Claudia Patton

Claudia Elizabeth Patton (born March 14, 1962) is an American Politician, Diplomat, and Attorney who currently serves as the 75th Governor of the State of Maine. She is married to Former Secretary of Defense Robert Armstrong.
== Early Life and Education ==
==== Upbringing ====
Claudia Elizabeth Patton was born in Augusta, Maine to George Patton IV and Lauren R. Rose on March 14th, 1962. Her father brought her up in the image of his own father, General George S. Patton, which fostered a deep reverence for the United States and its military. Claudia has said that this upbringing lead to her dedication to and love for the United States, including spawning an early interest in the workings of the federal government.
Growing up largely with her father overseas in Vietnam, she relied primarily on her mother for guidance and upbringing. Patton has described her mom as an "incredibly strong person" who "helped me to understand what it means to be a self-sufficient woman." Her mother was also heavily involved in Democratic party politics, and was responsible for first introducing Patton to the idea of eventually running for public office.
==== High School and Undergraduate Education ====
Patton attended Cony High School in Augusta and graduated as Valedictorian in 1980. Her speech to the graduating class was notable for its criticism of the school's policies regarding student protest, and its focus on being the change you wish to see in the world.
Patton attended Yale University, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science with a special focus in Constitutional Law.
==== May 19, 2004 Incident ====
In the days before her graduation from Yale, Patton was involved in an incident in which the vehicle she was operating slammed into an intoxicated pedestrian who had stumbled into the middle of the street. Patton called the police shortly after impact, and was promptly held for questioning when it was determined that the man had died on impact.
Patton faced no criminal charges for the incident, but she has called it "regrettable" and "something that haunts me every day of my life". Patton has confirmed that she has since made amends with the family of the deceased pedestrian.
==== Law School ====
Patton obtained her Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School and passed both the Maine and New Hampshire Bars at the age of 25, using a connection from her Constitutional law professor to snag a job working cases in both states as part of an inter-state civil rights firm.
== Early Career and The Pallot Administration ==
==== Private Practice and Pallot Campaign ====
Patton worked in private practice for 4 years before she was approached by another Yale Law connection that was involved in then Arkansas Governor Tom Pallot's legal team. Claudia has said she was extremely excited to join the team, citing it as the "golden opportunity" of her career.
During her time as one of the Presidential candidate's legal advisers, Patton began to develop a growing personal relationship with the future Commander in Chief. In The Unauthorized Biography of Tom Pallot, Author Kenneth Hurd, then a secret service agent, described the following scene on election night:
"[Pallot] was overjoyed when we could start to see that the victory was inevitable. His wife, brewing over her new spot in the national eye, approached her husband for a congratulatory hug. As she grew near the presumptive president-elect, [Patton] was already there, giving him the hug that could only have come from a lover. It was the underground topic of discussion among staffers for the next few days.Both Pallots have denied the validity of the story, and Patton has dismissed the claim as "exaggerated" and "grasping at straws." 
==== Diplomatic Career ====
===== Ambassador to the Netherlands (1993 - 1997) =====
Following Pallot's election and subsequent inauguration, Patton was nominated to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands, a position she accepted and was confirmed to by a vote of 87 - 11. Patton's tenure as Ambassador was generally unremarkable, and was focused on the upkeep and sustainability of existing bilateral investment agreements.
===== Ambassador to France (1997 - 2000) =====
Upon President Pallot's re-election, Patton was nominated to fill the role of United States Ambassador to France, a role to which she was confirmed by a vote of 98 - 2.
As ambassador, Patton organized the French-American Business Council (FABC), a 40-member council of U.S. and French corporate chief executives that met annually, with meetings held alternately in the United States and France. FABC meetings included President Pallot, President Chirac and Prime Minister Jospin, as well as U.S. cabinet secretaries and French government ministers. Meetings of the council continued during the presidencies of Owen K. Shrub and Nicolas Sarkozy.
In addition, Patton founded the French Regional and American Museum Exchange (FRAME), a consortium of 26 French and North American art museums that work together to sponsor major bilateral exhibitions and educational programs. After Patton left the ambassador's post in Paris, FRAME became an independent, non-profit organization, which Patton's husband, Robert Armstrong, now co-chairs.
== Blood Campaign ==
==== The Campaign ====
Towards the end of her diplomatic Career, Patton was tapped to help form the inner circle of the Alvin Blood Presidential Campaign, serving as both Chief Legal Adviser and Chief Foreign Policy Counsel. Blood has since pointed to Patton as one of his greatest assets during the campaign, and has called her "brilliant in all the right ways"
During the race, Patton was part of a faction within the Blood campaign opposed to the selection of Rhode Island Senator Lowell Janeski as his running mate, with preference instead going to Governor Ted Cross of North Carolina, a more Pallot-Friendly Conservative Democrat, who was ultimately not chosen.
Patton also believed that Blood distancing himself from the President would prove to be an inefficient strategy, given his relative recovery from the scandals that damaged his presidency and his stable approval rating, though this concern was mostly ignored, something former Blood staffers have called "a costly mistake".
In the campaign biography Blood's Sacrifice: The Stolen Election, it was revealed that Patton frequently played the role of Owen K. Shrub during debate prep.
==== Election Night and Shrub v. Blood ====
===== Election Night =====
On Election Night, Patton assured Blood that they would carry the state of Florida, given surging Jewish support for the campaign due to Senator Janeski's frequent stops in the state and recent polling that showed Blood with a 4 point lead over Shrub with likely voters. As the night went on and Florida was called for Blood, Patton believed she had been proven right, but when the state was thrown back into play, she was livid.
"She was raving about the networks," Blood's Campaign Manager would go on to say in his recollection of the night's events, "she was saying what everyone in the room was thinking."
When the state was moved into Shrub’s column, Patton and others advised Blood not to concede the race, calling the details "wishy-washy" and suggesting that something was wrong. Blood conceded the race to Shrub, but in the following hours retracted it as the state remained in contention.
===== Shrub v. Blood =====
Blood's legal team, headed by Patton, requested manual recounts in a number of counties, and as the issue made its way up the chain to the Supreme Court, Patton defended the campaign tooth and nail and demanded that "Democracy take its course".
When the final verdict was ultimately handed down as a 5 - 4 decision, Patton lambasted it, calling it one born out of "political biases and the violation of the judicial oath." However, Patton agreed that for the maintenance of a functional democracy, Blood should accept the ruling as handed down and drop all claim to the Presidency.
Patton has gone on to call the decision "One of the most transparently political stunts ever pulled by the Supreme Court of the United States," and "wrong on just about every level you can think of." Patton also fueled conspiracy when she famously stated in 2001 that "Something was rotten in the State of Florida", and publicly questioned then Governor John Shrub's potential role in the results. Patton clarified these remarks in 2002 during her run for Congress when she said: "Owen K. Shrub was lawfully elected to the Presidency. That's all I have to say on it."
== Political Career ==
=== Congressional Elections ===
==== 2002 Congressional Race ====
In 2002, taking both Blood and Pallot's advice to run for office herself, Patton ran to fill the seat of the retiring incumbent of Maine's 1st Congressional District, Christopher Holt. Patton faced minimal opposition in the Democratic primary and faced off against State Representative Devin Weaver in the general election. State newspapers would describe her campaign as "clean and efficient", leading to a smooth victory with 62% of the vote.
Party 	Candidate 	% of Popular Vote
Democratic Party	Claudia E. Patton	62.0%
Republican Party	Devin Weaver 	37.3%
Independent 	Bakari Cummings 	0.7%
==== 2004 Reelection Campaign ====
Patton faced off against retired schoolteacher Greg Conch in the Democratic Primary before beating Jennifer Wildern in the General Election.
Party 	Candidate 	% of Popular Vote
Democratic Party	Claudia E. Patton	59.8%
Republican Party	Jennifer Wildern 	40.2%
==== 2006 Reelection Campaign ====
Patton faced her toughest primary challenge yet in the form of former Augusta Mayor Ryan Jennings, but she managed to overcome his extremely well funded campaign by double digits. The General election was then a three-way race between Patton, Republican Lawyer Angus Stanley, and an Independent Jennings.
Party 	Candidate 	% of Popular Vote
Democratic Party	Claudia E. Patton	49.3%
Republican Party	Angus Stanley 	30.4%
Independent 	Ryan Jennings 	20.3%
==== 2008 Reelection Campaign ====
Patton coasted to Re-election in 2008, facing no primary challenge and winning her bid against Businessman Brock McGorlock with her highest vote showing yet.
Party 	Candidate 	% of Popular Vote
Democratic Party	Claudia E. Patton	70.3%
Republican Party	Brock McGorlock 	29.7%
==== 2010 Reelection Campaign ====
Patton faced no primary challenger and faced Republican optometrist Finn Coco in the 2010 general election.
Party 	Candidate 	% of Popular Vote
Democratic Party	Claudia E. Patton	68.6%
Republican Party	Finn Coco 	31.4%
==== 2012 Reelection Campaign ====
Speculation was rife that Patton would run for the open United States Senate seat in 2012, but she surprised everyone when she revealed that she would instead simply be seeking reelection to the House. She faced far-left activist Davide Herzog in the primary, and faced Republican Professor Larry Fall and Libertarian Party Chair Zachary Lintel in the general election.
Party 	Candidate 	% of Popular Vote
Democratic Party 	Claudia E. Patton	60.4%
Republican Party 	Larry Fall 	31.8%
Libertarian Party	Zachary Lintel 	7.8%
=== Congressional Tenure and Key Votes ===
===== Personal Impact =====
Patton's Congressional Career is marked by a generally liberal voting record and a focus on Educational, Workforce, and Diplomatic issues. Patton gained national recognition during her 3rd term in the House when she championed reform of America's primary school system and had passed what would be known as the "PASSES Act", which provided additional funding to afterschool programs, the arts, and the sciences. Patton was also the author of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which created a Private-Public partnership, the Corporation for Travel Promotion, which was tasked with promoting tourism in the United States. Patton's final notable influence in Congress was as a sponsor of the Drug Quality and Security Act.
Patton served on the Foreign Relations, Armed Services, and Education Committees during her last couple of terms in the house.
===== Iraq War =====
Patton was noted to have not supported the Iraq War, claiming that President Shrub had either "been duped or been duping" the American people about the presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. She sponsored several resolutions against the war and was the House sponsor for then Senator Albert Winston's Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007.
===== Gay Rights =====
Patton was a proponent of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and gave a speech on the floor of the House calling criticism of the legislation leveled by certain members of the opposition "Rooted in something that is definitely not reason." Patton also voted for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, calling it "Long past due".
===== Stimulus Package =====
Patton voted for the economic stimulus package, but cautioned "picking winners and losers is something we shouldn't have to do unless absolutely necessary."
===== Winstoncare =====
Patton was hesitant to vote for Winstoncare, citing opposition to the Individual Mandate, but she ultimately did so anyway.
===== Immigration =====
Patton was a strong proponent of the Gang of 8's 2013 Immigration Bill, and was "immensely disappointed" when it was not considered in the House.
=== 2014 Gubernatorial Bid ===
Patton resigned from her Congressional Seat on December 31st, 2013, kicking off the New Year with the announcement that she would run for Governor of Maine and do a full canvassing tour of the state. Her campaign picked up momentum swiftly, with multiple newspapers and major democratic figures endorsing Patton after her defeat of aspiring rapper Randy "Rad-Man" Rivers and State Senator Lara Loft in the Democratic primary.
Following her acquisition of the nomination, Patton prepared to face off against reliably unpopular Republican Incumbent Walter Legume. Patton led LeGume in the polls for the entirety of the race, which was only exacerbated when the LeGume campaign surprisingly agreed to two televised Gubernatorial debates, both of which he lost by sizable margins.
The LeGume campaign heated up the rhetoric towards the end of the campaign by running ads accusing Patton of being a "cold-blooded killer" due to the 1983 incident. Subsequent polling showed that a majority of voters were "disgusted" by LeGume's ad, and 17% of Swing voters called it the "deciding factor" in their decision to vote for someone other than the incumbent. 
Come election day, Patton won with 58% of the vote.
Party 	Candidate 	% of Popular Vote
Democratic Party	Claudia E. Patton	58.5%
Republican Party	Walter LeGume 	39.8%
Independent 	Marge Cutler 	1.7%
=== Gubernatorial Tenure ===
==== 2015 and 2016 ====
In 2015, Patton worked with the Maine state legislature to expand childcare options and explore paid family leave options.
In 2016, Patton was responsible for the creation of state-sponsored scholarships and programs for women who show interest in STEM fields.
==== 2017 ====
===== Actions and Achievements =====
Patton mobilized the Maine State Police in the aftermath of the New Hampshire College Bombing and extended an offer of aid to Governor Irina Kuznetsov.
In 2017, Patton signed an array of legislation on March 31, including the Maine-Israeli Affirmation and BDS Eliminations Act of 2017, causing national controversy. The bill targets the International Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement and forbids in totality the State Government of Maine from contracting with organizations which engage in said movement. Alongside this bill were also the Protect Maine's Coastal Livelihoods Act (PMCLA) and the Maine Alternate Energy Investment Act (MEA), pieces of legislation boosting environmentally friendly job creation, committing Maine to addressing Climate Change, raising the corporate tax rate by .225%, and re-appropriating some funds to the maintenance of Maine's coastal facilities.
Patton also passed the Second Amendment Affirmation Act of 2017, allowing for universal reciprocity for concealed carry permits in the state of Maine. The bill also increased magazine size allowance for Semi-Auto rifles used in hunting and reaffirmed Maine's commitment to the second amendment, enshrining Maine's gun laws as the "best in the nation". This was part of a greater compromise in which she was also able to pass the Common Sense Wages Act of 2017, which altered the currently scheduled annual minimum wage increases in Maine by an additional 25 cents per year.
===== Political Endorsements =====
In the 2017 Connecticut Special Senate Election, Patton initially endorsed "Establishment" Democrat and Mayor of Derby Carter J. Schmidt in the Democratic Primary over then primary challenger Sadan Singh, calling him a "good fit" for Connecticut and an "excellent candidate". Following Schmidt's apparent disappearance from the campaign trail however, Patton withdrew her endorsement and claimed that neither of the other candidates standing for office earned her "vote of confidence".
==== Approval Rating ====
Patton currently enjoys an approval rating of around 60%, with about 26% of Maine Residents expressing outright disapproval.
== Political Positions ==
==== General Ideology ====
Governor Patton has become a national figure due to her outspoken support of gun rights, centrist views, and willingness to break with her party, the most prominent example being her declaration that she had voted for President Calvin Reed in the 2016 Presidential Election over Democrat Robert Danders and Progressive Ellen Walton at the widely panned Democratic Unity Convention. That being said, Patton has maintained liberal views on a majority of topics, and such a viewpoint has been reflected in her congressional and gubernatorial record.
==== Abortion ====
Patton is Pro-Choice and has called for abortion to be "Safe, Legal, and Rare". She is, however, completely against partial-birth abortion, calling the procedure "a bit sickening" and decrying it as "not the same thing" as earlier term abortions.
==== Affirmative Action ====
Governor Patton is an opponent of allowing Universities to consider race when judging potential applicants, calling the policy "clearly racist and discriminatory".
==== Drug Use ====
Governor Patton is a supporter of the legalization of Marijuana for medical use, and has stated her ambivalence on the issue in regards to recreation. She has, however, been a strong advocate for keeping marijuana and alcohol out of the hands of kids and teenagers, and has created a task force to deal with said issues. Patton is also working with professionals to combat the Maine's opioid epidemic, and plans to create additional funding for Opoid programs in the next state budget.
==== The Environment ====
Patton is a self-described Environmentalist, calling for common ground to be struck between economic development and the preservation of America's natural wonders. She has a productive relationship with Maine's logging industry, and is working to help ensure they implement sustainable practices. She is in favor of President Calvin Reed's Carbon Tax. Patton is a strong proponent of Hydroelectric and Wind energy. Patton has called climate change deniers "severely misinformed" and has encouraged them to seek out
==== Education ====
Patton is a proponent of "strong, safe public schools", and is in favor an increased federal, and state, education budget. Patton has flirted with the idea of free Community College, but has said that such an idea is "not currently feasible".
==== Foreign Policy ====
Governor Patton is Pro-Israel, but she believes that a two-state solution is possible if the Palestinian side is willing to moderate its stances on several issues. She would prefer a "diplomatic solution" to the conflict above all else.
Patton is against a preemptive strike on North Korea, saying that such a move would be "needlessly aggressive" and "against the interests of the United States." She is in favor of increasing pressure on the Chinese government regarding the issue and bolstering a "triangle strategy" with China, South Korea, and Japan.
Patton is against regime change in Syria, stating that deposing Assad would simply lead to more problems in the region and would help prop up the Islamic State, as well as potentially lead to war with the Russian Federation.
Patton is in favor of increasing sanctions on Russia and expanding the NATO Alliance, encouraging the ascension of Sweden, Finland, and Georgia to the alliance. She has called NATO "The most brilliant Alliance ever devised."
==== Gun Rights ====
Patton is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment and is a member of the Liberal Gun Club. She has signed pro-gun legislation as Governor of Maine, voiced support for national concealed carry reciprocity, encouraged women to carry firearms for self-defense, and slammed anti-gun measures in Chicago and California, where the crime rate "is only higher as a result."
==== Immigration ====
Patton is a supporter of a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. She also believes the United States should increase existing border security measures. She is in favor of diversifying visas, creating additional categories for entrepreneurs and lower skilled workers. She is also in favor of additional visas/green-cards for students with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees from U.S. institutions.
Patton is a supporter of American acceptance of Syrian refugees, and has called the desire to accept none under any conditions "Un-American" in nature.
==== LGBT Rights ====
Patton was a supporter of civil unions until 2004, when she came out in support of Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption. Patton has also opposed efforts to restrict the bathroom usage of transgender individuals to the gender assigned on their birth certificate.
==== Trade ====
Patton is a proponent of free trade, but she had acknowledged that the plight of some American workers "cannot go unresolved" and that selective tariffs "are an option that is on the table".
== Personal Life ==
Patton is married to Former United States Marine Corps General and Secretary of Defense Robert Armstrong. The two met in 1991 in their official capacities, were engaged in 1997, and married in 1998. The two have no children.
In addition to English, Patton is fluent in both Dutch and French, the latter of which she has mastered to native-level proficiency.
She is the Granddaughter of General George S. Patton.
Patton is a known fan of foreign films and attends the Cannes Film Festival annually.
Patton has an intense and well known dislike for DNC Chair Norris Vilseck, Maryland Senator Anthony Conti, and Illinois Representative Jared O'Leary. Patton also has a personal grudge against the Shrub Family.
Patton is noted to have voted for Calvin Reed in the 2016 Presidential Election, and is personally discontent with the current state of the Democratic Party.Category:Democrats
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