Rick Lazio

A Republican public official of somewhat moderate bent, Rick Lazio thrust himself into the national stage in 2000, with unsuccessful results. A lifetime resident of Long Island, he planned on becoming a prosecutor. After working in the Suffolk County District Attorney office, he was persuaded to run for the elective office of the Suffolk County Legislature in 1989 at the age of 31, though he looked far younger. That campaign proved successful and became an effective and personable member of that legislative body. By 1992, there was considerable public displeasure at the United States Congress, which were embroiled in a series of minor but well-publicized scandals. Local Republicans approached Lazio about being a candidate, and he finally agreed to run against Democratic Congressman Thomas Downey, who had first been elected in 1974. Downey had once been known as an idealistic liberal, opposed to Congressional excesses. But by 1992, Downey himself had gotten bad press, being embroiled in The House Bank Scandal, missing votes, and having pictures of him frolicking on a beach at a lavish resort broadcast on the news. Ironically, Downey had unseated his predecessor at a very young age during the Watergate Scandal, and the boyish-looking Lazio seemed in some ways like a Republican version of Downey. Downey outspent Lazio by a vast margin, but Lazio won the election by a 53% to 47% margin. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Lazio occasionally broke with his party on some issues, but was never considered a rebel. He served on the Banking Committee and quietly worked on highly technical legislation, which didn't usually generate publicity. He was reelected easily in 1994, 1996, and 1998, without serious opposition. But in 2000, that changed. U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced he would not seek reelection. It appeared that the race to succeed him would be between First Lady Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. But Giuliani decided not to run, do to health problems and a messy divorce. And after some hesitation, Lazio decided to run. The campaign was hugely expensive and sometimes nasty, and appeared to be close. Many say the key point in the campaign was during a televised debate, when Lazio approached Clinton's podium and badgered her about signing a campaign finance pledge. Many felt he appeared belligerent and rude. On election day, Clinton defeated Lazio by a comfortable margin, more than expected. Lazio went into private life after that, taking a job as C.E.O. of the Financial Services Forum. In 2002, he was approached about running for the House of Representatives again, but decided against it. In 2006, he briefly considered running for state Attorney General against incumbent Eliot Spitzer, but quickly decided against it. Concentrating on his private career and family, he seems to have no interest in seeking governmental office again.