Madison Ballentine
From Usgovsimulation
| ||||
| Democratic Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice President | ||||
| Began Present Office: 2015 | ||||
| State | Connecticut | |||
| Region and Superregion | New England, Northeast | |||
| Previous Offices | New England Senator (2011-2013) | |||
| Born | September 6, 1966 Marietta, Georgia | |||
| Spouse | None | |||
| Religion | Undeclared | |||
| Residence | New Haven, Connecticut | |||
| Occupation | Physician | |||
| Education | Vanderbilt University (B.A.), University of Massachusetts (M.D.) | |||
Madison James Ballentine (born September 6, 1966) is an American politician and physician. He is the current Vice President of the United States.
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Biography
Madison Ballentine was born as the only child of well-to-do parents in Marietta, Ga in September of 1966. His parents were politically-connected conservatives, donating money (during his lifetime) almost exclusively to Republicans. From a young age, Madison was groomed to be the next generation of Ballentine power player (and likely politician). His parents enrolled him in Atlanta's elite Woodward Academy, where he excelled.
Ballentine focused strongly on his studies, winning a full scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally majoring in Geography (with his parents' eye toward law school), he switched after a semester to Medicine, Health, and Society and a minor in Biological Sciences, with firm pre-medicine intent -- his first break from his parents' wishes. It was during late high school and college that Madison became active in the Democratic Party, working on the primary campaign of Senator Al Gore and general election of Michael Dukakis his senior year of college.
After graduating cum laude, he declined an offer from Emory University (his parents' choice of school) and enrolled at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine in Worcester, Massachusetts. After finishing medical school, Ballentine completed his residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. Upon investigating a recommendation of a friend, he joined Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and was assigned to Nigeria as a full-time relief physician. Ballentine occasionally references his time in MSF as a formative experience, although he is generally uncomfortable discussing many specific incidents from the program. His notable solid-gray hair appeared early in his time abroad, before his thirtieth birthday. It was in Doctors Without Borders that his liberal dogmatism gave way to the pragmatic progressivism which now defines his political ideology.
After returning to the United States, Ballentine again made his home in New Haven and began preparations to start a private practice. However, his parents, deciding that that the family name (and power) was more important than party, encouraged him to enter politics in New England and arranged for his introduction to the local political establishment. Ballentine then successfully ran for Congress, winning election in the heavily Democratic Third District of Connecticut. Two years later, he undertook his second campaign, this time for the position of New England Senator.
After defeating his Republican opponent, Ballentine took his seat in the Senate and was also chosen to chair the Senate's Domestic Affairs Committee; he would later serve as ranking member of that Committee after the Republican takeover of the chamber in 2011. During the elections of 2012, Ballentine declined to endorse either candidate in the Democratic primary, but did later campaign in support of Aidan West and the successful Referendum 1, which legalized same-sex marriage in the Northeast.
Ballentine returned as the Chair of the Domestic Affairs Committee in 2013, but was soon nominated by President Esther Cullen to serve as her Secretary of the Interior. After a hearing before the rest of the Domestic Affairs Committee and a brief debate by the whole Senate, Ballentine was confirmed by a vote of 27-2. Beginning the next stage of his career, Ballentine resigned his Senate seat to take his place in the Cullen Administration.
After the resignation of Vice-President Valerie Francis in late 2015, Ballentine was nominated by President Cullen as Francis' replacement. Ballentine's nomination passed both houses of Congress without objection, allowing him to become the United States' 50th Vice President. The next year, Ballentine ran for Governor of the Northeast and drew no significant opposition, allowing him to campaign for Jackson Rockefeller and James Kennedy.
In January of 2017, one week before the end of his vice-presidential term and inauguration as governor, Ballentine was shot and killed at a private party in New York. The ensuing investigation showed that the killer, Thomas Harris, had been briefly involved with Ballentine more than two decades prior, and his motive was considered to be personal. Harris had a history of psychological disorders but had not seen a psychiatrist for some time. Harris committed suicide a month later, before his murder trial began.
Electoral History
House of Representatives
| Election Result for Connecticut 3rd District, United States House, 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Status | % | |||
| Republican | Richard Buchannan | Open Seat | 25% | |||
| Democratic | Madison Ballentine | Open Seat | 72% | |||
New England Senate II
| Election Result for New England United States Senate, 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Status | % | |||
| Republican | Samuel Hamilton | Open Seat | 47.62% | |||
| Democratic | Madison Ballentine | Open Seat | 51.87% | |||
Political Succession
| Preceded by N/A | New England Senator (Class II) 2011-2013 | Succeeded by Brea O'Connor |
| Preceded by Unknown | Secretary of Interior of the United States 2013-2015 | Succeeded by Leighann Templeton (acting) |
| Preceded by Valerie Francis | Vice President of the United States 2015-2017 | Succeeded by Jefferson Pooty |
