John F. Kerry
John Kerry 68th United States Secretary of State Incumbent Assumed office February 1, 2013 President Barack Obama Deputy William Joseph Burns Wendy Sherman (Acting) Tony Blinken (Designate) Preceded by Hillary Rodham Clinton United States Senator from Massachusetts In office January 2, 1985 – February 1, 2013 Preceded by Paul Tsongas Succeeded by Mo Cowan Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee In office January 6, 2009 – February 1, 2013 Preceded by Joe Biden Succeeded by Bob Menendez Chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2009 Preceded by Olympia Snowe Succeeded by Mary Landrieu In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003 Preceded by Kit Bond Succeeded by Olympia Snowe In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001 Preceded by Kit Bond Succeeded by Kit Bond 66th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts In office March 6, 1983 – January 2, 1985 Governor Michael Dukakis Preceded by Thomas P. O'Neill III Succeeded by Evelyn Murphy Personal details Born John Forbes Kerry (1943-12-11) December 11, 1943 (age 71) Aurora, Colorado, U.S. Political party Democratic Spouse(s) Julia Thorne (m. 1970–1988) Teresa Heinz (m. 1995–present) Children Alexandra Vanessa Alma mater Yale University Boston College Religion Roman Catholicism Awards Silver Star Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart (3) Signature Website Government website Military service Allegiance  United States of America Service/branch  United States Navy Years of service 1966–1978 Rank Lieutenant Unit USS Gridley (DLG-21) Coastal Squadron 1 Commands PCF-44 PCF-94 Battles/wars Vietnam War (WIA) John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American politician who is the 68th and current United States Secretary of State. He has served in the United States Senate, and was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kerry was the candidate of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, losing to incumbent President George W. Bush. Kerry was born in Aurora, Colorado and attended boarding school in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He graduated from Yale University class of 1966 with a political science major, and was a member of the Skull and Bones secret society. Kerry enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1966, and during 1968–1969 served an abbreviated four-month tour of duty in South Vietnam as officer-in-charge (OIC) of a Swift Boat. For that service, he was awarded combat medals that include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. Securing an early return to the United States, Kerry joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War in which he served as a nationally recognized spokesman and as an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. He appeared in the Fulbright Hearings before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs where he deemed United States war policy in Vietnam to be the cause of war crimes. After receiving his J.D. from Boston College Law School, Kerry worked as an Assistant District Attorney. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts under Michael Dukakis from 1983 to 1985. He won the Democratic primary in 1984 for the U.S. Senate and was sworn in the following January. On the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he led a series of hearings from 1987 to 1989 which were a precursor to the Iran–Contra affair. Kerry was reelected to additional terms in 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008. In 2002, Kerry voted to authorize the President "to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein", but warned that the administration should exhaust its diplomatic avenues before launching war. In his 2004 presidential campaign, Kerry criticized George W. Bush for the Iraq War. He and his running mate Senator John Edwards lost the race, finishing 35 electoral votes behind Bush-Cheney. Subsequently, he established the Keeping America's Promise PAC. Kerry became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2009. Having been nominated by President Barack Obama to succeed outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and then confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 94–3 on January 29, 2013, Kerry assumed the office on February 1, 2013.