Peter Diamondstone

Peter Diamondstone
Diamondstone in 2014
Personal details
Born	(1934-12-19) December 19, 1934 The Bronx, New York City, New York
Political party	Liberty Union Socialist
Spouse(s)	Doris Lake (m. 1957)
Children	4[1]
Residence	Brattleboro, Vermont
Alma mater	University of Chicago
Profession	Lawyer, Politician
Known for	Political activist, Co-founder of Liberty Union Party

Peter Isaac "Pete" Diamondstone (born December 19, 1934)^[2] is an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Vermont, best known as a perennial candidate and co-founder of the Liberty Union Party. He is currently running in the United States Senate election in Vermont, 2016.^[3]

Early life

Diamondstone was born in the New York borough of The Bronx in 1934. In 1944, Diamondstone got a job passing out flyers for the presidential campaign of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He received a law degree from the University of Chicago in 1960 and moved to Vermont in 1968, and soon began his involvement in politics there.^[2][4]

Career

Diamondstone, along with former U.S. Congressman William H. Meyer, Bernie Sanders (who is a current U.S. senator), and others, founded the Liberty Union Party in 1970.^[5] Since then, he has run every two years for various political offices, never receiving more than 8% of the vote in general elections.^[2]

Diamondstone arrived late to a debate for U.S. Congress in 1980, and was told he would not be able to participate. He remained in the debate area and was arrested.^[4] He was also arrested in 1996 while attempting to participate in a debate for U.S. Congress, for which he was a candidate. He participated in a 2014 debate for governor of Vermont, along with all six other candidates.^[2]

Personal life

Diamondstone and his wife, Doris Lake, have four children: Aaron, Jessy, Ian, and Paula.^[1] He is an atheist.^[6]

Electoral history

Scattering votes are not included.

1970s

Vermont Attorney General Democratic primary, 1970^[7]

• Thomas P. Salmon (Democratic) – 19,513 (66.97%)
• Peter Diamondstone (D) – 9,553 (32.79%)

Vermont Attorney General election, 1970^[8]

• Jim Jeffords (Republican) – 85,515 (57.83%)
• Thomas P. Salmon (D) – 60,373 (40.83%)
• Peter Diamondstone (Liberty Union) – 1,987 (1.34%)

Vermont Attorney General Republican primary, 1972^[9]

• Kimberly B. Cheney (R) – 20,307 (33.62%)
• Natt L. Divoll (R) – 18,300 (30.30%)
• Robert E. West (R) – 13,095 (21.68%)
• Sten E. Lium (R) – 5,009 (8.29%)
• Peter Diamondstone (R) – 3,669 (6.07%)

Vermont Attorney General election, 1972^[10]

• Kimberly B. Cheney (R) – 101,480 (57.89%)
• Richard Gadbois (D) – 67,884 (38.72%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 5,989 (3.36%)

Vermont's at-large congressional district Democratic primary, 1974^[11]

• Francis J. Cain (D) – 9,415 (41.37%)
• Margaret A. Lucenti (D) – 3,384 (14.87%)
• John J. Welch (D) – 3,004 (13.20%)
• Francis J. Esposito (D) – 2,804 (12.32%)
• Dennis J. Morrisseau (D) – 2,623 (11.52%)
• Peter Diamondstone (D) – 1,426 (6.27%)

Vermont Attorney General election, 1976^[12]

• M. Jerome Diamond (D) – 89,839 (53.17%)
• John P. Meaker (R) – 71,960 (42.59%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 7,153 (4.23%)

United States House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1978^[13]

• Jim Jeffords (R) – 90,668 (75.26%)
• Sarah Marie Dietz (D) – 23,228 (19.28%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 6,505 (5.40%)

1980s

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1980^[14]

• Jim Jeffords (R) – 154,274 (79.24%)
• Robin Lloyd (Citizens) – 24,758 (12.72%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 15,218 (7.82%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1982^[15]

• Jim Jeffords (R) – 114,191 (69.23%)
• Mark A. Kaplan (D) – 38,296 (23.22%)
• Robin Lloyd (C) – 6,409 (3.89%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 2,794 (1.69%)
• Morris Earle (Small is Beautiful) – 1,733 (1.05%)
• George E. Trask (Libertarian) – 1,407 (0.85%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1984^[16][17]

• Jim Jeffords (R) – 148,025 (65.41%)
• Anthony Pollina (D) – 60,360 (26.67%)
• Jim Hedbor (L) – 9,359 (4.14%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 4,858 (2.15%)
• Morris Earle (SIB) – 3,313 (1.46%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1986^[18]

• Jim Jeffords (R) – 168,403 (89.12%)
• John T. McNulty (Pro-life) – 7,404 (3.92%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 7,060 (3.74%)
• Morris Earle (SIB) – 5,850 (3.10%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1988^[19]

• Peter Plympton Smith (R) – 98,937 (41.21%)
• Bernie Sanders (Independent) – 90,026 (37.50%)
• Paul N. Poirier (D) – 45,330 (18.88%)
• Jim Hedbor (L) – 3,109 (1.30%)
• Peter Diamondstone (SIB) – 1,455 (0.61%)
• Morris Earle (SIB) – 1,070 (0.45%)

1990s

Vermont's at-large congressional district Democratic primary, 1990^[20]

• Dolores Sandoval (D) – 5,979 (41.27%)
• Peter Diamondstone (D) – 5,711 (39.42%)
• Bernie Sanders (write–in, D) – 2,005 (13.84%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1990^[21]

• Bernie Sanders (I) – 117,522 (56.00%)
• Peter Plympton Smith (R) – 82,938 (39.52%)
• Dolores Sandoval (D) – 6,315 (3.01%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 1,965 (0.94%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1992^[22]

• Bernie Sanders (I) – 162,724 (57.78%)
• Tim Philbin (R) – 86,901 (30.86%)
• Lewis E. Young (D) – 22,279 (7.91%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 3,660 (1.30%)
• John Dewey (Natural Law) – 3,549 (1.26%)
• Douglas M. Miller (Freedom for LaRouche) – 2,049 (0.73%)

Vermont Attorney General election, 1994^[23]

• Jeffrey Amestoy (R) – 176,857 (87.14%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 11,210 (5.52%)
• Joseph P. Mulcahy (NL) – 7,753 (3.73%)
• Ted Talcott (Vermont Grassroots) – 7,062 (3.48%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1996^[24]

• Bernie Sanders (I) – 140,678 (55.23%)
• Susan W. Sweetser (R) – 83,021 (32.60%)
• Jack Long (D) – 23,830 (9.36%)
• Thomas J. Morse (L) – 2,693 (1.06%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 1,965 (0.77%)
• Robert Melamede (VG) – 1,350 (0.53%)
• Norio Kushi (NL) – 812 (0.32%)

Vermont's at-large congressional district Democratic primary, 1998^[25]

• Bernie Sanders (write-in, D) – 1,661 (47.88%)
• Mark Candon (write–in, D) – 524 (15.11%)
• Jack Long (write–in, D) – 465 (13.40%)
• Peter Diamondstone (write–in, D) – 352 (10.15%)

Vermont's at-large congressional district Republican primary, 1998^[26]

• Mark Candon (R) – 23,101 (48.43%)
• Jack Long (R) – 15,716 (32.95%)
• Peter Diamondstone (R) – 8,327 (17.46%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1998^[27]

• Bernie Sanders (I) – 136,403 (63.40%)
• Mark Candon (R) – 70,740 (32.88%)
• Matthew S. Mulligan (VG) – 3,464 (1.61%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 2,153 (1.00%)
• Robert Maynard (L) – 2,097 (0.98%)

2000s

Vermont's at-large congressional district Democratic primary, 2000^[28]

• Peter Diamondstone (D) – 20,539 (90.94%)
• Bernie Sanders (write–in, D) – 1,337 (5.92%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 2000^[29]

• Bernie Sanders (I) – 196,118 (69.21%)
• Karen Ann Kerin (R) – 51,977 (18.34%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU, D, Organic Life) – 14,918 (5.27%)
• Stewart Skrill (I) – 11,816 (4.17%)
• Jack Rogers (VG) – 4,799 (1.69%)
• Daniel H. Krymkowski (L) – 2,978 (1.05%)

Governor of Vermont Progressive primary, 2002^[30]

• Michael J. Badamo (Progressive) – 931 (54.16%)
• Peter Diamondstone (P) – 412 (23.97%)

Vermont gubernatorial election, 2002^[31]

• Jim Douglas (R) – 103,436 (44.94%)
• Doug Racine (D) – 97,565 (42.39%)
• Cornelius Hogan (I) – 22,353 (9.71%)
• Cris Ericson (Marijuana) – 1,737 (0.76)
• Michael Badamo (P) – 1,380 (0.60%)
• Joel W. Williams (L) – 938 (0.41%)
• Patricia Hejny (VG) – 771 (0.34%)
• Marilynn Christian (Restore Justice-Freedom) – 638 (0.28%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 625 (0.27%)
• Brian Pearl (I) – 569 (0.25%)

Governor of Vermont Progressive primary, 2004^[32]

• Martha Abbott (write–in, P) – 375 (55.07%)
• Peter Diamondstone (P) – 190 (27.90%)

Vermont gubernatorial election, 2004^[33]

• Jim Douglas (R) – 181,540 (58.74%)
• Peter Clavelle (D) – 117,327 (37.96%)
• Cris Ericson (M) – 4,221 (1.37%)
• Patricia Hejny (I) – 2,431 (0.79%)
• Harland Arthur Macia III (L) – 2,263 (0.73%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 1,298 (0.42%)

United States Senate election in Vermont, 2006^[34]

• Bernie Sanders (I) – 171,638 (65.41%)
• Rich Tarrant (R) – 84,924 (32.36%)
• Cris Ericson (I) – 1,735 (0.66%)
• Craig Hill (Green) – 1,536 (0.59%)
• Peter Moss (Anti–Bushist) – 1,518 (0.58%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 801 (0.31%)

Vermont gubernatorial election, 2008^[35]

• Jim Douglas (R) – 170,492 (53.43%)
• Anthony Pollina (I) – 69,791 (21.87%)
• Gaye Symington (D) – 69,534 (21.79%)
• Tony O'Connor (Cheap Renewable Energy) – 3,106 (0.97%)
• Sam Young (I) – 2,490 (0.78%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 1,710 (0.54%)
• Cris Ericson (I) – 1,704 (0.53%)

2010s

United States Senate election in Vermont, 2010^[36]

• Patrick Leahy (D) – 151,281 (64.33%)
• Len Britton (R) – 72,699 (30.91%)
• Daniel Freilich (I) – 3,544 (1.51%)
• Cris Ericson (M) – 2,731 (1.16%)
• Stephen J. Cain (I) – 2,356 (1.00%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU, Socialist) – 1,433 (0.61%)
• Johenry Nunes (I) – 1,021 (0.43%)

United States Senate election in Vermont, 2012^[37]

• Bernie Sanders (I) – 207,848 (71.00%)
• John MacGovern (R) – 72,898 (24.90%)
• Cris Ericson (M) – 5,924 (2.02%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 2,511 (0.86%)
• Peter Moss (Peace & Prosperity) – 2,452 (0.84%)
• Laurel LaFramboise (VoteKISS) – 877 (0.30%)

Vermont gubernatorial election, 2014^[38]

• Peter Shumlin (D) – 89,509 (46.36%)
• Scott Milne (R) – 87,075 (45.10%)
• Dan Feliciano (L) – 8,428 (4.37%)
• Em Peyton (I) – 3,157 (1.64%)
• Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 1,673 (0.87%)
• Bernard Peters (I) – 1,434 (0.74%)
• Cris Ericson – 1,089 (0.56%)

References