Peter Diamondstone

Early life

Diamondstone was born in the New York borough of The Bronx in 1934. In 1944, Diamondstone got a job passing out flyers for the presidential campaign of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He received a law degree from the University of Chicago in 1960 and moved to Vermont in 1968, and soon began his involvement in politics there.

Career

Diamondstone, along with former U.S. Congressman William H. Meyer, Bernie Sanders (who is a current U.S. senator), and others, founded the Liberty Union Party in 1970. Since then, he has run every two years for various political offices, never receiving more than 8% of the vote in general elections.

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. He participated in a 2014 debate for governor of Vermont, along with all six other candidates.

Personal life

Diamondstone and his wife, Doris Lake, have four children: Aaron, Jessy, Ian, and Paula. He is an atheist.

Electoral history

Scattering votes are not included.

1970s

Vermont Attorney General Democratic primary, 1970

Thomas P. Salmon (Democratic) – 19,513 (66.97%)

Peter Diamondstone (D) – 9,553 (32.79%)

Vermont Attorney General election, 1970

Jim Jeffords (Republican) – 85,515 (57.83%)

Thomas P. Salmon (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 (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

Jim Jeffords (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

Jim Jeffords (R) – 154,274 (79.24%)

Robin Lloyd (Citizens) – 24,758 (12.72%)

Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 15,218 (7.82%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1982

Jim Jeffords (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) – 1,407 (0.85%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1984

Jim Jeffords (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

Jim Jeffords (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%)

Bernie Sanders (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%)

Bernie Sanders (write–in, D) – 2,005 (13.84%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 1990

Bernie Sanders (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

Bernie Sanders (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) – 2,049 (0.73%)

Vermont Attorney General election, 1994

Jeffrey Amestoy (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

Bernie Sanders (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

Bernie Sanders (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

Bernie Sanders (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%)

Bernie Sanders (write–in, D) – 1,337 (5.92%)

U.S. House of Representatives election in Vermont, 2000

Bernie Sanders (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) – 931 (54.16%)

Peter Diamondstone (P) – 412 (23.97%)

Vermont gubernatorial election, 2002

Jim Douglas (R) – 103,436 (44.94%)

Doug Racine (D) – 97,565 (42.39%)

Cornelius Hogan (I) – 22,353 (9.71%)

Cris Ericson (Marijuana) – 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%)

Cris Ericson (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

Bernie Sanders (I) – 171,638 (65.41%)

Rich Tarrant (R) – 84,924 (32.36%)

Cris Ericson (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

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

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

Bernie Sanders (I) – 207,848 (71.00%)

John MacGovern (R) – 72,898 (24.90%)

Cris Ericson (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%)

Cris Ericson (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%)

Cris Ericson (M) – 9,156 (2.86%)

Jerry Trudell (I) – 5,223 (1.63%)

Peter Diamondstone (LU) – 3,241 (1.01%)