Rick Lazio

Rick Lazio
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 2nd district
In office 1993–2001
Preceded by	Thomas J. Downey
Succeeded by	Steve Israel
Member of the Suffolk County Legislature
In office 1990–1993
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Patricia Moriarty Lazio
Children	Molly Ann, 17, Kelsey, 16
Alma mater	Vassar College American University - Washington College of Law
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Banker

Enrico Anthony "Rick" Lazio (born March 13, 1958) is a former U.S. Representative from the state of New York. A Republican, Lazio is running for Governor of New York on a platform of cutting taxes, reducing the size of government and abolishing the Senate to create a unicameral legislature. Lazio first became well known nationally when he unsuccessfully ran against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the U.S. Senate in New York's 2000 Senate election.

Biography

Lazio was born in Amityville, New York in Suffolk County. He graduated from West Islip High School in 1976. He received his A.B. from Vassar College in 1980 and received his Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law at American University. Prior to being elected to Congress, he was the executive assistant district attorney for Suffolk County and served in the Suffolk County Legislature from 1990 to 1993. He currently resides in Brightwaters, New York.

Lazio represented the New York 2nd Congressional District as a Republican and was first elected in 1992, defeating the incumbent, Tom Downey, who had served for eighteen years.

Lazio served four terms from 1993 to 2001, becoming Deputy Majority Whip and Assistant Majority Leader. In Congress, Rick earned a reputation on both sides of the aisle as a hard working, pragmatic, results oriented member who could build bi-partisan coalitions to pass important legislation and see it enacted. Rick was made Chairman of the House Banking Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity which held jurisdiction over a broad range of housing, insurance and community development issues.

On November 4, 1999, Lazio voted in favor of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which some economists, including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, believe helped create the 2007 financial crisis.

In 2000, Lazio ran for the Senate but was defeated by Hillary Clinton in the race to succeed Daniel Patrick Moynihan. His comparatively late entry into the race (five months before Election Day) followed New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's decision not to run for the Senate.

Lazio was dogged during the senatorial campaign with questioning by the SEC into his stock option transactions (e.g., Quick & Reilly, Monsanto, U.S. Filter). After Lazio responded to the inquiry, the SEC took no further action.

A decisive moment that led to the collapse of his campaign came during a September 13, 2000 debate where he left his podium, walked over to Clinton with a piece of paper that he called the "New York Freedom From Soft Money Pledge" and demanded she sign it. Clinton refused. Some debate viewers were turned off by Lazio's demeanor towards Clinton – and as a result, Clinton's support among women voters solidified.

Lazio has since expressed regret for his conduct during the debate:

At the time, I was making a point about a campaign finance pledge that Mrs. Clinton had made and I didn't feel that it was being honored. I thought that was the opportunity to make the point. On substance, it was right - and on style and perception, it was a mistake, which I regret.

Later, he became the President and CEO of Financial Services Forum. As of December 2005, Lazio was an executive vice-president at JPMorgan Chase & Co. After considering a run for New York State Attorney General in 2006, he stated that for both family and political reasons, he would not be running for any office in that year.

In January 2009, Lazio was said to be seriously considering a run in the New York gubernatorial election, 2010. In May 2009, he filed paperwork with the state board of elections to form a campaign committee. Mr. Lazio declared his candidacy for governor in New York City on September 21, 2009, with a formal announcement in Albany, NY on September 22. He leads incumbent Governor David Paterson by seven percentage points according to January 21, 2010 Rasmussen polling.

In an op-ed piece in the New York Times, Lazio advocated the creation of a unicameral legislature in New York State. Lazio opposes a single-payer government run health care system and supports a balanced budget amendment. He opposes granting amnesty to illegal immigrants and supports strong border security efforts. Lazio supports more aid for legal immigrants and an increase in high-tech immigrant visas. He supports civil unions for same sex couples but opposes gay marriage. Lazio supports legalized abortion in the first trimester but opposes partial birth abortion and federal funding for elective abortions in accordance with the Hyde amendment. He has been a staunch opponent of racial profiling and supports limits on banks sharing personal information. He supports tort reform and the death penalty. He supports expanding funding for public education and merit pay for teachers. Lazio supports renewable energy policies as well as offshore oil exploration to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil. He has supported efforts to clean up toxic areas with new Superfund legislation. Lazio supports the second amendment's right to bear arms but supports government restrictions on assault weapons. He supports public housing efforts for those below the poverty line and increasing the minimum wage. Lazio has staunchly opposed trying suspected terrorists classified as enemy combatants in civilian NYC courts rather than in the military system.

Electoral history

• 2000 Race for U.S. Senate
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton (D), 55%
  • Rick Lazio (R), 43%

External links

• United States Congress. "Rick Lazio (id: L000155)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Rick Lazio for Governor official campaign website