Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman (1942–2024) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. Born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Stamford, Connecticut, the son of a liquor store owner, Lieberman graduated from Yale College in 1964 with degrees in political science and economics, and earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1967. He began his political career in 1970 as a member of the Connecticut State Senate until 1980, then served as Connecticut's Attorney General from 1983 to 1989. In 1988, he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, where he became known for his centrist and independent Democratic views, strong support for Israel and Jewish causes, advocacy for religious freedom, and hawkish foreign policy supporting regime change, establishing himself as a hawkish Democratic voice on foreign policy and defense. Lieberman was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President in 2000 alongside Al Gore, becoming the first Jewish American on a major party presidential ticket. After losing the 2006 Democratic primary for re-election, he won as an independent and caucused with Democrats during his final term, chairing the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and advocating robust U.S. counterterrorism policies. He played a significant bipartisan role in policy debates, including opposing the public option in the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Lieberman later co-founded the centrist No Labels organization to promote bipartisan solutions. Following his Senate career, he was senior counsel at Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, engaged in lobbying, remained active in national security and Jewish causes, and authored several books on politics and faith. Married twice—first to Hadassah Freilich (1971–1982) with whom he had a daughter, then to Hadassah Borochoff (from 1982) with whom he had two children—Lieberman passed away on March 27, 2024, from heart complications. His career was marked by a blend of Democratic domestic policies and independent, hawkish foreign policy stances, making him a pivotal figure in American politics during a transformative era.