Rick Lazio

Rick Lazio

Infobox_Congressman
name= Rick Lazio


state= New York
district= 2nd
term= 1993–2001
preceded=Thomas J. Downey
succeeded=Steve Israel
date of birth= Birth date and age|1958|3|13|mf=y
place of birth= Amityville, New York
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Patricia Moriarty Lazio
children= Molly Ann, 16, Kelsey, 15

profession= Politician, Lawyer
religion=Roman Catholic
party= Republican|

Enrico Anthony "Rick" Lazio (born March 13, 1958) is a former U.S. Representative from the state of New York. A Republican, he is most known for having run unsuccessfully against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the U.S. Senate in New York's 2000 Senate election.

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 Manhattan, 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 but was one of the most prominent figures in the 1992 Rubbergate scandal.

Lazio served four terms from 1993 to 2001, becoming Deputy Majority Whip and Assistant Majority Leader.

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.

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.Gerth, Van Natta Jr., "Her Way", pp. 212-213.] Debate viewers were turned off by Lazio's aggressive demeanor towards Clinton [ [http://www.observer.com/2000/will-lazios-new-jihad-make-martyr-hillary 'Will Lazio's New Jihad Make a Martyr of Hillary?'] , "New York Observer", September 24, 2000] - and as a result, Clinton's support among women voters solidified.Gerth, Van Natta Jr., "Her Way", pp. 212-213.]

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

On Election Day 2000, Lazio was defeated by 12 points.

After the defeat, 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.

Electoral history

*2000 Race for U.S. Senate
**Hillary Rodham Clinton (D), 55%

References


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