Toby Moffett

Anthony "Toby" Moffett (August 18, 1944) was a Connecticut politician during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and a Member of the United States Congress from 1974 to 1983.

Moffett received degrees from Syracuse University and Boston College. In the early 1970s, he quit a job with the federal government to protest the Vietnam War. He then was aligned with consumer activist Ralph Nader and founded the Connecticut Citizen Action Group. Moffett parlayed this to a victory in 1974 for the 6th District House seat vacated by Ella Grasso when she ran for Governor.

A Democrat, Moffett held the northwestern Connecticut house seat until 1982. He was regarded as a liberal and an opponent of the oil industry. He was also closely aligned with labor unions.

In 1982 Moffett challenged U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker. While 1982 was a strong year for Democrats nationwide, liberal Republican Weicker was not considered too conservative by Connecticut voters, and defeated Moffett 52% to 46%. His protege, liberal state senator Bill Curry also lost the 6th District seat to Republican Nancy Johnson.

Moffett attempted a political comeback in 1986 seeking to gain the Democratic nomination over incumbent Governor William O'Neill. That effort failed. Moffett later was a broadcaster on WVIT television Channel 30 in Hartford.

Moffett's final comeback effort was in 1990 when he moved to the 5th District town of Newtown to seek election to the open congressional seat being vacated by John G. Rowland, who was running for governor. His opponent, Waterbury alderman Gary Franks pilloried Moffett as a carpetbagger far too liberal to represent conservative 5th District voters. Franks won the election.

Moffett is now a Washington consultant and works with firms such as Monsanto. In 2004 he broke with Ralph Nader regarding his independent candidacy for President. Moffett was among those who coordinated a national effort on behalf of the Democrats to deny votes and ballot access to the Nader campaign. He also recently criticized the independent campaign of Joe Lieberman.

External links

*http://www.stennis.gov/Congressional%20Bios/anthonymoffett.htm