(1945 - )
Republican governor of
Massachusetts from 1991-97. BA and JD from
Harvard University; degree in
economics and
political science from
Oxford University.
Massachusetts is one of the most left-wing states in the country, so it's not surprising that Weld's social philosophy is quite liberal. Prominent members of his staff were openly gay, and he came out in favor of abortion rights and the decriminalization of marijuana.
When the Clinton administration appointed Weld to be the ambassador to Mexico in 1998, the appointment was sunk by senator Jesse Helms, ostensibly due to Weld's drug policy, but more likely because the threat that a fiscal conservative/social liberal like Weld represents to the more conservative elements Republican Party.