Katrina Swett
Encyclopedia
Katrina Swett is a professor and politician, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic
primary for Congress in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district
during the 2010 United States
midterm elections.
and Annette Lantos, came to America from Hungary
after the Holocaust. She has a sister, Annette.
Swett attended Yale University
, graduating with a degree in Political Science
. She received her Juris Doctor
in 1976 after attending the University of California
, Hastings College of Law. In 2006 she earned her Ph.D.
in History
with a Focus on Human Rights
and United States Foreign Policy from the University of Southern Denmark
.
She is the wife of Ambassador and former Congressman Richard Swett
and daughter of the late Congressman Tom Lantos
, vice president of Swett Associates, Inc., a consulting firm. Swett met Richard Swett at Yale, where she also joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, largely through her interactions with Jeffrey R. Holland
. Katrina and Richard married in 1980. They have seven children and live in New Hampshire.
campaigns for Congress. She was a Congressional staffer, first as a legislative
assistant and then as Deputy Counsel
to the Criminal Justice
Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
She co-hosted a political talk show, "Beyond Politics" on WMUR TV Channel 9 with former Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Tamposi. She ran in 2002 against Republican incumbent U.S. Representative Charles Bass and received less than 41% of vote, losing by 16%.
Swett was national co-chair of Joe Lieberman
's 2004 presidential race. She was also a supporter of Lieberman in his successful 2006 re-election campaign as an Independent against Democrat
Ned Lamont
and Republican nominee Alan Schlesinger
.
Republican
John E. Sununu
. She began raising funds for her current (2008) campaign for the Senate. However, when former Governor and 2002 nominee Jeanne Shaheen
announced her candidacy, Swett withdrew and endorsed Shaheen.
in the 2010 elections.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary for Congress in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district
New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district
New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district covers the western and northern parts of New Hampshire. It includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord...
during the 2010 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
midterm elections.
Early life, education and career
Swett is a first-generation American. Her parents, Congressman Tom LantosTom Lantos
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death, representing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwest San Francisco...
and Annette Lantos, came to America from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
after the Holocaust. She has a sister, Annette.
Swett attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, graduating with a degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. She received her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1976 after attending the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, Hastings College of Law. In 2006 she earned her Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
with a Focus on Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and United States Foreign Policy from the University of Southern Denmark
University of Southern Denmark
The University of Southern Denmark, with campuses located in the southwestern part of Denmark - i.e. Funen, Southern Jutland and Sealand - is a research and educational institution with deep regional roots and an international outlook. Reaching even further south, the university offers a number of...
.
She is the wife of Ambassador and former Congressman Richard Swett
Richard Swett
Richard "Dick" Swett is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Hampshire.-Early life, education and career:Swett was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and moved to New Hampshire with his family as a child...
and daughter of the late Congressman Tom Lantos
Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death, representing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwest San Francisco...
, vice president of Swett Associates, Inc., a consulting firm. Swett met Richard Swett at Yale, where she also joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, largely through her interactions with Jeffrey R. Holland
Jeffrey R. Holland
Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by...
. Katrina and Richard married in 1980. They have seven children and live in New Hampshire.
Political career
Swett ran two of her father'sTom Lantos
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death, representing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwest San Francisco...
campaigns for Congress. She was a Congressional staffer, first as a legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
assistant and then as Deputy Counsel
Counsel
A counsel or a counselor gives advice, more particularly in legal matters.-U.K. and Ireland:The legal system in England uses the term counsel as an approximate synonym for a barrister-at-law, and may apply it to mean either a single person who pleads a cause, or collectively, the body of barristers...
to the Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
She co-hosted a political talk show, "Beyond Politics" on WMUR TV Channel 9 with former Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Tamposi. She ran in 2002 against Republican incumbent U.S. Representative Charles Bass and received less than 41% of vote, losing by 16%.
Swett was national co-chair of Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
's 2004 presidential race. She was also a supporter of Lieberman in his successful 2006 re-election campaign as an Independent against Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Ned Lamont
Ned Lamont
Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the...
and Republican nominee Alan Schlesinger
Alan Schlesinger
Alan Schlesinger is an attorney, former Derby, Connecticut mayor, former Connecticut State Representative, and three-time unsuccessful Congressional candidate who received the Republican nomination for the seat representing Connecticut that is currently held by U.S...
.
2008 U.S. Senate campaign
On January 18, 2007, Katrina Swett announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in the 2008 elections in New Hampshire, in hopes of being the Democratic nominee to unseat incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
John E. Sununu
John E. Sununu
John Edward Sununu is a former Republican United States Senator from New Hampshire, of Lebanese and Palestinian Christian ancestry. Sununu was the youngest member of the Senate for his entire six year term. He is the son of former New Hampshire Governor John H...
. She began raising funds for her current (2008) campaign for the Senate. However, when former Governor and 2002 nominee Jeanne Shaheen
Jeanne Shaheen
Jeanne Shaheen is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and the Senior United States Senator from New Hampshire. The first woman in U.S. history to be elected as both a Governor and U.S. Senator, she was the first woman to be elected Governor of New Hampshire, serving from...
announced her candidacy, Swett withdrew and endorsed Shaheen.
2010 U.S. House of Representatives campaign
On January 14, 2010, Katrina Swett announced her candidacy for the Democratic Primary for Congress in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional districtNew Hampshire's 2nd congressional district
New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district covers the western and northern parts of New Hampshire. It includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord...
in the 2010 elections.
External links
- Swett for Congress official campaign site
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Profile at SourcewatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...