Gordon J. Humphrey
| Gordon J. Humphrey | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from New Hampshire |
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In office January 3, 1979 – December 4, 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas McIntyre |
| Succeeded by | Bob Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gordon John Humphrey October 9, 1940 Bristol, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent (2016–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (Before 2016) |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Humphrey |
| Alma mater |
George Washington University University of Maryland, College Park |
| Religion | Baptist |
Gordon John Humphrey (born October 9, 1940) is a New Hampshire politician who served two terms in the U.S. Senate as a Republican from 1979 to 1990, and twice ran for Governor of New Hampshire, though both bids were unsuccessful.
Humphrey was born in Bristol, Connecticut. His first career path was in aviation: he served in the United States Air Force for several years and, following college (George Washington University and the University of Maryland, College Park), he became a professional pilot.
Originally a liberal, Humphrey said he converted to conservatism because of "the force of my own logic".
In 1977, Humphrey became the leader of the New Hampshire chapter of Conservative Caucus, which had been looking for someone to head it up for months. Humphrey volunteered and began organizing signature-gathering for petitions and putting together well-attended rallies.
In 1978 Humphrey won election to the U.S. Senate, despite being only a local Republican activist holding no political office. He defeated three-term incumbent Thomas J. McIntyre by barely two percent. He won election without help from the Republican Party and had few links to party regulars. Humphrey's 18-month campaign was run for the most part by himself and Patricia Green, a former New York City schoolteacher whom he married just after the four-way GOP primary that September. According to a New York Times article written a month after the election, she was "considered the strongest force in his camp and is expected to have a strong influence on his Washington staff."
Humphrey was easily reelected in 1984, defeating five-term Democratic U.S. congressman Norman D'Amours. Humphrey declined to run for a third term in 1990, having promised only to serve two.
Humphrey was praised for his vocalness as a Senator.
In 1987, Humphrey harshly criticized President Ronald Reagan's appointment of openly gay geneticist Dr. Frank Lilly to his commission on the HIV Epidemic, saying that Lilly's appointment would send the message ". . .that homosexuality is simply an alternative lifestyle."
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Wikipedia