Matthew C. "Matt" Zeller is a United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 veteran

Veteran

A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...

 of the Afghan War

War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...

 and the 2010 Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 nominee for .

Early life, education and career

Zeller grew up in Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York

Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

 and attended the Allendale Columbia School

Allendale Columbia School

Allendale Columbia School is an independent, nonsectarian, college preparatory school for students in nursery through twelfth grade. The Columbia School for girls, established in 1890 by Caroline Milliman and Alida Lattimore, and the Allendale School for boys, established in 1926 by a group of...

 in Pittsford

Pittsford (town), New York

Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States and is an affluent suburb of Rochester. The population was 29,405 at the 2010 census....

. He is a 2004 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Hamilton College with a major in government. In 2005, he graduated first in his class from the Army's Military Intelligence Officer's basic course. He earned master's degrees in public administration

Public administration

Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....

 and international relations

International relations

International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...

 from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is the public policy school of Syracuse University...

 at Syracuse University

Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

 in 2006. He is also a graduate of the Army's Combat Advisor's course. He deployed to Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 in April, 2008 where he served at the Ghazni Forward Operating Base. He wore many hats, serving as the unit's Intelligence Officer, Operations Officer, Air Logistics Officer, and head of all human assistance missions.

Upon Zeller's return from Afghanistan, he was a security analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency

Central Intelligence Agency

The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...

 (CIA). Officially, he lives with his aunt and uncle at their home in Victor. According to Zeller, he had made the decision to return permanently to Victor on the same day that Eric Massa

Eric Massa

-March to the Primaries:Freshman incumbent Randy Kuhl had been elected to Congress with slightly over 50% of the popular vote in a three way race in 2004. In early 2005, former U.S. Naval officer Eric J.J. Massa, a long-time friend of 2004 presidential candidate General Wesley Clark filed to run...

 announced his retirement.

2010 U.S. Congressional campaign

District 29 was an open seat, due to the resignation of Eric Massa. Zeller lost to Republican, Conservative and Independence Party nominee Tom Reed.

Political positions

Zeller is a former Republican who supported the first Presidential campaign of John McCain

John McCain presidential campaign, 2000

John McCain, the United States Senator from Arizona, launched his first candidacy for the presidency of the United States in the 2000 presidential election....

 in 2000.

• He describes himself as pro-choice; "Just like I don't think the government should be in your gun cabinet, I don't think they should be in your doctor's office either." He also believes abortions should be safe, legal, and rare.
• He has not indicated how he would have voted on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
  Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
  
   and has not taken a stand on the individual mandate, though he is against repealing the legislation. ;
• He speaks favorably of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act;
• He opposes privatization of Social Security
  Social Security (United States)
  In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
  
  ;
• He opposes drilling in the Marcellus Formation
  Marcellus Formation
  The Marcellus Formation is a unit of marine sedimentary rock found in eastern North America...
  
  ;
• He opposes don't ask, don't tell
  Don't ask, don't tell
  "Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
  
  ;
• He supports the Employee Free Choice Act
  Employee Free Choice Act
  The Employee Free Choice Act was a legislative bill that was introduced into both chambers of the U.S. Congress on March 10, 2009. The bill's purpose was to,...
  
  ;
• He is supportive of the current operations in Afghanistan
  Afghanistan
  Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
  
  ; and
• He also supports the creation of a Palestinian state
  State of Palestine
  Palestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
  
  .

External links

• Zeller for Congress official campaign site
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org