Randy Daniels
Encyclopedia
Randy Daniels is an American
journalist
and educator who served as Secretary of State of New York
from 2001 to 2005. He resides in Westchester, New York
and is currently employed as Vice Chairman of Gilford Securities, a real estate investing
firm.
Daniels was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York
in 1997 and currently serves as Vice Chairman. He was previously the senior vice president for economic revitalization at the Empire State Development Corporation
. He was nominated for both positions by former Governor
George Pataki
. Daniels launched an unsuccessful Republican
primary
bid for Governor of New York
in 2006.
Daniels held important positions in a number of different government entities. He served as the Director of Communications for the New York City Council
President's Office from 1986 to 1988, and was appointed Press Secretary
to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas in 1988. In 1992, he briefly became Deputy Mayor
of New York City
under David Dinkins
. Prior to his career in public service, Daniels worked for many years as a correspondent for CBS News
and a Professor
of Journalism.
in a housing project with his nine brothers and sisters, and later in his family's first home in suburban Markham, Illinois
. He holds a bachelor's degree in government and journalism from Southern Illinois University
. He is a former journalist and public relations professional.
He began his journalism career in Chicago, as a reporter for WVON
radio. He was then emplyoed with CBS News
, first as a war correspondent for throughout the 1970s, and later as their Africa Bureau Chief in 1977. He became a familiar face on the evening news, covering eight wars and the Iranian Revolution
. During this time he also worked adjunct Journalism professor at both the City College of New York
and Columbia University's
Graduate School of Journalism.
. He later became Press Secretary for the Prime Minister
of the Bahamas in 1988.
Daniels began his career as a Democrat, but changed his party registration to Republican in 2002. He was briefly the Deputy Mayor
of New York City under former Mayor David Dinkins
. He was appointed as Pataki's Secretary of State in 2001 and served in that capacity until 2005. He was considered a possible running mate for Pataki in 2002 for lieutenant governor
.
Daniels was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of New York in 2006. He was considered the most articulate speaker in the race and gained support from party leaders in Central New York, particularly in Syracuse
. Daniels also won support from leaders of the state's Conservative Party. Secretary Daniels is considered by many to be the most conservative candidate in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign, and if successful would have been the first black governor in the history of the state of New York.
On April 9, 2006 it was reported that Daniels would end his campaign the next day and endorse former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso
for governor. He denied that he was seeking to be Faso's running mate
for lieutenant governor. Faso later choose Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef
as his running mate.
Daniels is considered a possible future candidate for Governor of New York
, the State Senate
, Congress or Republican State Chairman.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and educator who served as Secretary of State of New York
Secretary of State of New York
The Secretary of State of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York.The current Secretary of State of New York is Cesar A...
from 2001 to 2005. He resides in Westchester, 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...
and is currently employed as Vice Chairman of Gilford Securities, a real estate investing
Real estate investing
Real estate investing involves the purchase, ownership, management, rental and/or sale of real estate for profit. Improvement of realty property as part of a real estate investment strategy is generally considered to be a sub-specialty of real estate investing called real estate development...
firm.
Daniels was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
in 1997 and currently serves as Vice Chairman. He was previously the senior vice president for economic revitalization at the Empire State Development Corporation
Empire State Development Corporation
The Urban Development Corporation, doing business as Empire State Development Corporation is a public authority of the state of New York in the United States that has financed and operated several ambitious state projects by issuing tax exempt bonds....
. He was nominated for both positions by former Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
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 :...
. Daniels launched an unsuccessful Republican
Republican 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...
primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
bid for Governor of New York
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...
in 2006.
Daniels held important positions in a number of different government entities. He served as the Director of Communications for the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
President's Office from 1986 to 1988, and was appointed Press Secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas in 1988. In 1992, he briefly became Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
under David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
. Prior to his career in public service, Daniels worked for many years as a correspondent for CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
and a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Journalism.
Early career and background
Daniels grew up in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in a housing project with his nine brothers and sisters, and later in his family's first home in suburban Markham, Illinois
Markham, Illinois
Markham is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,620 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Markham is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. He holds a bachelor's degree in government and journalism from Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
. He is a former journalist and public relations professional.
He began his journalism career in Chicago, as a reporter for WVON
WVON
WVON is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, airing an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is managed by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, via a local marketing agreement with frequency owner Clear Channel Communications. Civil rights leaders the...
radio. He was then emplyoed with CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, first as a war correspondent for throughout the 1970s, and later as their Africa Bureau Chief in 1977. He became a familiar face on the evening news, covering eight wars and the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
. During this time he also worked adjunct Journalism professor at both the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
and Columbia University's
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Graduate School of Journalism.
Political career
In 1986 he became Communications Director for Andrew J. Stein, President of the New York City CouncilNew York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
. He later became Press Secretary for the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of the Bahamas in 1988.
Daniels began his career as a Democrat, but changed his party registration to Republican in 2002. He was briefly the Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
of New York City under former Mayor David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
. He was appointed as Pataki's Secretary of State in 2001 and served in that capacity until 2005. He was considered a possible running mate for Pataki in 2002 for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
.
2006 race for governor
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. Daniels also won support from leaders of the state's Conservative Party. Secretary Daniels is considered by many to be the most conservative candidate in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign, and if successful would have been the first black governor in the history of the state of New York.
On April 9, 2006 it was reported that Daniels would end his campaign the next day and endorse former Assembly Minority Leader 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...
for governor. He denied that he was seeking to be Faso's running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
for lieutenant governor. Faso later choose Rockland County 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...
as his running mate.
Daniels is considered a possible future candidate for Governor of New York
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...
, the State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
, Congress or Republican State Chairman.