Bill de Blasio
| Bill de Blasio | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 3rd New York City Public Advocate | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2010 |
|
| Mayor | Michael Bloomberg |
| Preceded by | Betsy Gotbaum |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 39th District | |
| In office January 2002 – January 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Stephen DiBrienza |
| Succeeded by | Brad Lander |
| Member of Community School Board 15 | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1999 |
|
| Constituency | Brooklyn: Boerum Hill, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Red Hook |
| Regional Director for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | |
| In office 1997–2000 |
|
| Constituency | New York, New Jersey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 8, 1961 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Chirlane McCray |
| Children | Chiara, Dante |
| Residence | Park Slope, Brooklyn |
| Alma mater | New York University (B.A.), Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (M.A.) |
| Website | Office of the Public Advocate |
Bill de Blasio is a New York City elected official, holding the citywide office of New York City Public Advocate, which serves as an ombudsman between the electorate and the city government. De Blasio previously served as a New York City Council member representing the 39th District in Brooklyn (Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Street, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Boro Park).
As Public Advocate, de Blasio is first in line to succeed the New York City Mayor.
Contents |
[edit] Public Advocate Career
De Blasio was inaugurated as Public Advocate on January 1, 2010. In his inauguration speech, he challenged the administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, including his homelessness and education policies.[1]
[edit] New York City Public Advocate Campaign 2009
In November 2008, de Blasio announced his candidacy for Public Advocate. The New York Times endorsed de Blasio in the primary for Public Advocate.[2] On September 15, 2009, de Blasio came in first in the Democratic primary, garnering 33% of the vote.[3] De Blasio won the run-off on September 29, 2009 with 62% of the vote. His candidacy for the general election was endorsed by then Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, former Mayor Ed Koch, former Governor Mario Cuomo, and Reverend Al Sharpton.
De Blasio defeated Republican Alex Zablocki with 77% of the vote in the general election, held on November 3, 2009.
[edit] Early career
[edit] New York City Council
Bill de Blasio represented District 39 in the New York City Council, which comprises the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Borough Park, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Kensington, Park Slope, and Windsor Terrace.
De Blasio was first elected to the Council in 2001; he was re-elected overwhelmingly in 2003 and 2005. In the Council, de Blasio chairs the Committee on General Welfare, and is a member of the Education, Environmental Protection, Finance, and Technology in Government Committees.[4]
[edit] New York City School Board
Elected in 1999, de Blasio served as a member of Community School Board 15, where he helped spearhead some of the most comprehensive reforms in the city. District 15 was the first in New York City to cap first grade class size at 20 students and is establishing universal Pre-Kindergarten. De Blasio worked with other Board members to give parents a choice by establishing middle school academies that create smaller, more personal learning environments for students, and was part of an effort to reinvent John Jay High School.[4]
[edit] Clinton Administration and 2000 Senate Campaign
Prior to his election to the City Council, de Blasio served as the campaign manager for Hillary Rodham Clinton's successful campaign for United States Senate in 2000.
In 1997, de Blasio was appointed to serve as the Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for New York and New Jersey in the Clinton Administration. As the highest-ranking official in the New York/New Jersey region HUD, de Blasio was instrumental in directing increased federal funding for affordable housing, senior citizen housing and economic development in the region.[4] De Blasio also helped increase access to and improve affordable housing, including helping take control of the Beekman Houses, a failed development project in the South Bronx.[5]
[edit] David Dinkins Mayoral Administration
De Blasio's introduction to New York City government came during David Dinkins' 1989 Mayoral campaign. Following the campaign, de Blasio served as an aide in the Dinkins Administration, where he worked on projects such as the Safe Streets, Safe City initiative to reduce crime throughout New York City.
[edit] Personal Life and Family
De Blasio is of German-American and Italian-American ethnic heritage. His mother was Maria De Blasio Wilhelm, a historian on the Italian Resistance in World War II.[6][7] De Blasio and his wife Chirlane live with their two children, Chiara and Dante, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.[4] Both children attend public school. Councilman de Blasio holds a B.A. from New York University, and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.
While serving as campaign manager for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 U.S. Senate Campaign, the NBC political drama program The West Wing paid tribute to de Blasio in one scene by writing "CALL B. DE BLASIO" on a board while the show's characters discussed strategy.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Bosman, Julie (2010-01-01). "Public Advocate Takes a Challenging Tone, and Thoughts of 2013 Are Near". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/02/nyregion/02deblasio.html. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
- ^ Public Advocate
- ^ Bosman, Julie (September 16, 2009). "De Blasio and Green in Runoff for Advocate". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/nyregion/16advocate.html.
- ^ a b c d http://council.nyc.gov/d39/html/members/home.shtml
- ^ http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=2174
- ^ Cityfile New York http://cityfile.com/profiles/bill-de-blasio
- ^ http://www.dailygotham.com/blog/bouldin/bill_de_blasios_mother_passes
- ^ "Clinton West Winger Bill De Blasio Runs Midlife-Crisis Council Race". New York Observer. 2001-04-15. http://www.observer.com/node/44273. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Betsy Gotbaum |
New York City Public Advocate 2010-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Stephen DiBrienza |
New York City Council, 39th District 2002-2009 |
Succeeded by Bradford S. Lander |
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