Harry F. Byrd, Jr.

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Harry Flood Byrd, Jr.
Senator, Virginia
In office 1965–1983
Preceded by	Harry F. Byrd
Succeeded by	Paul S. Trible, Jr.
Born	December 20, 1914 (age 92) Winchester, Virginia
Political party	Democratic (1965-1970) Independent (1970-1983)
Spouse	Gretchen Bigelow Thompson
Religion	Episcopalian

Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. (born December 20, 1914) is an American politician. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate from 1965 to 1983. He is most notable for leaving the Democratic Party in 1970 and becoming an independent, although he continued to caucus with the Democrats. He is the son of Harry F. Byrd, Sr., whom he replaced as senator.

Byrd was born in Winchester, Virginia. He was educated at the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia. He became a newspaper editor and fruit grower, and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He assumed control of his father's chain of newspapers in the Shenandoah Valley in 1939.

Byrd served in the Senate of Virginia from 1948 to November 1965. In November 1965, Byrd's father resigned from the U.S. Senate for health reasons. At Harry, Sr.'s suggestion, Harry, Jr. was appointed to succeed him by Virginia Governor Albertis S. Harrison Jr. and won a special election as a Democrat to serve the remainder of his father's term in 1966. In 1970 Byrd broke with the Democratic Party because they asked him to sign an oath of loyalty to the party, which would have required him to support any and all Democratic nominees, from the president to the local clerk. Instead of signing the restrictive contract, Byrd ran as an independent. Byrd was widely popular in the state and became the second senator in history to win as an independent, earning 54% of the vote in a three-way race. He continued to caucus with the Democrats, and maintained his Democratic seniority.

Like his father, Harry, Jr. had a very conservative voting record and was a strong supporter of federal fiscal discipline. In fact, he authored and Congress passed a floor amendment stating, "Beginning with fiscal year 1981, the total budget outlays of the Federal Government should not exceed its receipts."

Byrd easily won reelection in 1976, defeating Democrat Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. The Republicans did not run a candidate because they felt the likelihood of winning was very small. Byrd did not run for reelection in 1982 and moved back to his hometown of Winchester. He turned over control of the family newspaper chain to his son, Thomas, in 2001.

Harry Flood Byrd Middle School in suburban Richmond, Virginia is named after him.

[edit] Note

Harry F. Byrd is of no relation to Robert Byrd, a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. He is however, a direct descendant of Native American, Pochahantas (later Lady Rebecca Rolfe) and the English tobacco farmer, John Rolfe, who together formed one of the First Families of Virginia.

Preceded by Harry F. Byrd

U.S. Senator from Virginia 1965–1983

Succeeded by Paul S. Trible, Jr.