Lawrence J. DeNardis
Lawrence J. DeNardis | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 3rd district | |
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 | |
Preceded by | Robert Giaimo |
Succeeded by | Bruce Morrison |
Member of the Connecticut State Senate from the 34th district | |
In office January 6, 1971 – December 31, 1979 | |
Preceded by | Pasquale A. Barbato |
Succeeded by | Philip S. Robertson |
Personal details | |
Born | Lawrence Joseph DeNardis March 18, 1938 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
Died | August 24, 2018 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | (aged 80)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Mary Louise White DeNardis
(1961–2018) |
Alma mater | College of the Holy Cross (BA) New York University (MA, PhD) |
Lawrence Joseph "Larry" DeNardis (March 18, 1938 – August 24, 2018) was an American politician who served as a
Early life and career
DeNardis was born in
Political career
DeNardis was active in Republican Party politics in the 1960s, serving as a delegate to the state Republican conventions beginning in 1966. In 1970, he became a member of the Connecticut State Senate. He served in the Senate until 1979, when he resigned to become President of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges.[1]
In 1980, he ran for the United States House of Representatives from 3rd congressional district that Democrat Rep. Robert Giaimo had held for 22 years before retiring. Although the Democratic Party had a significant advantage in voter registration, the district supported Ronald Reagan by 25,769 votes in the presidential election and DeNardis defeated then-State Senator Joe Lieberman by 13,121 votes.[2]
In the
In 1982, he faced Democrat Bruce Morrison, the Executive Director of the New Haven Legal Assistance Association. Morrison was a former classmate of Bill Clinton at Yale Law School. Although Denardis touted his opposition to some of Reagan’s initiatives, the district had a 110,000 –55,000 registration advantage and Morrison prevailed in the election by 1,687 votes.[2][5]
In 1984, DeNardis sought to win back his seat in a strong Republican year. Despite Reagan’s margin of more than 20% in Connecticut and the Republican capture of both houses of the Connecticut General Assembly, he again lost to Morrison.[6]
After Congress
After losing the 1984 election, DeNardis was given a political appointment in the Reagan Administration, serving as assistant secretary in the
He joined the
He briefly ran for
DeNardis died after a brief hospitalization in New Haven on August 24, 2018, at the age of 80.[11]
Personal life
DeNardis married Mary Louise White in 1961, and they remained married until his death in 2018. Together, they had four children.[12] One of their children, Lesley DeNardis, served as a member of the Hamden Board of Education and was the Republican nominee for Connecticut's 3rd congressional district in the 2022 election.[13]
References
- ^ "Politics: Transforming Lawmakers into Lobbyists". New York Times. 1979-11-18.
- ^ a b "Two Candidates Clash Again in Connecticut for House Seat". New York Times. 1984-10-17.
- ^ "Congressmen Break Ranks". New York Times. 1981-09-27.
- ^ Roberts, Steven V. (30 December 1981). "How the Reagan Team Won in Congress". The New York Times.
- ^ "Rise of a Newcomer to Seat in Congress". New York Times. 1982-11-07.
- ^ "Connecticut Legislature Shifts to G.O.P. Control". New York Times. 1984-11-07.
- ^ a b c Christopher Keating, Former Congressman Larry DeNardis Running For Governor; Ex-college president is 11th Candidate in Race Archived 2013-01-19 at archive.today, Capitol Watch Blog, courant.com, January 13, 2010
- ^ Farrish, Katherine. "University's president looks to 21st century", Hartford Courant, November 16, 1991, page C11.
- ^ Mary E. O'Leary, DeNardis takes on new role in Kosovo vote, New Haven Register, January 4, 2010
- ^ "GOP: Fedele and Griebel to challenge Foley for nomination". CT Mirror. 2010-05-22.
- ^ "Lawrence J. DeNardis, Congressman And University President, Dies At Age 80". Hartford Courant. August 26, 2018.
- ^ Perkins, Julia (2018-08-26). "Lawrence J. DeNardis, former U.S. congressman, UNH president, dies". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
- ^ Moritz, John (2022-10-27). "One CT candidate spent more on pizza than opponent spent in two months: An inside look at a longshot campaign". CT Insider. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
External links
- United States Congress. "Lawrence J. DeNardis (id: D000231)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN