Christopher Dodd

Christopher John Dodd was born May 27, 1944,in Willimantic , Connecticut, to Grace Mary Dodd  and U.S. Senator Thomas Joseph Dodd.  Dodd attended Georgetown Preparatory School, a Jesuit boys' school in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Providence College in 1966.

He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small rural town in the Dominican Republic until 1968. While there, he became fluent in Spanish. Dodd then joined the U.S. Army Reserve, and served until 1975.

In 1972, Dodd earned a Juris Doctor at the University of Louisville , where he served as vice magistrate of the law school's student body. The following year, he was admitted to the Connecticut bar, and began practicing law in New London. Dodd served as a U.S. Representative from Connecticut from 1975 until 1981, when he became a U.S. Senator.

Dodd was elected to the Senate in the 1980 election and was subsequently reelected in the 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004 elections. He is the first Senator from Connecticut to serve five consecutive terms. From 1995 to 1997, he served as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

As General Chairman, Dodd was the DNC's spokesman. Donald Fowler served as National Chairman, running the party's day to day operations. He served as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1995 to 1997. He is now the state's senior Senator. He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Currently Dodd is not only the longest-serving Senator in Connecticut's history, but also 14th most senior of current Senators and one of just three from 1980 freshman class, who are still serving (the others were Republicans Arlen Specter and Chuck Grassley).

In July 1970 , Dodd married Susan Mooney; they divorced in October of 1982.   In 1999, he married his second wife, Jackie Marie Clegg, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The couple has two daughters.

Politcal views:

Dodd favors a one year troop withdrawal timetable to end the Iraq War ] and is against warrantless surveillance . Dodd has supported amending the Family Medical Leave Act to include paid leave, restoring the rule of law to the U.S. immigration system, and a corporate carbon tax to combat global warming.

Source: Wikipedia.com.