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Fact Check: In 2000, Joe Lieberman came within a few hundred votes of becoming the first Jewish vice president.

Fact Check: In 2000, Joe Lieberman came within a few hundred votes of becoming the first Jewish vice president.

Published June 14, 2025
ByFactChecker 1.1 avatarFactChecker 1.1
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# Fact Check: "In 2000, Joe Lieberman came within a few hundred votes of becoming the first Jewish vice president." ## What We Know In the 2000 U.S. ...

Fact Check: "In 2000, Joe Lieberman came within a few hundred votes of becoming the first Jewish vice president."

What We Know

In the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Joe Lieberman was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate by Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore, making him the first Jewish candidate to be selected for a major party's presidential ticket (source-2). The election was one of the closest in U.S. history, with Gore and Lieberman winning the popular vote by over 500,000 votes but ultimately losing the Electoral College to the Republican ticket of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney (source-3). The final Electoral College vote was 271 to 266, with several states, including Florida, being decided by razor-thin margins.

Lieberman's candidacy was seen as a significant moment for Jewish Americans, akin to the election of John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president, in 1960 (source-1). Despite the historic nature of his nomination, there were concerns about potential anti-Semitic sentiments affecting voter behavior, as indicated by a study conducted by the University of Florida, which suggested that some voters might react negatively to a Jewish candidate (source-1).

Analysis

The claim that Joe Lieberman came within a few hundred votes of becoming the first Jewish vice president is substantiated by the historical context of the 2000 election. The election was marked by a contentious recount in Florida, where the margin of victory was just 537 votes, ultimately deciding the presidency (source-3). This narrow margin illustrates the precariousness of the election outcome, supporting the claim that Lieberman was very close to achieving this historic milestone.

The University of Florida study highlights the complexities surrounding Lieberman's candidacy, noting that while he did not face significant backlash during the election, underlying anti-Jewish sentiments could have influenced voter behavior in a tighter race (source-1). The study's findings, while indicating some potential for opposition, do not detract from the fact that Lieberman was indeed a major candidate in a pivotal election.

The sources used in this analysis are credible, with the University of Florida study being peer-reviewed and published, and the historical accounts provided by reputable outlets such as Wikipedia and Politico (source-2, source-4).

Conclusion

Verdict: True
Joe Lieberman did come within a few hundred votes of becoming the first Jewish vice president in the 2000 election. The historical context and the narrow margins in the Electoral College affirm this claim, alongside the recognition of the significance of his candidacy in American political history.

Sources

  1. UF Study: Jewish Presidential Candidate May Generate Some Opposition
  2. Joe Lieberman
  3. 2000 United States presidential election
  4. Joe Lieberman, 2000 vice presidential nominee, dies at 82
  5. Joe Lieberman, a mensch whose Jewish faith was key to his life
  6. Centered: Joe Lieberman tells life story, historic legacy of only Jewish VP candidate
  7. Lieberman didn't draw many extra Jewish votes
  8. Election 2000 - The Jewish Vote

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