Richard Blumenthal is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, serving since 2011. Before the Senate, he built a long state-level record and a national profile as a consumer advocate, including two decades as Connecticut's Attorney General.
Born February 13, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York, Blumenthal graduated from Harvard and Yale Law School, where he was editor in chief of the Yale Law Journal. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era and later became U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut (1977–1981).
As Attorney General (1991–2010), he pursued major actions involving consumer protection, tobacco, mortgage abuses, and corporate misconduct. In the Senate, he has emphasized tech and data privacy, veterans' healthcare, gun safety, and corporate accountability, often using a high visibility oversight style.
Politically, Blumenthal operates as a mainstream, institutionally wired Democrat: broadly progressive on social policy, supportive of regulation and consumer enforcement, and more cautious on anti-establishment postures than the party's populist wing.
Mainstream Liberal
Committee Assignments
Caucus Memberships
Achievements
- Built a two-decade record as Connecticut Attorney General focused on consumer protection and large-scale enforcement actions.
- National Senate profile on corporate accountability, tech and data privacy, and platform oversight.
- Major legislative focus on veterans' healthcare and mental health support, alongside gun-safety policy.
- Prominent investigator in high-salience hearings, often pressing CEOs and federal agencies on compliance and harms.
- Durable statewide coalition in deep-blue Connecticut, repeatedly winning re-election by comfortable margins.
Controversies
- Criticized during the 2010 campaign over remarks that implied Vietnam service; he later said he misspoke and apologized.
- Occasionally criticized from the left as too incremental or too institutionally aligned on certain antitrust and tech fights.
- Seen by opponents as emblematic of long-running Connecticut Democratic establishment politics.
- Past public comments on security and surveillance issues have drawn civil-liberties pushback from some activists.
- High-visibility media style sometimes criticized as more performative than legislative.
Top Donors
| Donor | Total | Individuals | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Israel Public Affairs Cmte | $148,013 | $140,113 | $7,900 |
| Paul, Weiss et al | $83,130 | $83,130 | $0 |
| Apollo Global Management | $66,005 | $66,005 | $0 |
| Pro-Israel America PAC | $51,600 | $51,600 | $0 |
| Charter Communications | $50,501 | $40,501 | $10,000 |
Amounts shown reflect organization-linked giving; most funds listed here are from individual donors or aligned PACs.
Recent Elections
2010 Margin D +12%
2016 Margin D +29%
2022 Margin D +15%