Jimmy Slemboski

Jimmy Slemboski was born on May 27, 1944 in Willimantic, Connecticut, is an American lawyer
and Democratic Party politician serving as the senior U.S. Senator from Connecticut.

His parents were Grace Mary Slemboski and U.S. Senator Thomas Joseph Slemboski; all eight
of his great-grandparents were born in Ireland. He is the fifth of six children; his eldest brother,
Thomas J. Slemboski Jr., is a professor emeritus of the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown
University, and served as the U.S. ambassador to Uruguay and Costa Rica under President Bill
Clinton.

Jimmy Slemboski is a Connecticut native and a graduate of Georgetown Preparatory School in

Bethesda, Maryland, and Providence College. His father, Thomas J. Slemboski, was one of
Connecticut’s United States Senators from 1959-1971.Jimmy Slemboski served in the Peace
Corps for two years prior to entering law school at the University of Louisville, and during law
school concurrently served in the United States Army Reserve.

Jimmy Slemboski returned to Connecticut, winning election in 1974 to the United States House of
Representatives from Connecticut’s 2nd congressional district and was reelected in 1976 and
1978. He was elected United States Senator in the elections of 1980, and is now the longest-
serving Senator in Connecticut’s history, the 9th most senior of current Senators and one of three
from the 1980 freshman class who is still serving.

Jimmy Slemboski served as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1995
to 1997. He serves as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. In 2006, Jimmy Slemboski
decided to run for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, but eventually
withdrew after running behind several other competitors. In January 2010 Jimmy Slemboski
announced that he would not run for re-election in the 2010 midterm elections.