Daniel Vance (1958-) was an American Democratic politician who served as a US Senator from Rhode Island from 9 April 2001 to 3 January 2009 and President of the United States from 3 January 2009 to 21 November 2011 (succeeding Eric Zachary and preceding Matthew Alden). Vance was originally Senate Minority Leader, and, in that capacity, he led the Democrats to win an upset landslide at the 2009 Senate elections. That same year, Vance was elected President with 56.3% of the vote. Vance's presidency saw the Democrats' popularity and seat count rise from 57.28% and 20/48 seats to 78.52% (+21.24%) and 38/48 seats (+18 seats) as the Democratic Party presided over a period of economic growth, expansion of public services, and Republican disintegration.
Biography[]
Daniel Vance was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1958. He worked as a corporate lawyer before entering politics as a Democrat, and he served as a US Senator from 2001 to 2009. He was selected as his party's presidential nominee in 2008, but he was defeated by Republican incumbent Eric Zachary by a margin of 53.1% to 46.9%, as a global trend of conservatism favored the Republicans. However, a series of scandals within the Republican Party led to Vance using the media to blast the Republican Party's mismanagement, leading to a silent swing in public opinion which manifested itself in the December 2008 elections. That month, in a swing of 14.73%, the Democrats won 57.28% of the vote and increased their seat count in the Senate from 20 to 27/48 seats, granting them a narrow majority, and reducing the Republicans to 42.72% and 21 seats. Vance avenged his first defeat by going on to defeat Zachary by a margin of 56.3% to 43.8% in the ensuing presidential election.
Presidency[]
Vance inherited a national budget of $107 million with a weekly decrease of $1 million. Vance, cautious about his narrow majority, intended to turn the economy around during his first term. The Senate voted 25-19 for an air travel tax; a week later, Republican lawmaker Rich Baggs' corruption scandal bolstered the Democrats' comparative popularity. Two weeks later, Democratic fundraising skyrocketed to $348 million, while the Republicans fell to $271 million. The Senate also undid several Republican reforms, voting 35-7 to end the draft, 43-2 to abolish protest prohibition, 39-2 to abolish the death sentence, 23-14 to approve a land tax, 32-5 to keep the travel visa, 39-2 to keep the custom duty, 31-6 to keep the pollution tax, 34-4 to fund retirement homes 27-13 against the Olympic Games, 29-7 to keep public libraries, 39-0 for road maintenance, 29-6 for an airport tax, 40-0 for working times, 44-0 to fund national parks, 26-16 against a 5-seat election majority bonus, 24-18 to abolish fossil fuel subsidies, 26-18 against a 3% electoral threshold, 34-6 to keep enviromental education, and 24-21 to defund the teaching of religion in schools.
On 30 November 2009, new elections saw the Democrats win 61.32% of the vote (+4.04%) and 29/48 seats (+1 seats), while the Republicans fell to 38.68% (-4.04%) and 19 seats (-2 seats). Justin Talbot (D-NH) and Ron Velasco (D-NY) were elected to the Senate, boosting the Democrats' majority, which grew even more comfortable. Vance went on to win re-election by a margin of 60.3% to Zachary's 39.7%.
Vance's second term saw the Senate vote 27-19 against making America a tax haven, 27-20 to approve an animal testing ban, 32-11 for data privacy, 26-15 for gender quotas, 28-12 for maternity leave, 31-3 to keep working times, 28-12 for arts subsidies, 27-14 against the death sentence, 40-1 to fund NATO, 25-6 to keep the airport tax, 30-8 against funding the Olympics, 26-15 against protest prohibition, 33-7 for birthright citizenship, 41-3 for an air pollution monitor, 37-4 for road maintenance, 31-7 for environmental education, 31-9 to keep the pollution tax, and 32-8 to approve a car tax.
On 22 November 2010, new elections were held, and the Democrats, more popular than ever, won 69.6% of the vote (+8.28%) and 33/48 seats (+4 seats) in the Senate, while the Republicans fell to 30.4% (-8.28%) and 15/48 seats (-4 seats). The strong economy, which had reached $110 million with a weekly increase of $1 million, as well as the popular policies enacted by Vance, won the support of a broad spectrum of American voters. Robert Vannelli (D-NJ), Kwame Josephs (D-IL), Ben Cloudcroft (D-MN), and Kenneth Cabell (D-WV) were elected to the Senate, leaving the Democrats just three seats short of a supermajority. Vance easily won election to a third term with 59.2% of the vote to Zachary's 40.8%.
Vance's third term saw the Senate vote 29-14 against teaching religion in schools, 41-5 against a church tax, and 28-16 against the draft; by New Year's Day of 2011, the budget had risen to $124 million, with a weekly increase of $3 million. The Senate then voted 43-3 to fund labor unions, 27-17 for anti-money laundering legislation, 31-12 for a 5-seat election majority bonus (though failing due to not meeting the threshold), 35-3 to keep the airport tax, 30-15 to subsidize renewable energy, 28-13 to raise the national minimum wage, 29-15 to approve public housing, 33-10 against the death sentence, 34-9 against the Olympics, 28-12 against making America a tax haven, 32-11 for a coffee tax, 28-9 for a GMO ban, 36-2 to keep maternity leave, 32-7 for recycling, 43-1 for a housing tax, 30-12 against protest prohibition, and 31-6 to keep the car tax.
On 7 November 2011, new elections were held, and the Democrats increased their share of the vote to 78.52 (+8.92%) and their majority to 38/48 seats (+5 seats), achieving a supermajority; the Republicans fell to 21.48% (-8.92%) and 10/48 seats (-5 seats). As the Republican Party collapsed, Democrats Brian Scout (D-KY), Donald Hanrahan (D-AL), Silvio Cabral (D-TX), Davitt Sands (D-MS), and Joy Garcia (D-KS) were elected in formerly-safe Republican states, with the help of increased ethnic-minority and moderate turnout and Republican voters' growing distrust of the electoral system. On 21 November 2011, Vance stepped down as President as Matthew Alden won the presidency with 69.9% of the vote.