Sam Caligiuri

{{short description|American politician}} {{more footnotes needed|date=October 2010}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Sam S.F. Caligiuri.jpg | name = Sam S. F. Caligiuri | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|August 23, 1966}} | birth_place = Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | state_senate = Connecticut State | district = 16th | term_start = January 2007 | term_end = January 2011 | predecessor = Chris Murphy | successor = Joe Markley | office1 = Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut | term_label1 = Acting | term_start1 = July 26, 2001 | term_end1 = January 1, 2002 | predecessor1 = Philip Giordano | successor1 = Michael Jarjura | party = Republican | alma_mater = Boston College (BA)<br />Yale University (MA)<br />Catholic University (JD) | spouse = Lori Caligiuri | children = 2 | footnotes = }}

'''Sam S. F. Caligiuri''' (born August 23, 1966) is an American lawyer and former Connecticut State Senator. In 2010, he ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, but switched for a House seat in Connecticut's 5th congressional district. He was ultimately unsuccessful, losing behind Chris Murphy, 54-46%.

In November 2006, Caligiuri was elected to the Connecticut State Senate to represent the 16th District, which comprises the eastern half of Waterbury as well as the city's eastern suburbs of Cheshire, Southington, and Wolcott.

==Legal career==

A native of Waterbury, he is a former partner with the Hartford office of Day Pitney, Connecticut's largest law firm. He received a B.A. from Boston College, a master's degree from Yale University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University of America School of Law.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.courant.com/2001/08/11/waterburys-new-hope/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726144022/https://www.courant.com/2001/08/11/waterburys-new-hope/ | archive-date=2023-07-26 | title=Waterbury's New Hope | date=11 August 2001 }}</ref> His law practice is focused on public finance.

Caligiuri served as deputy legal counsel to former Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland during Rowland's first term, before entering private practice prior to Rowland's landslide re-election in 1998 over then-Congresswoman Barbara Bailey Kennelly. He then ran for alderman in Waterbury and had been serving as president of Waterbury's board of aldermen when he was called upon to succeed Mayor Philip Giordano upon Giordano's arrest on charges of illegal conduct with children. Under the city's charter, the president of the board of aldermen becomes the acting mayor of the city when the sitting mayor becomes incapacitated. Caligiuri became the acting mayor when Giordano was arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.greaterwaterbury.com/waterbury_mayors.php|title=Waterbury CT Mayors}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.courant.com/2001/08/12/sam-caligiuris-first-days-on-the-job-he-came-out-of-knee-surgery-to-run-a-crippled-city/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101232034/https://www.courant.com/2001/08/12/sam-caligiuris-first-days-on-the-job-he-came-out-of-knee-surgery-to-run-a-crippled-city/ | archive-date=2024-01-01 | title=Sam Caligiuri's First Days on the Job He Came Out of Knee Surgery to Run a Crippled City | date=12 August 2001 }}</ref> Caligiuri swung into action immediately to restore confidence. He selected a chief of staff and put a plan in place to lead Waterbury through this difficult period. Caligiuri took a leave of absence from his law practice and served full-time for the remainder of his predecessor's term, which ended on December 31, 2001.

==Connecticut Senate==

Caligiuri's 2006 state senate victory was a rare bright spot for Connecticut's Republicans taking a previously Democratic seat. The departing incumbent from the 16th District, Democrat Chris Murphy, was vacating the seat to successfully challenge incumbent Republican Congresswoman Nancy Johnson.

Caligiuri was the lone Republican in the legislature to vote against the final version of the 2007–08 state budget. He opposed exceeding the state's constitutional spending cap.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ap-budget-deal-0625,0,355293.story?coll=hc-headlines-local |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729073923/http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ap-budget-deal-0625,0,355293.story?coll=hc-headlines-local |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |title=State Law Plays A Role In Dogs' Plight |publisher=Hartford Courant |date=June 25, 2009 |accessdate=August 13, 2010 }}</ref>

In July 2007 Caligiuri demanded a moratorium on further paroles in Connecticut following the home invasion murders of the Petit family by two paroled convicts. Investigation by the Hartford Courant revealed irregularities in the Connecticut parole process.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.courant.com/news/custom/topnews/hc-suspects0727.artjul27,0,279716.story?coll=hc_tab01_layout |title=Murder Suspect Scheduled For Probable Cause Hearing |publisher=Hartford Courant |date=July 27, 2010 |accessdate=August 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016080410/http://www.courant.com/news/custom/topnews/hc-suspects0727.artjul27%2C0%2C279716.story?coll=hc_tab01_layout |archivedate=October 16, 2007 }}</ref> In September 2007, Governor M. Jodi Rell announced a moratorium on the parole of violent offenders.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.courant.com/news/custom/topnews/hc-noparole-0921,0,3863424.story?coll=hc_tab01_layout |title=Topic Galleries |publisher=Hartford Courant |date= |accessdate=August 13, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On January 22, 2008 a special session was held which passed laws declaring home invasion a Class A felony and reforming the parole board. Caligiuri was the prime sponsor of a proposed Three Strikes Law in Connecticut, which was not adopted in the special session.

==Political campaigns== ===2010=== {{See also|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut#District 5}} Caligiuri challenged Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy in {{ushr|CT|5}}.

Caligiuri first planned to challenge Democratic incumbent Chris Dodd in the 2010 U.S. Senate election, as he indicated in February 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bartoli |first=Marilyn |url=http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2009/02/sen-sam-caligiuri-vs-sen-chris.html |title=Sen. Sam Caligiuri vs. Sen. Chris Dodd in 2010? - Capitol Watch |publisher=Hartford Courant |accessdate=August 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120707132353/http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2009/02/sen-sam-caligiuri-vs-sen-chris.html |archivedate=July 7, 2012 }}</ref> On March 18, 2009, he filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the seat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?S0CT00094 |title=REPORTS IMAGE INDEX FOR CANDIDATE ID S0CT00094 |publisher=Images.nictusa.com |date=March 18, 2009 |accessdate=August 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165221/http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?S0CT00094 |archivedate=March 3, 2016 }}</ref> On March 31, 2009, Caligiuri formally announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives instead, although he didn't formally end his Senate campaign until November 24, 2009. On May 21, 2010, Caligiuri received the state Republican Party's endorsement at its convention by winning 68% of the delegate votes on the first ballot. On August 10, 2010, Caligiuri defeated challengers Justin Bernier and Mark Greenberg in the Republican primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/08/connecticut-primaries-state-ho.html|title=Connecticut Primaries: Results|publisher=Hartford Courant|date=August 10, 2010|accessdate=August 13, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120707160002/http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/08/connecticut-primaries-state-ho.html|archivedate=July 7, 2012}}</ref>

In the November 2 general election, Caligiuri lost to incumbent Murphy by a 54% to 46% margin.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 November 2010 |title=Connecticut - County Vote Results |url=https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2010/general/by_county/us_house/CT.html?SITE=CTHARELN&SECTION=POLITICS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113162245/https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2010/general/by_county/us_house/CT.html?SITE=CTHARELN&SECTION=POLITICS |archive-date=13 January 2017 |access-date= |website=hosted.ap.org}}</ref>

==References== ;General *[http://www.samforcongress.com/ Official Website Sam Caligiuri for Congress] *[http://ctlocalpolitics.net/2009/09/02/caligiuri-finds-his-footing Caligiuri Finds His Footing]{{Dead link|date=November 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} *[https://archive.today/20130121094645/http://www.daypitney.com/people/people-detail.aspx?practice=&proID=121 Day Pitney LLP Biography] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070327021456/http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15670001 N.H. Register] *[http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1022263 Newstimeslive.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117042719/http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1022263 |date=2006-11-17 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050104080028/http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=14842 Caligiuri biodata] ;Specific {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://samforcongress.com/ Sam Caligiuri for U.S. Congress] ''official campaign site'' *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110929172831/http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_info/caligiuri.aspx Profile] at Connecticut Senate Republicans * {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=65159 | fec=H0CT05176 | congress= }} *[http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=CT05&cycle=2010 Campaign contributions] at OpenSecrets.org *[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/parties-announce-top-targets-in-2010-house-races FOX News - Parties Announce Target House Races], March 10, 2010

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | before = Philip Giordano | title = Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut (Acting) | years = 2001–2002 | after = Michael Jarjura }} {{s-par|us-ct-sen}} {{succession box | before = Chris Murphy | title = Member of the Connecticut State Senate<br>from the 16th district | years = 2007–2011 | after = Joe Markley }} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caligiuri, Sam}} Category:1966 births Category:21st-century mayors of places in Connecticut Category:Boston College alumni Category:Republican Party Connecticut state senators Category:Living people Category:Yale University alumni Category:Columbus School of Law alumni Category:Mayors of Waterbury, Connecticut Category:21st-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly Category:People associated with Day Pitney