Whitehouse, Sheldon (1955-…), became a United States senator in 2007. Whitehouse, a Democrat, represents Rhode Island. Prior to his election as senator, Whitehouse worked as a lawyer and served as Rhode Island’s attorney general.
Whitehouse was born on Oct. 20, 1955, in New York City. He received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1978 and a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1982.
Following his graduation from law school, Whitehouse worked as an attorney in private practice. In 1985, he became a special assistant attorney general for Rhode Island. From 1991 to 1992, Whitehouse served as policy director for Rhode Island’s governor, Bruce Sundlun. Whitehouse was the state’s head business regulator from 1992 to 1994. President Bill Clinton appointed Whitehouse U.S. attorney for the Rhode Island district in 1994. Whitehouse served in the position until his election as state attorney general in 1998. As U.S. attorney, Whitehouse worked to prosecute gang members and to reduce crime in Rhode Island. As state attorney general, he supported stronger gun-control laws and measures to improve health care services.
Whitehouse ran for governor in 2002 but lost a close Democratic primary race. He worked as an attorney in private practice from 2002 until his election as a U.S. senator in 2006. Whitehouse beat incumbent Senator Lincoln D. Chafee, a moderate Republican, in the race for the U.S. Senate. Whitehouse was reelected in 2012 and 2018. In the Senate, Whitehouse became one of the chamber’s leading advocates for policies to address climate change.
