William Delahunt
William D. Delahunt (born July 18, 1941 in Quincy, Massachusetts) has served as the Democratic U.S. Representative from the Massachusetts 10th congressional district since 1997.
| William Delahunt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts's 10th Congressional District From: January 3, 1997 - January 3, 2011 | |||
| Predecessor | Gerry Studds | ||
| Successor | Bill Keating | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Democrat | ||
| Spouse(s) | Katharina E. Delahunt (divorced) | ||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||
A graduate of Middlebury College and Boston College Law School, Delahunt practiced law and served on the Quincy Council. After serving one-term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1973â75), Governor Michael Dukakis appointed him district attorney of Norfolk County, a position he held for two decades. In 1996, Delahunt ran for the U.S. House. He faced a competitive Democratic primary, but won in the final recount by 108 votes. Although the 10th district voted for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, the reaction there to the new Republican majority in Congress was hostile, and Delahunt won the general election 54%-42%.
Currently, he serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Judiciary Committee. Delahunt has a solidly liberal voting record, and has caused controversy by frequently meeting with Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez.
Delahunt has announced he will not seek an eighth term after an internal survey showed him trailing his potential Republican opponent 34%-37%.[1]