Russ Feingold

Russ Feingold
Born	Russell Dana Feingold 3/2/1953
Birthplace	Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer, diplomat, advocate
Known for	Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain–Feingold Act), sole Senate vote against the USA PATRIOT Act
Education	Harvard University (JD)
Children	2
Awards	John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award (1999)

Russell Dana Feingold (born March 2, 1953) is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat who served as a United States senator from Wisconsin from 1993 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, Feingold first entered public office as a Wisconsin state senator representing the 27th district, a position he held from 1983 to 1993 before winning election to the U.S. Senate. During his eighteen years in Washington, Feingold became one of the chamber's most independent voices, perhaps best known for co-sponsoring the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 — commonly called the McCain–Feingold Act — alongside John McCain, a landmark piece of campaign finance reform legislation. He was the only member of the United States Senate to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act in October 2001, a decision that drew both criticism and admiration and has continued to resonate in public discourse about civil liberties. After losing his 2010 reelection bid to Republican Ron Johnson, Feingold served as a U.S. Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region of Africa under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2015. He ran unsuccessfully for his former Senate seat in 2016. Feingold served as president of the American Constitution Society from 2020 until April 2025 and currently chairs the Campaign for Nature's Global Steering Committee, continuing his work on environmental conservation and democratic governance.

Early Life

Russell Dana Feingold was born on March 2, 1953, in Janesville, Wisconsin, a small industrial city in Rock County in the southern part of the state. Janesville, located along the Rock River, was historically a manufacturing center, and Feingold grew up in a middle-class household rooted in the community. His father, Leon Feingold, was an attorney who ran a small law practice in Janesville, and the family had deep roots in Wisconsin civic life.

Feingold's upbringing in a modest Wisconsin community shaped his political outlook, particularly his focus on fiscal responsibility and his skepticism of the outsized influence of money in politics. He has spoken frequently throughout his career about the values he absorbed growing up in a small city where neighbors knew one another and civic participation was a way of life. His father's work as a lawyer also instilled in him an appreciation for the law and the principles of the United States Constitution, themes that would become central to his political identity.

Growing up during the 1960s and early 1970s, Feingold came of age during a period of intense political upheaval in the United States, including the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal. These events left a lasting impression on the young Feingold and contributed to his later emphasis on government accountability, transparency, and the protection of individual rights.

Education

Feingold pursued an extensive education spanning three institutions and two countries. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. His academic performance earned him a Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most competitive international academic awards, which took him to Magdalen College at the University of Oxford in England, where he earned a second Bachelor of Arts degree. Feingold subsequently attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. His legal training at Harvard provided the foundation for both his law career and his later legislative work, particularly on constitutional and civil liberties issues. The combination of his education at three prestigious institutions gave Feingold a broad intellectual grounding and an international perspective that would inform his approach to domestic and foreign policy throughout his career.

Career

Wisconsin State Senate (1983–1993)

Feingold began his career in elected office at the age of 29 when he won a seat in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the 27th district. He succeeded Everett Bidwell in the position and served in the state legislature for a decade, from January 3, 1983, to January 3, 1993. During his time in the state senate, Feingold established a reputation as a fiscally conservative Democrat who was willing to break with his party on spending issues while remaining firmly progressive on social policy and civil liberties. He was succeeded in the state senate by Joseph Wineke.

His tenure in Madison provided valuable legislative experience and helped him build name recognition across southern Wisconsin, laying the groundwork for his eventual campaign for the United States Senate.

United States Senate (1993–2011)

1992 Election

In 1992, Feingold ran for the United States Senate seat held by Republican Bob Kasten. Feingold's campaign was notable for its unconventional style. He ran as an outsider, emphasizing his independence and his commitment to fiscal responsibility and campaign finance reform. Despite being an underdog in both the Democratic primary and the general election, Feingold defeated Kasten to win the seat, entering the U.S. Senate on January 3, 1993.

Campaign Finance Reform

Feingold's defining legislative achievement in the Senate was his partnership with Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona on campaign finance reform. The two senators worked together across party lines for years to craft and advance what became the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, commonly known as the McCain–Feingold Act. The legislation sought to address the growing influence of unregulated "soft money" contributions in federal elections by banning national political parties from raising or spending such funds. It also placed restrictions on certain types of political advertising in the period immediately before elections.

The bill faced years of opposition from members of both parties who argued it infringed on free speech rights, but Feingold and McCain persisted, and the legislation was ultimately signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002. The act represented the most significant overhaul of federal campaign finance law since the post-Watergate reforms of the 1970s. For their work on this issue, Feingold and McCain jointly received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 1999, recognizing their willingness to take politically difficult positions in the service of democratic principles.

Key provisions of the McCain–Feingold Act were later struck down by the United States Supreme Court in the 2010 case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a decision Feingold has continued to criticize. In October 2025, Feingold and the legal advocacy group Law Forward filed an amicus brief in a campaign finance case before the U.S. Supreme Court originally brought by then-Senator J.D. Vance, warning against further dismantling of campaign finance protections. The brief highlighted Wisconsin's deregulated campaign finance system as a cautionary example of what happens when restrictions on money in elections are removed. In December 2025, Feingold and Law Forward published an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel warning of eroding campaign finance laws ahead of U.S. Supreme Court arguments.

Vote Against the USA PATRIOT Act

On October 25, 2001, in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States Senate voted 98–1 to pass the USA PATRIOT Act, sweeping legislation that expanded the surveillance and investigative powers of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Feingold was the sole senator to vote against the bill. In his floor speech explaining his dissent, Feingold warned that the legislation threatened civil liberties and that Congress was acting too hastily in the atmosphere of fear following the attacks. He expressed concern about provisions that expanded government surveillance powers, reduced judicial oversight, and could be used to target immigrants and minority communities.

Feingold's lone vote became one of the most discussed acts of political independence in modern Senate history. At the time, many observers viewed the vote as politically risky or even reckless, given the overwhelming public support for aggressive anti-terrorism measures. Over the subsequent years, however, as revelations about government surveillance programs emerged — particularly the disclosures by Edward Snowden in 2013 — Feingold's warnings about the PATRIOT Act gained broader credibility. A 2025 letter to the editor published in the Wisconsin State Journal credited Feingold with having been correct about the dangers of expanded government police powers.

Other Legislative Work

Beyond campaign finance reform and civil liberties, Feingold was active on a range of policy issues during his Senate tenure. He served on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, among others. He introduced legislation on issues including government spending accountability and judicial oversight.

Feingold was known in the Senate for his independence and his willingness to vote against the positions of his own party. He was one of the few Democrats to support certain spending cuts and was a consistent advocate for reducing the federal deficit. His voting record reflected an unusual combination of progressive social values and fiscal conservatism that distinguished him from many of his Democratic colleagues.

2008 Presidential Speculation

In the period leading up to the 2008 presidential election, Feingold was mentioned as a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination. His independent record, his opposition to the Iraq War, and his stance on civil liberties had earned him a substantial following among progressive voters. However, in November 2006, Feingold announced that he would not seek the presidency, saying he believed he could be most effective in the Senate.

2010 Defeat

In 2010, Feingold faced a challenging reelection campaign amid the rise of the Tea Party movement and widespread discontent with the Democratic Party. His Republican opponent, businessman Ron Johnson, ran an aggressive campaign focused on opposition to the Affordable Care Act and federal spending. Despite Feingold's long record of independence on fiscal issues, he was unable to overcome the strong anti-incumbent and anti-Democratic sentiment of the cycle. Johnson defeated Feingold, ending his eighteen-year tenure in the Senate.

Post-Senate Career

Teaching and Writing

Following his defeat in 2010, Feingold announced plans to write a book and to teach. He transitioned to academic and public advocacy roles while remaining engaged in public debate on issues of campaign finance, civil liberties, and government accountability.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa (2013–2015)

On June 18, 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry selected Feingold to serve as the United States Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, replacing R. Barrie Walkley. Feingold formally began the role on July 18, 2013, and served until March 6, 2015, when he was succeeded by Tom Perriello. In this capacity, Feingold served under President Barack Obama and was tasked with coordinating U.S. diplomatic efforts in a region beset by conflict, instability, and humanitarian crises. His work focused on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries, addressing issues including armed conflict, human rights abuses, and governance reforms.

2016 Senate Campaign

On May 14, 2015, Feingold announced his candidacy for his former U.S. Senate seat, setting up a rematch with Ron Johnson. Feingold ran on a platform that included campaign finance reform, economic populism, and opposition to trade agreements he viewed as harmful to Wisconsin workers. Despite early polling that showed Feingold with a lead, the 2016 election proved difficult for Democrats nationally, and Johnson defeated Feingold a second time, securing reelection to the Senate.

American Constitution Society (2020–2025)

In 2020, Feingold became president of the American Constitution Society, a progressive legal organization focused on law, policy, and the courts. In this role, he worked to advance a progressive interpretation of constitutional principles and to engage lawyers, law students, judges, and policymakers in debates about the direction of American law. He stepped down from the presidency in April 2025.

Campaign for Nature

Following his departure from the American Constitution Society, Feingold took on the role of Chair of the Campaign for Nature's Global Steering Committee. In this capacity, he has advocated for governments worldwide to prioritize biodiversity protection and environmental conservation. In a December 2025 interview with Mongabay, Feingold pushed back against arguments — including those made by Bill Gates — that protecting nature and improving human health represent an either-or choice, contending that both objectives can and must be pursued simultaneously. A 2026 profile in The Nation described Feingold's continued engagement on environmental issues in the context of the Trump administration's retreat from environmental commitments, noting his work through the Campaign for Nature on global biodiversity protection.

Feingold has also remained active on environmental issues beyond his formal role, authoring an August 2025 op-ed in the Chicago Tribune arguing against copper mining in Minnesota's Boundary Waters wilderness area.

Personal Life

Feingold has two children. He has been married multiple times; details of his personal relationships have been a matter of public record in Wisconsin. Feingold has maintained his ties to Wisconsin throughout his career, even as his professional roles have taken him to Washington, D.C., and abroad. He has described his Wisconsin roots — particularly his upbringing in Janesville — as central to his political identity and values.

Recognition

In 1999, Feingold and John McCain were jointly awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for their work on campaign finance reform. The award, administered by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, recognizes acts of political courage by elected officials who have risked their careers by pursuing a larger vision of the national interest. The selection of Feingold and McCain reflected the bipartisan nature of their collaboration and the political risks both senators took in challenging the campaign finance status quo.

Feingold's sole vote against the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001 has been one of the most frequently cited examples of political independence in the modern U.S. Senate. While the vote was controversial at the time, it has been increasingly referenced by commentators and civil liberties advocates as a principled stand that anticipated later concerns about government surveillance overreach.

As a Rhodes Scholar, Feingold was one of a select number of American politicians to have studied at the University of Oxford, a distinction that placed him in the company of other notable political figures including Bill Clinton.

Legacy

Feingold's career in the U.S. Senate is most closely associated with two issues: campaign finance reform and civil liberties. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 represented the most significant federal campaign finance legislation in a generation, and though key provisions were struck down by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the law's passage remains a landmark in the history of efforts to regulate money in American politics. Feingold has continued to advocate for campaign finance reform in the years since leaving office, filing amicus briefs and publishing op-eds warning about the consequences of deregulation in this area.

His lone vote against the USA PATRIOT Act established Feingold as a symbol of principled dissent in the post-September 11 era. The vote was initially unpopular but has been reassessed over time as debates about surveillance, privacy, and the balance between security and liberty have continued to evolve. Feingold's warnings about the potential for government overreach under the PATRIOT Act proved prescient in the view of many civil liberties advocates and journalists.

Beyond these signature issues, Feingold's career reflects a broader commitment to political independence that set him apart from many of his Senate contemporaries. His willingness to cross party lines on fiscal issues while maintaining progressive positions on social policy and civil liberties made him an unusual figure in an era of increasing partisan polarization. His post-Senate career — spanning diplomacy, legal advocacy, and environmental conservation — has extended his public engagement across a wide range of issues.