Peter Isaac Diamondstone (December 19, 1934 – August 30, 2017) was an American lawyer and socialist politician from the state of Vermont, best known as a perennial candidate and co-founder of the Liberty Union Party. He ran for various Vermont political offices, always unsuccessfully, in every election cycle from 1970 until 2016.

Early life

Diamondstone was born in the New York borough of The Bronx in 1934 and raised in the borough of Queens. His father was a dentist and a socialist. In 1944, at the age of nine, Diamondstone got a job passing out flyers for the fourth presidential campaign of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956. Diamondstone received a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1960 and moved to Vermont in 1968, where he soon entered the political scene.

Career

Diamondstone, along with former U.S. Congressman William H. Meyer,

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

(who is a current U.S. Senator), and others, founded the Liberty Union Party in 1970. From then until his death, he ran every two years for various political offices, never receiving more than 8% of the vote in general elections. While Diamondstone usually carried the Liberty Union banner in his political campaigns, he occasionally ran under other party labels and even entered Democratic and Republican primaries. In

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, he was the official Democratic nominee for U.S. House of Representatives and placed a distant third, behind Bernie Sanders (running as an independent) and Republican Karen Ann Kerin. 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. He was also arrested in 1996 while attempting to participate in a debate for U.S. Congress, for which he was a candidate. In 2006, Diamondstone was escorted off stage and charged with disorderly conduct after cursing at students in the audience and repeatedly speaking past his allotted time during a U.S. Senate debate. Once a friend and political ally of Bernie Sanders, the two gradually drifted apart as Sanders transitioned into mainstream electoral politics. In 1984, Diamondstone passed out anti-Sanders flyers, calling him a " Quisling" and criticizing him for endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale. He did not endorse Sanders' 2016 presidential candidacy and referred to him as a war criminal for supporting the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

Political positions

Diamondstone was a supporter of Vermont seceding from the United States. He advocated for community ownership of the means of production as well as

nationalization Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...

of the healthcare system and increasing the number of paid leave and paid vacation days. Diamondstone also believed in disbanding the Vermont National Guard and replacing it with a civilian militia. He opposed water fluoridation, genetically modified food, and the

HPV vaccine Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against at least HP ...

, which he referred to as a "Big Pharma sham". Diamondstone was an advocate of eliminating the voting age. He also wanted to open hearings to investigate conspiracy theories relating to the September 11 attacks. Diamondstone, while coming from a Jewish family, was an opponent of Zionism, saying, "Zionism has nothing to do with Judaism. As a matter of fact, probably about 90 percent of all Zionists are Christians." He endorsed withdrawing all military aid to Israel and criticized "war crimes and genocide" perpetrated by the Israeli government. Ideologically, he identified as a "nonviolent revolutionary socialist". He argued it is an imperative for capitalism to end, to be replaced by a socialist economic system.

Personal life

Diamondstone married Doris Lake in 1957. They had four children. He was an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. Diamondstone died at his home in Dummerston, Vermont on August 30, 2017, at age 82. According to his wife, he was suffering from several ailments, including heart and kidney diseases, and had been recently released from the hospital. Diamondstone also suffered from leg sores which required him to wear shorts to stay comfortable. Upon his death, Bernie Sanders said, "I first met Peter Diamondstone over 45 years ago. While I have not had any real contact with him for many, many years, I have the feeling that he never changed. Peter was a very independent thinker, unafraid to express his (often controversial) point of view on any subject. As a result, he forced people to examine and defend their own positions. No small thing. In his own way, Peter played an important role in Vermont politics for many decades."

Electoral history

''Scattering votes are not included.''

1970s

Vermont Attorney General The Vermont Attorney General is a statewide elected executive official in the U.S. state of Vermont who is elected every two years. It was created by an act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1790, repealed in 1797, and revived in 1904. The office ...

Democratic primary, 1970 *

Thomas P. Salmon Thomas Paul Salmon (born August 19, 1932) is an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 75th governor of Vermont from 1973 to 1977. Biography Salmon was born in Cleveland, Ohio, raised in Stow, Massachusetts, and attended Hudson ...

(

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

) – 19,513 (66.97%) * Peter Diamondstone (D) – 9,553 (32.79%) Vermont Attorney General election, 1970 *

Jim Jeffords James Merrill Jeffords (May 11, 1934 – August 18, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. senator from Vermont. Sworn into the Senate in 1989, he served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become ...

( Republican) – 85,515 (57.83%) *

(D) – 60,373 (40.83%) * Peter Diamondstone ( Liberty Union) – 1,987 (1.34%) Vermont Attorney General Republican primary, 1972 * 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 * 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 * 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 *

M. Jerome Diamond Michael Jerome "Jerry" Diamond (born March 16, 1942) is an American attorney and politician. He served as Vermont Attorney General from 1975 to 1981 and was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Governor of Vermont in 1980. Biography Michael ...

(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 *

(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 *

(R) – 154,274 (79.24%) * Robin Lloyd (

Citizens Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

) – 24,758 (12.72%) * Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 15,218 (7.82%) U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1982 *

(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 Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

) – 1,407 (0.85%) U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1984 *

(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 *

(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 * Peter Plympton Smith (R) – 98,937 (41.21%) *

(Independent) – 90,026 (37.50%) * Paul N. Poirier (D) – 45,330 (18.88%) * Jim Hedbor (L) – 3,109 (1.30%) * Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 1,455 (0.61%) * Morris Earle (SIB) – 1,070 (0.45%)

1990s

Vermont's at-large congressional district Democratic primary, 1990 * Dolores Sandoval (D) – 5,979 (41.27%) * Peter Diamondstone (D) – 5,711 (39.42%) *

(write–in, D) – 2,005 (13.84%) U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1990 *

(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 *

(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 The LaRouche movement is a political and cultural network promoting the late Lyndon LaRouche and his ideas. It has included many organizations and companies around the world, which campaign, gather information and publish books and periodicals ...

) – 2,049 (0.73%) Vermont Attorney General election, 1994 *

Jeffrey Amestoy Jeffrey L. Amestoy (born July 24, 1946) is an American retired jurist from Vermont. He served as Vermont Attorney General from 1985 to 1997 and as chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1997 to 2004. Amestoy is noted for having authore ...

(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 *

(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 *

(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 * 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 *

(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 * Peter Diamondstone (D) – 20,539 (90.94%) *

(write–in, D) – 1,337 (5.92%) U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 2000 *

(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 * Michael J. Badamo (

Progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

) – 931 (54.16%) * Peter Diamondstone (P) – 412 (23.97%)

Vermont gubernatorial election, 2002 The 2002 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic Governor Howard Dean did not run for re-election to a sixth full term as Governor of Vermont. Republican Jim Douglas defeated Democratic candidate ...

* Jim Douglas (R) – 103,436 (44.94%) * Doug Racine (D) – 97,565 (42.39%) * Cornelius Hogan (I) – 22,353 (9.71%) *

Cris Ericson Cris Ericson (born May 16, 1952) is an American marijuana legalization activist and perennial candidate for public office in Vermont. She has unsuccessfully run for the governorship of Vermont nine times and for a seat in the United States ...

(

Marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

) – 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 * Martha Abbott (write–in, P) – 375 (55.07%) * Peter Diamondstone (P) – 190 (27.90%) Vermont gubernatorial election, 2004 * Jim Douglas (R) – 181,540 (58.74%) * Peter Clavelle (D) – 117,327 (37.96%) *

(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 The 2006 United States Senate election in Vermont was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent independent Senator Jim Jeffords decided to retire rather than seek reelection to a fourth term, and Bernie Sanders was elected to succeed him. Sanders, w ...

(I) – 171,638 (65.41%) * Rich Tarrant (R) – 84,924 (32.36%) *

(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 The 2008 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 4. Incumbent Republican Party (United States), Republican Governor of Vermont, Governor Jim Douglas won re-election to a fourth term. The gubernatorial primary took place on Septemb ...

* 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 The 2010 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and loca ...

* 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 The 2012 United States Senate election in Vermont was held on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders won re-election to a second term in a landslide, capturing nearly three-quarters of the vote. Background Then-U ...

(I) – 207,848 (71.00%) *

John MacGovern John F. MacGovern (born July 14, 1951) is an American politician who represented the 2nd Middlesex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1983 to 1991. He was the Republican nominee in the Massachusetts's 5th congressional dis ...

(R) – 72,898 (24.90%) *

(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 * 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%) *

(I) – 1,089 (0.56%) United States Senate election in Vermont, 2016 * Patrick Leahy (D) – 192,243 (59.99%) * Scott Milne (R) – 103,637 (32.34%) *

(M) – 9,156 (2.86%) * Jerry Trudell (I) – 5,223 (1.63%) * Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 3,241 (1.01%)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diamondstone, Peter 1934 births 2017 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American politicians Activists from Vermont American pacifists Jewish American atheists Jewish American attorneys Jewish socialists Liberty Union Party politicians People from Brattleboro, Vermont People from Dummerston, Vermont Politicians from Queens, New York University of Chicago alumni Vermont Democrats Vermont Progressive Party politicians Vermont Republicans Vermont lawyers Vermont socialists