New York Comptroller election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 New York Comptroller Election took place on November 7, 2006 with the incumbent, Alan Hevesi
winning against Republican challenger Chris Callaghan. Hevesi was plagued by scandals during the campaign involving misuse of state funds. Hevesi won the election, resigning a few days before his second term would have begun.
is the incumbent Comptroller
of the State of New York
. A Democrat
and former professor, Hevesi was first elected State Comptroller in 2002. Hevesi served two terms as New York City Comptroller from 1994 to 2002, when he was term-limited out of the office. He was being investigated for using a state employee as a chauffeur for his wife and failing to keep records or reimburse the State of NY by the Albany County
District Attorney
and was found to violate state law by the New York State Ethics Commission.
candidate, served as the Treasurer
of Saratoga County, New York
from 1997 to 2006. He was first appointed by Governor George Pataki
in 1997, and elected to a full term later that year. He was reelected twice.
. Failing that, Hevesi ran for state Comptroller in 2002 defeating Republican challenger John Faso
. In 2006, controversial allegations regarding Hevesi's tenure as Comptroller arose including admitted use of a state employee as a chauffeur for his wife and the purported use of state employees along the campaign trail. At a commencement address he delivered at Queens College on June 1, 2006, Hevesi told his audience that Senator Charles Schumer
was so tough he would "put a bullet between the president's eyes if he could get away with it." Several hours after his remarks, Hevesi apologized for his comments, calling them "beyond dumb," "remarkably stupid" and "incredibly moronic."http://www.1010wins.com/pages/41908.php
On October 12, 2006, Albany County
District Attorney
David Soares
' office acknowledged that it is officially investigating actions by Hevesi regarding the public employee hired to chauffeur his wife. If Hevesi is found to have violated state ethics laws, he could be fined or possibly removed from office. On October 16, 2006, Hevesi yielded control over his office to longtime political consultant Hank Morris.
On October 23, 2006 the New York State Ethics Commission deemed that Hevesi's actions involving the chauffeur violated state law, finding that:
On October 26, 2006, Democratic gubernatorial
candidate Eliot Spitzer
withdrew his endorsement of Hevesi saying, "Recent developments in the Comptroller’s race are deeply troubling. The outcome of the Ethics Commission investigation presents information that compromises Alan Hevesi's ability to fulfill his responsibilities."
On November 4, 2006, Hevesi was ordered to pay an additional $90,000. "Considering the record as a whole, I believe there is a preponderance of evidence that the comptroller knowingly and intentionally violated New York's public officers law," Kelley said in his 24-page report to Pataki.
from 1997 to early 2006 when he resigned to begin his campaign for state comptroller. There were reports that state party leaders were trying to recruit Rockland County
Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef
to run for comptroller against Treasurer Callaghan. Vanderhoef announced that he was not running for comptroller and instead announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor. Callaghan spent much of the summer travelling to the many county fair
s throughout New York.
On September 21, 2006, Alan Hevesi admitted that he hired an employee of the state to drive around his wife after Callaghan made a public statement on the matter and called the "Comptroller's hotline." Callaghan used the Comptroller's hotline during the campaign to call in misues of government funds specifically found in Hevesi's office.
† Of voters polled in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties.
Alan Hevesi
Alan G. Hevesi is a Democratic politician whoserved as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1994 to 2001, and as State Comptroller for the State of New York from 2003 to 2006...
winning against Republican challenger Chris Callaghan. Hevesi was plagued by scandals during the campaign involving misuse of state funds. Hevesi won the election, resigning a few days before his second term would have begun.
Democratic Party
Alan HevesiAlan Hevesi
Alan G. Hevesi is a Democratic politician whoserved as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1994 to 2001, and as State Comptroller for the State of New York from 2003 to 2006...
is the incumbent Comptroller
New York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...
of the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A Democrat
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...
and former professor, Hevesi was first elected State Comptroller in 2002. Hevesi served two terms as New York City Comptroller from 1994 to 2002, when he was term-limited out of the office. He was being investigated for using a state employee as a chauffeur for his wife and failing to keep records or reimburse the State of NY by the Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
and was found to violate state law by the New York State Ethics Commission.
Republican Party
Christopher Callaghan, the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate, served as the Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
from 1997 to 2006. He was first appointed by Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
in 1997, and elected to a full term later that year. He was reelected twice.
Green Party
- Julia WillebrandJulia WillebrandJulia Willebrand is an environmental, peace and education activist and was the Green Party nominee for the office of Comptroller of the State of New York in the 2006 New York state elections.- Biography :...
was the Green PartyGreen Party (United States)The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
candidate. She is an educator and their candidate for Mayor of New York CityMayor of New York CityThe Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
in 2001.
Libertarian Party
- John Cain was the Libertarian PartyLibertarian Party (United States)The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate. He is an insurance broker and former Democratic Party activist.
Socialist Workers Party
- Willie Cotton was the Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (United States)The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
candidate. He is a journalist and former Congressional candidate.
Right to Life Party
- Michael Cronmiller was the Right to Life PartyNew York State Right to Life PartyThe New York State Right to Life Party was founded to oppose the legalization of abortion in New York in 1970. The party first made the state ballot in the 1978 gubernatorial election, where its candidate Mary Jane Tobin won 130,000 votes...
candidate. The Right to Life Party did not obtain the signatures required to be placed on the ballot in the 2006 election cycle.
Nominee Alan Hevesi and the Democratic ticket
Alan Hevesi was the nominee of the Democratic Party for Comptroller. He served as Comptroller of New York City from 1994 to 2001 when he attempted a run for Mayor of New York CityMayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
. Failing that, Hevesi ran for state Comptroller in 2002 defeating Republican challenger John Faso
John Faso
John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
. In 2006, controversial allegations regarding Hevesi's tenure as Comptroller arose including admitted use of a state employee as a chauffeur for his wife and the purported use of state employees along the campaign trail. At a commencement address he delivered at Queens College on June 1, 2006, Hevesi told his audience that Senator Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
was so tough he would "put a bullet between the president's eyes if he could get away with it." Several hours after his remarks, Hevesi apologized for his comments, calling them "beyond dumb," "remarkably stupid" and "incredibly moronic."http://www.1010wins.com/pages/41908.php
On October 12, 2006, Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
David Soares
David Soares
P. David Soares is the current Albany County District Attorney. He is a Democrat.- Personal life :Soares was the youngest of the six children of Lucas and Lidia Soares. When he was six years old his family moved to Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He received a Bachelor's Degree in communications from...
' office acknowledged that it is officially investigating actions by Hevesi regarding the public employee hired to chauffeur his wife. If Hevesi is found to have violated state ethics laws, he could be fined or possibly removed from office. On October 16, 2006, Hevesi yielded control over his office to longtime political consultant Hank Morris.
On October 23, 2006 the New York State Ethics Commission deemed that Hevesi's actions involving the chauffeur violated state law, finding that:
- Hevesi used two state employees as drivers
- One of the drivers used a car owned by the state
- There was a “low threat risk” against Hevesi's wife with no documented threats against her and only one against him – which they discounted as not serious
- Hevesi never intended to reimburse the state
On October 26, 2006, Democratic gubernatorial
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
candidate Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
withdrew his endorsement of Hevesi saying, "Recent developments in the Comptroller’s race are deeply troubling. The outcome of the Ethics Commission investigation presents information that compromises Alan Hevesi's ability to fulfill his responsibilities."
On November 4, 2006, Hevesi was ordered to pay an additional $90,000. "Considering the record as a whole, I believe there is a preponderance of evidence that the comptroller knowingly and intentionally violated New York's public officers law," Kelley said in his 24-page report to Pataki.
Nominee Christopher Callaghan and the Republican ticket
Christopher Callaghan was the nominee of the Republican Party for Comptroller. Callaghan was Treasurer for Saratoga CountySaratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
from 1997 to early 2006 when he resigned to begin his campaign for state comptroller. There were reports that state party leaders were trying to recruit Rockland County
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef
C. Scott Vanderhoef
C. Scott Vanderhoef is the County Executive of Rockland County, New York and was the Republican and Conservative Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New York in the 2006 statewide elections...
to run for comptroller against Treasurer Callaghan. Vanderhoef announced that he was not running for comptroller and instead announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor. Callaghan spent much of the summer travelling to the many county fair
County Fair
"County Fair" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was originally released as the second track on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari. On November 26th of that year, it was released as the B-side to The Beach Boys' third single, "Ten Little...
s throughout New York.
On September 21, 2006, Alan Hevesi admitted that he hired an employee of the state to drive around his wife after Callaghan made a public statement on the matter and called the "Comptroller's hotline." Callaghan used the Comptroller's hotline during the campaign to call in misues of government funds specifically found in Hevesi's office.
Newspaper endorsements
- Poughkeepsie JournalPoughkeepsie JournalThe Poughkeepsie Journal is a newspaper based in Poughkeepsie, New York owned by the Gannett Company, who bought the paper in 1977. Founded in 1785 , the Journal is the oldest paper in New York state, and is the third-oldest in the nation...
: Callaghan - New York SunNew York SunThe New York Sun was a weekday daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 to 2008. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of an otherwise unrelated earlier New York paper, The Sun , it became the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be started...
: Callaghan - New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
: Callaghan - Times Herald-RecordTimes Herald-RecordThe Times Herald-Record, often referred to as The Record or Middletown Record in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties in New York; Pike County in Pennsylvania; and...
: Callaghan - NewsdayNewsdayNewsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
: Callaghan - New York Times: Callaghan
- New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
: Hevesi - Buffalo News: Callaghan
- Brooklyn Papers: Callaghan
- Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Callaghan
- Jamestown Post Journal
- Troy Record: Callaghan
- Syracuse Post Standard: Callaghan
Opinion polls
| Source | Date | Alan Hevesi (D) | Chris Callaghan (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac | November 6, 2006 | 50% | 38% |
| Marist http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/nyspolls/NYElection2006_061103.htm | November 3, 2006 | 48% | 36% |
| Siena | November 3, 2006 | 39% | 35% |
| NY1/Newsday | November 2, 2006 | 48% | 38% |
| Marist | October 27, 2006 | 50% | 38% |
| Siena | October 26, 2006 | 39% | 39%† |
| Marist | October 20, 2006 | 62% | 22% |
| Quinnipiac | October 18, 2006 | 54% | 27% |
| Siena | October 16, 2006 | 52% | 25% |
| Zogby | October 10, 2006 | 42% | 23% |
| Quinnipiac | October 4, 2006 | 59% | 21% |
| Marist | September 28, 2006 | 57% | 27% |
| Marist | September 8, 2006 | 57% | 28% |
| Marist | August 2006 | 60% | 27% |
| Marist | July 2006 | 57% | 29% |
† Of voters polled in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties.
Election results
Dates
- A debate was held on October 25, 2006 by NY1NY1NY1, New York One, is a 24-hour cable-news television channel focusing on the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to news and weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "New Yorker of the Week" and the "Scholar Athlete of the Week", and specialty...
. - The election was held on November 7, 2006.
See also
- Election results, New York Comptroller
- New York gubernatorial election, 2006New York gubernatorial election, 2006The New York gubernatorial election of 2006 was a race for the governorship of this U.S. state. Eliot Spitzer was elected on November 7, 2006, succeeding Governor George Pataki, the three-term incumbent, who did not run for a fourth term....
- New York United States Senate election, 2006New York United States Senate election, 2006The 2006 United States Senate election in New York was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton ran for and would win a second term representing New York in the United States Senate...
- New York attorney general election, 2006New York attorney general election, 2006The New York attorney general election, 2006 took place on November 7, 2006. Andrew Cuomo was elected to replace Eliot Spitzer as the Attorney General of New York.-Democratic Party:*Andrew M...