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Bill Sorrell
William H. Sorrell (D) is a former attorney general of Vermont. He was originally appointed to the position in 1997 by then-Governor Howard Dean and subsequently won re-election every two years through 2014. Sorrell announced his retirement in September 2015 and did not seek re-election in 2016.[1]
Sorrell was the longest-serving attorney general in the history of Vermont. Since his appointment in 1997, he won re-election every two years through 2014. His smallest share of the vote occurred in 2004, when he earned just below 58 percent.[2]
Sorrell served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) from June 2004 to June 2005.[3]
Biography
Sorrell (born March 9, 1947, in Burlington, Vermont) 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 going to work 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 in 1997.[3]
Throughout his career, Sorrell served in several other roles, including:
- 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
Education
- Bachelor's degree, University of Notre Dame (1970)
- Juris Doctor degree, Cornell Law School (1974)
Political career
Attorney General (1997-2017)
Sorrell was first appointed as Vermont's attorney general by former Governor Howard Dean in 1997. He won re-election, without serious contest, from his initial appointment through 2014. Sorrell was the longest-serving attorney general in the state's history.[4]
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 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 U.S. Supreme Court, delivered by 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."[5]
Marijuana
Sorrell was a proponent of the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana. In 2013 he stated, “Among the reasons for [my] support are that Vermont has approved marijuana for medical usage and that Washington and Colorado have now legalized the drug. A criminal conviction for possession of a small amount of marijuana can have very harmful impacts on a person’s employability and eligibility for certain governmental benefits.”[6]
Chittenden County state's attorney (1977-1978 and 1989-1992)
Sorrell served as the Chittenden County state's attorney from 1977 to 1978 and from 1989 to 1992.[7]
Elections
2016
- See also: Vermont Attorney General election, 2016
Sorrell did not run for re-election in 2016, though he was eligible. He announced in September 2015 that he would retire at the end of his term.[1]
2014
- See also: Vermont attorney general election, 2014
Sorrell ran for re-election as Vermont Attorney General in 2014. He won re-nomination in the Democratic primary on August 26. Bill Sorrell won the general election on November 4, 2014.
Results
Primary election
| Vermont Attorney General Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Bill Sorrell Incumbent |
80.2% | 14,734 | ||
| Brooke Paige | 19% | 3,488 | ||
| Write-ins | 0.8% | 152 | ||
| Total Votes | 18,374 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Election Results. | ||||
General election
| Attorney General of Vermont, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | William Sorrell Incumbent |
58.6% | 109,305 | |
| Republican | Shane McCormack | 37.3% | 69,489 | |
| Liberty Union | Rosemarie Jackowski | 3.9% | 7,342 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 263 | |
| Total Votes | 186,399 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State | ||||
2012
- See also: Vermont attorney general election, 2012
Sorrell defeated Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan in the Democratic primary contest on August 28, 2012.[8] He went on to defeat three challengers in the general election on November 6, 2012: Jack McMullen (R), Ed Stanak (Progressive), and Rosemarie Jackowski (Liberty Union).[9][10]
| Attorney General of Vermont General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Bill Sorrell Incumbent |
57.9% | 164,441 | |
| Republican | Jack McMullen | 33.3% | 94,588 | |
| Progressive | Ed Stanak | 5.5% | 15,629 | |
| Liberty Union | Rosemarie Jackowski | 3% | 8,533 | |
| Independent | Write-in | 0.2% | 588 | |
| Total Votes | 283,779 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State | ||||
- Primary
| Vermont Attorney General Democratic Primary, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Bill Sorrell Incumbent |
50.8% | 21,124 | ||
| T.J. Donovan | 49.1% | 20,410 | ||
| Write-in | 0.2% | 66 | ||
| Total Votes | 41,600 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State. | ||||
Issues
- Marijuana
In a July interview with The Journal, Sorrell commented on his stance on marijuana law enforcement, in light of the attention the issue had attracted since Donovan's emergence as a decisively pro-decriminalization candidate. "The nuance for me, as the state's chief law enforcement officer, is to just make clear that, no matter what the Vermont Legislature does, it will remain a violation of federal law, and Vermonters shouldn't think that because of what the state legislature has done, that all of a sudden, essentially marijuana has been legalized in the state and you can do what you want," Sorrell said. He said he was personally in favor of decriminalization, but that he "didn't want to send the wrong message."[11]
Endorsements
Former Democratic Govs. Howard Dean and Madeleine Kuninfour and senators formally endorsed Sorrell, citing his past successes in making Vermont “a national leader on public health matters” and environmental protection.[12]
On May 12, the Vermont Democratic Party State Committee endorsed Sorrell's Democratic primary opponent, T.J. Donovan. The Committee, which comprises 28 voting members, is allowed to endorse more than one candidate, and the vast majority of state party members and operatives expected it would extend dual support to Sorrell in the following weeks.[13] Then, on July 21, the Committee announced that Sorrell had failed to receive the requisite two-thirds majority vote, and would therefore not receive its endorsement. The announcement left many committee members "stunned,"[14] given the long-serving AG's solid Democratic credentials, which Donovan publicly affirmed.[14] According to some committee voters, the snub may have resulted from Sorrell's inadequate communication and lobbying efforts with the party throughout the campaign to that point.[15]
| Full Endorsement List (click "show"):[16] | |
|---|---|
| |
2010
- See also: Vermont Attorney General election, 2010
- 2010 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary
- Bill Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
On November 2, 2010, William H. Sorrell won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Vermont. He defeated Aaron Michael Toscano (R) and 3 minor-party candidates in the general election.
| Attorney General of Vermont, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | William H. Sorrell Incumbent |
61.9% | 143,031 | |
| Republican | Aaron Michael Toscano | 29.4% | 67,900 | |
| Progressive | Charlotte Dennett | 4.4% | 10,158 | |
| Libertarian | Karen Kerin | 2.7% | 6,171 | |
| Liberty Union | Rosemarie Jackowski | 1.5% | 3,576 | |
| Write-In | Various | 0.1% | 137 | |
| Total Votes | 230,973 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State. | ||||
2008
On November 4, 2008, William H. Sorrell won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Vermont. He defeated Karen Kerin (R/L) and two minor-party candidates in the general election.
| Attorney General of Vermont, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | William H. Sorrell Incumbent |
72.6% | 214,980 | |
| Republican/Libertarian | Karen Kerin | 18.7% | 55,268 | |
| Progressive | Charlotte Dennett | 6% | 17,730 | |
| Liberty Union | Rosemarie Jackowski | 2.5% | 7,505 | |
| Write-In | Various | 0.2% | 544 | |
| Total Votes | 296,027 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State. | ||||
2006
- 2006 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary[17]
- William H. Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
On November 7, 2006, William H. Sorrell won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Vermont. He defeated Dennis Carver (R) and Rosemarie Jackowski (Liberty Union) in the general election.
| Attorney General of Vermont, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | William H. Sorrell Incumbent |
69.3% | 173,467 | |
| Republican | Dennis Carver | 27.1% | 67,721 | |
| Liberty Union | Rosemarie Jackowski | 3.5% | 8,773 | |
| Write-In | Various | 0.1% | 339 | |
| Total Votes | 250,300 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State. | ||||
2004
On November 2, 2004, William H. Sorrell won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Vermont. He defeated Dennis Carver (R) and 4 minor-party candidates in the general election.
| Attorney General of Vermont, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | William H. Sorrell Incumbent |
58% | 169,726 | |
| Republican | Dennis Carver | 30.8% | 90,285 | |
| Progressive | Susan A. Davis | 4.9% | 14,351 | |
| Vermont Green | James Marc Leas | 3% | 8,769 | |
| Libertarian | Karen A. Kerin | 2.2% | 6,357 | |
| Liberty Union | Boots Wardinski | 1% | 2,944 | |
| Write-In | Various | 0.1% | 267 | |
| Total Votes | 292,699 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State. | ||||
2002
- 2002 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary[18]
- William H. Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
On November 5, 2002, William H. Sorrell won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Vermont. He defeated Larry Drown (R) and 4 minor-party candidates in the general election.
| Attorney General of Vermont, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | William H. Sorrell Incumbent |
56.6% | 125,495 | |
| Republican | Larry Drown | 30.4% | 67,360 | |
| Progressive | Cindy Hill | 7.3% | 16,152 | |
| Vermont Grassroots | Sandy Ward | 2.8% | 6,307 | |
| Libertarian | Christopher Costanzo | 1.8% | 3,991 | |
| Liberty Union | Boots Wardinski | 1% | 2,243 | |
| Write-In | Various | 0.1% | 131 | |
| Total Votes | 221,679 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State. | ||||
2000
On November 7, 2000, William H. Sorrell won re-election to the office of Attorney General of Vermont. He defeated Sandy "Wells" Ward (Vermont Grassroots) in the general election.
| Attorney General of Vermont, 2000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic/Republican | William H. Sorrell Incumbent |
84% | 226,668 | |
| Vermont Grassroots | Sandy "Wells" Ward | 14.7% | 39,713 | |
| Write-In | Various | 1.3% | 3,585 | |
| Total Votes | 269,966 | |||
| Election results via Vermont Secretary of State. | ||||
1998
- 1998 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary[19]
- William H. Sorrell ran unopposed in this contest
| 1998 Race for Attorney General - General Election[20] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party |  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 finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Sorrell currently resides in Burlington, Vermont with his wife, Mary Alice McKenzie. The couple has two children together.[3]
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
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Bill + Sorrell + Vermont + Attorney + General"
- All stories may not be relevant to this officer due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
- Attorney General of Vermont
- Vermont attorney general election, 2012
- Vermont Attorney General election, 2010
- Governor of Vermont
- Secretary of State of Vermont
External links
- Official Vermont Attorney General website
- Bill Sorrell Official Campaign website
- Project Vote Smart - Bill Sorrell biography
- Sorrell on Facebook
- Follow Sorrell on Twitter
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 vtdigger.org, "AG Bill Sorrell will not seek re-election," September 28, 2015
- ↑ Manchester Journal, "Sorrell: A different kind of election," July 9, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Vermont office of the Attorney General, "Attorney General William H. Sorrell," accessed May 7, 2013
- ↑ WPTZ.com, "Donovan v Sorrell for Vermont Attorney General," March 20, 2012
- ↑ The Oyez Project - Randall v. Sorrell summary
- ↑ Vermont Democratic Party, "Priorities for our Attorney General and Secretary of State," April 24, 2013
- ↑ Burlington Free Press, "Bill Sorrell says he is bowing out as attorney general," September 29, 2015
- ↑ Burlington Free Press, "Sorrell claims victory says Donovan concedes," August 29, 2012
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State Elections Division, "2012 Candidate Listing," accessed October 19, 2012
- ↑ Vermont Public Radio, "Campaign 2012 Election Results" accessed November 6, 2012
- ↑ The Manchester Journal, "Sorrell: A different kind of election," July 9, 2012
- ↑ VTDigger, "Trail Tidbits: Poll shows Sorrell would beat Donovan two-to-one; Sorrell wins senatorial endorsements; Sears backs Donovan," May 22, 2012
- ↑ The Burlington Free Press, "Donovan earns his party's endorsement, but his primary challenger will likely, too," May 14, 2012
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Burlington Free Press, "Democratic Committee votes against endorsing Sorrell," July 21, 2012
- ↑ Burlington Free Press, "Democratic Committee votes against endorsing Sorrell," July 21, 2012
- ↑ Bill Sorrell for Attorney General, "Supporters," accessed July 23, 2012
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 2006 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 2002 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 1998 General Election Results
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State - 1998 General Election Results
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jeffrey L. Amestoy |
Vermont Attorney General 1997-2017 |
Succeeded by T.J. Donovan (D) |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
