since 1970)	U.S. Virgin Islands 1970 Puerto Rico 1972 District of Columbia 1974 U.S. Virgin Islands 1974 U.S. Virgin Islands 1978 Puerto Rico 1980 U.S. Virgin Islands 1986 Puerto Rico 1988 U.S. Virgin Islands 1990 U.S. Virgin Islands 1994 U.S. Virgin Islands 1998 Puerto Rico 2000 Northern Mariana Islands 2001 U.S. Virgin Islands 2002 Northern Mariana Islands 2005 U.S. Virgin Islands 2006 Northern Mariana Islands 2009 District of Columbia 2010 U.S. Virgin Islands 2010 District of Columbia 2014 Northern Mariana Islands 2014 U.S. Virgin Islands 2014 Puerto Rico 2016 District of Columbia 2018 Guam 2018 Northern Mariana Islands 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands 2018 Puerto Rico 2020 District of Columbia 2022 Northern Mariana Islands 2022 U.S. Virgin Islands 2022 Puerto Rico 2024
State legislative	Alaska Hawaii Louisiana Montana West Virginia Wyoming
Portal:Politics Third party (U.S. politics) List of third-party and independent performances in United States elections Third-party and independent members of the United States Congress