Bill Sorrell
From Ballotpedia
| William H. Sorrell | ||
 | ||
| Attorney General of Vermont | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| May 1997 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| 2012 | ||
| Years in position | 15 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $108,202 | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 2, 2010 | |
| First elected | November 3, 1998 | |
| Next election | August 28, 2012 | |
| Appointed | May 1997 | |
| Appointed by | Governor of Vermont | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of Notre Dame (1970) | |
| J.D. | Cornell Law School (1974) | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | March 9, 1947 | |
| Place of birth | Burlington, VT | |
| Profession | Attorney | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Education
- Bachelor's degree, University of Notre Dame (1970)
- Juris Doctorate degree, Cornell Law School (1974)
Political career
Sorrell first entered the Vermont political stage in 1975 when he served two years as Chittenden County Deputy State's Attorney. He then became Chittenden County State's Attorney for a year before working at a private law practice called McNeil, Murray & Sorrell from 1978 to 1989. Sorrell returned to the position of State's Attorney, serving in the position for three years. He became the state's Secretary of Administration in 1992, retaining the office until his appointment to Attorney General Office in 1997.
Randall v. Sorrell (2006)
In 1997, the Vermont State Legislature passed a campaign finance measure, Act 64, "which imposed strict limits both on expenditures by candidates for office during the election cycle and on the contributions of individuals, political groups, and parties." State legislator Neil Randall sued Attorney General William H. Sorrell, arguing that the law was unconstitutional on the basis that it infringed on his First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech and thus should be struck down. Sorrell, on the other hand, insisted that "Vermont's interests in combating corruption and ensuring fair elections justified the contribution limits."
In a six-to-three decision delivered on June 26, 2006, the opinion of the Supreme Court, delivered by Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, invalidated Act 64's expenditure limits. While admitting that some limits placed on how much in contributions political candidates can ultimately receive, the Court "perceived 'danger signs' indicating that Vermont's exceptionally low limits could prevent candidates from campaigning effectively." [1]
Controversies
CEI rating
In an analysis of state attorneys general published in July 2010, Sorrell was named "The Nation's Sixth Worst Attorney General" by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. Basing their criteria on ethical breaches/selective application of the law, fabricating law, usurping legislative power, and predatory practices, the Vermont Attorney General, who at the time of the publication faced re-election in November 2010, received a letter grade of F in the last two categories; he narrowly missed acquiring the failing mark when it came to fabricating law, securing a letter grade of D-, and was given a middling letter grade of C- in the initial grouping. Sorrell was blasted by the CEI as "having done more damage to the fabric of the law" then any other state attorney general in the country. [2]
Other roles
- President, National Association of Attorneys General (2004-2005)
- Board Member, American Legacy Foundation
- President, United Cerebral Palsy of Vermont
- Secretary, Vermont Coalition of the Handicapped
- Vermont Judicial Nominating Board
- Board Member, Winooski Valley Park District
Elections
2012
- See also: Vermont attorney general election, 2012
Sorrell will face one challenger in the Democratic primary contest on August 28, 2012: Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan.
2010
- See also: Vermont Attorney General election, 2010
- 2010 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary
- Bill Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
| 2010 Race for Attorney General - General Election [3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party |  a Bill Sorrell
| 61.9% | |
| Republican Party | Aaron Toscano | 29.4% | |
| Progressive Party | Charlotte Dennett | 4.4% | |
| Libertarian Party | Karen Kerin | 2.7% | |
| Liberty Union | Rosemarie Jackowski | 1.5% | |
| Total Votes | 230,973 | ||
2006
- 2006 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary [4]
- William H. Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election [5] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party | a Bill Sorrell
| 69.3% | |
| Republican Party | Dennis Carver | 27.0% | |
| Liberty Union | Rosemarie Jackowski | 3.5% | |
| Write-In | 0.1% | ||
| Total Votes | 250,300 | ||
2002
- 2002 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary [6]
- William H. Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
| 2002 Race for Attorney General - General Election [7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party | a Bill Sorrell
| 56.6% | |
| Republican Party | Larry Down | 30.4% | |
| Progressive Party | Cindy Hill | 7.3% | |
| Vermont Grassroots | Sandy Ward | 2.9% | |
| Liberty Union | Boots Wardinski | 1.0% | |
| Total Votes | 221,679 | ||
1998
- 1998 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary [8]
- William H. Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
| 1998 Race for Attorney General - General Election [9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party | a Bill Sorrell
| 83.8% | |
| Vermont Grassroots | Sandy Ward | 8.8% | |
| Libertarian Party | Christopher D. Costanzo | 4.5% | |
| Liberty Union | Robert M. Fisher | 2.5% | |
| Total Votes | 201,873 | ||
Campaign contributions
Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Bill Sorrell's donors each year.[10] Click [show] for more information.
| Bill Sorrell's Campaign Contributions | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Attorney General of Vermont | 2008 Attorney General of Vermont | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised | $20,193 | $7,950 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $9,412 (Progressive) | $29,236 (Progressive) | |||||||||||||||||
| Top 5 contributors | Daga, Inc. | $6,000 | Democratic Attorneys General Association | $6,000 | |||||||||||||||
| National Beer Wholesalers Association | $1,000 | DuPont | $1,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Michael Turpen | $500 | Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont | $400 | ||||||||||||||||
| James Handy | $150 | LLC | $250 | ||||||||||||||||
| n/a | - | n/a | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Individuals | $650 | $0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Institutions | $7,000 | $7,650 | |||||||||||||||||
| In-state donations | $150 | $700 | |||||||||||||||||
| Out-of-state donations | $7,500 | $7,250 | |||||||||||||||||
Personal
Sorrell currently resides in Burlington, Vermont with his wife, Mary Alice McKenzie. The couple has two children together.
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Vermont Attorney General
109 State Street
Montpelier VT 05609-1001
Phone: (802) 828-3171
Fax: (802) 828-2154
E-mail: aginfo@atg.state.vt.us
Campaign Contact:
Bill Sorrell for Vt Attorney General<br.
P.O. Box 809
Montpelier, VT 05609
Phone: 802-660-1962
Email: info@billsorrell.com
See also
- Attorney General of Vermont
- Vermont attorney general election, 2012
- Governor of Vermont
- Secretary of State of Vermont
External links
- Official Vermont Attorney General website
- Bill Sorrell for Vermont Attorney General Campaign website
- Project Vote Smart - Bill Sorrell biography
References
- ↑ The Oyez Project - Randall v. Sorrell summary
- ↑ Competitive Enterprise Institute "Issue Analysis: The Nation’s Top Ten Worst State Attorneys General" 12 July, 2010
- ↑ Vermont Elections Division - 2010 General Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 2006 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 2006 General Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 2002 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 2002 General Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 1998 General Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 1998 General Election Results
- ↑ Follow the Money.org
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jeffrey L. Amestoy | Vermont Attorney General 1998–present | Succeeded by NA |
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