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Political Experience ofLincoln Chafee

  • U.S. Senator (1999-2007)

    Chafee previously served as a Republican U.S. Senator from 1999 to 2007. Chafee was appointed to fill the vacancy created by his father's death in 1999. Chafee won a full, six-year term in 2000. In 2006, Chafee lost his seat to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

  • Job creation ranking (? - Present)

    A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chafee was ranked number 42. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.

  • Pension reform (? - Present)

    In 2011, State Treasurer Gina Raimondo (D) ordered new estimates of the state's pension liability. Finding that the liability had increased from $4.9 billion to $7.3 billion, Raimondo pushed the issue to the top of the agenda. Raimondo and Chafee introduced a pension reform plan which received bipartisan support in both chambers of the state legislature and was passed in November 2011.

    U.S. Senator (1999-2007)

    Chafee previously served as a Republican U.S. Senator from 1999 to 2007. Chafee was appointed to fill the vacancy created by his father's death in 1999. Chafee won a full, six-year term in 2000. In 2006, Chafee lost his seat to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

  • Rhode Island Governor (2011-2015)

    Chafee was elected Governor of Rhode Island as an independent in November 2010 and took office on January 4, 2011, becoming the only sitting governor in the country who was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. Chafee held that distinction until May 30, 2013, when he registered as a member of the Democratic Party. A variety of factors contributed to Chafee's decision to switch from independent to Democrat, including his consistent support for President Obama and his trepidation about campaigning for re-election in 2014 without the backing of a major party. Chafee's party switch marked the first time since 1995 that Rhode Island had a Democrat in the governor's office. At the time, Chafee's switch made for a total of 20 governors in the United States that were Democrats. 30 were Republicans.

    Job creation ranking

    A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chafee was ranked number 42. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.

    Pension reform

    In 2011, State Treasurer Gina Raimondo (D) ordered new estimates of the state's pension liability. Finding that the liability had increased from $4.9 billion to $7.3 billion, Raimondo pushed the issue to the top of the agenda. Raimondo and Chafee introduced a pension reform plan which received bipartisan support in both chambers of the state legislature and was passed in November 2011.