Rick Lazio
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001
Preceded byThomas Downey
Succeeded bySteve Israel
Member of the Suffolk County Legislature
from the 11th district
In office
January 1990 – December 1992[1]
Preceded byPatrick A. Mahoney[2]
Succeeded byAngie M. Carpenter[3]
Personal details
Born
Enrico Anthony Lazio

(1958-03-13) March 13, 1958[4]
Amityville, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Patricia Moriarty
​
(m. 1989)​
Children2
EducationVassar College (BA)
American University (JD)
Signature

Enrico Anthony Lazio (/ˈlæzi.oʊ/; born March 13, 1958) is an American attorney and former four-term U.S. Representative from the State of New York. A Long Island native, Lazio became well-known during his bid for U.S. Senate in New York's 2000 Senate election; he was defeated by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Lazio also ran unsuccessfully for the 2010 New York State Republican Party gubernatorial nomination.

Early life, education and career

Lazio was born in Amityville, New York, in Suffolk County, on Long Island. He is the son of Olive (née Christensen) and Anthony Lazio, who owned an automotive parts store. His father was of Italian descent and his maternal grandparents were Danish immigrants.[5][6] He graduated from West Islip High School in 1976. He received his A.B. from Vassar College and received his Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law at American University.[7]

Prior to being elected to Congress, Lazio was appointed executive assistant district attorney for Suffolk County in 1987[8] and served in the Suffolk County Legislature from 1990 to 1993.[9]

U.S. Representative

Lazio at a press conference with Sherwood Boehlert and Nancy Johnson in 2000

Lazio represented New York's 2nd congressional district as a Republican. He was first elected in 1992, defeating the incumbent, Thomas Downey, who had served for eighteen years.[10] Lazio served four terms from 1993 to 2001.[9]

In Congress, Lazio served as Deputy Majority Whip, Assistant Majority Leader, and Chairman of the House Banking Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. He was "widely viewed as the most influential moderate in a leadership dominated by conservatives."[11] From his earliest days in Congress, Lazio made housing one of his primary issues.[12]

During his time in Congress, Lazio championed the case to award a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor to President Theodore Roosevelt for his charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish–American War.[13] Congress eventually passed legislation asking the president to grant the honor, and President Clinton awarded the medal in January 2001.[14]

2000 U.S. Senate campaign

In 2000, Lazio ran for the U.S. Senate from New York against 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 to withdraw from the Senate race. Lazio announced his candidacy for Senate on all five major Sunday morning talk shows on the same day, making him the second person ever to complete a Full Ginsburg.[15]

At the time, the race between Lazio and Hillary Clinton was the most expensive Senate campaign ever conducted.[16]

During a September 13, 2000 debate in Buffalo, Lazio walked across the stage to Clinton and placed a campaign pledge in front of her. That action was "perceived as bullying and chauvinistic", and it made Lazio into "an example of what not to do during a debate with a female opponent". In 2008, Lazio commented: "'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'".[17]

On November 7, 2000, Lazio lost the Senate race to Clinton by a margin of 55%-43%.[18]

2010 New York gubernatorial campaign

Lazio announced his candidacy for governor of New York on September 22, 2009 in Albany.[19]

On June 2, 2010, Lazio received the New York State Republican Party's designation to run for governor. However, Carl Paladino, a candidate backed by the Tea Party movement,[20] soundly defeated Lazio in the Republican gubernatorial primary on September 14, 2010.[21][22] On September 27, Lazio, who had won the Conservative Party primary, confirmed that he would drop his bid for Governor by accepting a paper candidate nomination for a judicial position in the Bronx he did not expect to win.[23]

Career outside politics

Lazio in 2015

Following his loss in the 2000 U.S. Senate election, Lazio became CEO of the Financial Services Forum. Later, he became the managing director of global real assets for JPMorgan.[24]

As of 2017, Lazio led the housing finance practice group of Jones Walker LLP.[25]

Electoral history

2000 United States Senate election, New York
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Hillary Clinton 3,562,415
Working Families Hillary Clinton 102,094
Liberal Hillary Clinton 82,801
total Hillary Clinton 3,747,310 55.27 +0.02
Republican Rick Lazio 2,724,589
Conservative Rick Lazio 191,141
total Rick Lazio 2,915,730 43.01 +1.5
Independence Jeffrey Graham 43,181 0.64 −0.08
Green Mark Dunau 40,991 0.60
Right to Life John Adefope 21,439 0.32 −1.68
Libertarian John Clifton 4,734 0.07 −0.31
Constitution Louis Wein 3,414 0.05
Socialist Workers Jacob Perasso 3,040 0.04 −0.27
Blank/scattering 179,823
Majority 831,580 12.27%
Turnout 6,779,839
Democratic hold Swing

Personal life

In 1989, Lazio married nurse Patricia Moriarty. They have two children.[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Present & Former Legislator List | Suffolk County Legislature, NY". www.scnylegislature.us.
  2. ↑ Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Suffolk County, Volume 1 (1989)
  3. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Suffolk County Legislature 11 Race - Nov 07, 1989". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  4. ↑ "LAZIO, Enrico A. (Rick) (1958-)". Biographical directory of the US congress. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  5. ↑ Barry, Dan (July 5, 2000). "Behind the Lazio Smile Lies a Deliberate and Pragmatic Substance". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 12, 2000. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  6. ↑ Smith, Chris (July 10, 2000). "Which Rick Do You Pick?". New York.
  7. ↑ Maier, Thomas (May 31, 2010). "Lazio cites lessons learned from Senate run". Newsday. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  8. ↑ Winum, Jessica. "Four Housemates on Top of the World: Politician, CEO, Media Mogul, and Entrepreneur". Vassar Quarterly.
  9. 1 2 "Revolving Door: Rick A Lazio Employment Summary". Open Secrets.
  10. ↑ Barbanel, Josh (November 4, 1992). "THE 1992 ELECTION: NEW YORK STATE -- U.S. HOUSE RACES; Green and Downey Lose as New York State Delegation Changes Dramatically". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Dao, James (October 22, 2000). "TIES THAT BIND: A special report.; Lazio's G.O.P. Role Is a Campaign Asset But Also a Liability". New York Times.
  12. ↑ Lambert, Bruce (October 31, 2000). "Lazio Sought to Make a Legislative Mark in Housing". The New York Times.
  13. ↑ Kilian, Michael (November 11, 1998). "Teddy's Rough Ride". Chicago Tribune.
  14. ↑ "Medal Of Honor For Teddy Roosevelt". Chicago Tribune. January 12, 2001.
  15. ↑ "Lazio's Coming Out Party". Slate. May 22, 2000.
  16. ↑ Levy, Clifford (December 13, 2000). "Lazio Sets Spending Mark for a Losing Senate Bid". The New York Times.
  17. ↑ Epstein, Reid (October 1, 2008). "Lazio admits mistake in debate with Clinton". Newsday. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  18. ↑ ZREMSKI, TOM PRECIOUS AND JERRY (November 8, 2000). "HILLARY HEADS TO SENATE JUBILANT FIRST LADY GETS 55% OF VOTE". The Buffalo News.
  19. ↑ "Lazio enters race for governor". Times Union. September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Long Islanders put Paladino to test as their cup of tea". Buffalo News. September 12, 2010.
  21. ↑ Halbfinger, David M.; Barbaro, Michael (September 14, 2010). "Paladino Stuns N.Y. G.O.P. With Victory". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  22. ↑ "Statewide Republican Gubernatorial Primary" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. September 14, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  23. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (September 27, 2010). "Lazio Leaves Race, Giving Reluctant Aid to a Rival". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  24. ↑ Vielkind, Jimmy (December 11, 2009). "Lazio's 2009 JPMorgan Bonus: $1.3 Million". Observer.
  25. ↑ Sullivan, Laura; Anderson, Meg (May 9, 2017). "Affordable Housing Program Costs More, Shelters Fewer". NPR.org.
  26. ↑ Traub, James (July 30, 2000). "The Ingratiator". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
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