vt_gov_DEAN
GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN
Age: 49 Born: November 17, 1948; New York, New York Education: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, M.D. (1978); Yale University, B.A. (1971) Military: None Family: Married - Judy Steinberg; Two children Hometown: Burlington, Vermont Religion: Congregationalist Career: Governor (1991-present); Lieutenant Governor (1987-1991); State Representative (1983-86); Practicing physician (1981-91) |
• Born in New York City, Dean grew up in East Hampton, N.Y and attended prep school in Rhode Island. He studied political science at Yale University, where he was good friends with "Doonesbury" creator Gary Trudeau. After graduating in 1971, Dean decided to become a ski bum for a year, then chose to study medicine.
• After finishing Albert Einstein Medical School in 1978, Dean moved to Vermont to do his internship and residency. It wasn't long before he started mixing politics with medicine. He went to work for Jimmy Carter's 1980 Presidential campaign and became a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. In 1983, he was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives and, in 1986, to his first term as Lieutenant Governor. He easily won re-election in 1988 and 1990.
• Dean practiced medicine part time while serving as the state's second in command. On the morning of August 14, 1991, he was treating a patient in his office when he received a phone call informing him that Governor Richard Snelling had died of a heart attack. Shortly after noon that day, Dean was sworn in as the 78th governor of the state.
• Dean easily won election on his own in 1992. He committed himself to enacting health care reform and pushed some limited reforms through the 1992 legislature. However, a single-payer health care plan seeking to provide Vermonters with universa access to health insurance bogged down in the 1994 legislature due to opposition from both sides of the aisle. Despite the setback, DeanÂ's efforts to reform health care have helped him build a national reputation. He worked closely with Hillary Rodham Clinton's task force in developing the Clinton health care plan, and he also headed up a GovernorÂ's task force on the subject.
• Dean has clobbered his opponents in recent elections, taking 70% of the vote in 1994 and 71% in 1996. He served as chairman of the National GovernorÂ's Association in 1994-95 and the Democratic Governors Association in 1997-98. In late 1997, speculation was rampant that he was considering a presidential bid for 2000, but he denied it. Nonetheless, Dean has been mentioned as a potential presidential or vice presidential candidate in the future.