The former Connecticut senator, who was Al Gore‘s running mate in the 2000, died “due to complications from a fall,” according to his family
Joe Lieberman, the longtime Connecticut senator who served as Al Gore’s running mate in 2000, has died. He was 82.
“Former United States Senator Joseph I. Lieberman died this afternoon, March 27, 2024, in New York City due to complications from a fall. He was 82 years old. His beloved wife, Hadassah, and members of his family were with him as he passed. Senator Lieberman’s love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest,” his family said in a statement.
His funeral has been set for Friday in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, per Reuters.
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Joe Lieberman
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The four-term senator from Connecticut became the first Jewish candidate on the national ticket of a major party in the 2000 election when he was former Vice President Al Gore’s running mate. They lost the election to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
“I am profoundly saddened by the loss of Joe Lieberman. First and foremost, he was a man of devout faith and dedication to his family. My heart goes out to Hadassah, Hana, Matt, Rebecca, Ethan, his sisters, and all those grieving his loss,” Gore posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding, “It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail. I’ll remain forever grateful for his tireless efforts to build a better future for America.”
I am profoundly saddened by the loss of Joe Lieberman. First and foremost, he was a man of devout faith and dedication to his family. My heart goes out to Hadassah, Hana, Matt, Rebecca, Ethan, his sisters, and all those grieving his loss.
Joe was a man of deep integrity who…
— Al Gore (@algore) March 28, 2024
Before being elected to the United States Senate in 1988, Lieberman served 10 years in the Connecticut State Senate and six years as Connecticut’s Attorney General.
Lieberman served in the U.S. Senate for 24 years, ending his service in January 2013 as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
After leaving politics, Lieberman became senior counsel at Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP.
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August 16, 2000 photo of Al Gore and wife Tipper with Joe Lieberman and wife Hadassah
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Lieberman won many awards, including the 2012 Ewald von Kleist Award and the 2015 Winston Churchill National Leadership Award.
In 2014, he and former Governor Tom Ridge became cochairs of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, which was established “to provide for a comprehensive assessment of the state of U.S. biodefense efforts and to issue recommendations that will foster change.”
The agency wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after Lieberman’s death, “All of us at the Commission are in shock and are heartbroken at the news that Senator Lieberman has died. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family tonight. We all were the beneficiaries of his many years of selfless public service and his kindness. We will deeply miss him.”
Ridge wrote on X that he and Lieberman had just spoken yesterday.
“I lost a dear friend and colleague. Our nation lost a selfless and indefatigable public servant in Joe Lieberman. I’m still in shock at this news. Joe and I just spoke yesterday as he remained focused on policy issues to keep Americans safe. That was Joe. This is a huge loss,” his post on X read.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham also paid tribute to Lieberman on X, expressing that he has “so many emotions” and “feels fortunate to have been in his presence, traveling the world in support of America’s interests as we saw it.”
Former president Barack Obama wrote on X: “Joe Lieberman and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but he had an extraordinary career in public service, including four decades spent fighting for the people of Connecticut. He also worked hard to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and helped us pass the Affordable Care Act. In both cases the politics were difficult, but he stuck to his principles because he knew it was the right thing to do. Michelle and I extend our deepest condolences to Hadassah and the Lieberman family.”
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