Governor of New York Mario Cuomo

governor cuomo speaking @ rally in 1991 in plattsburgh, new york

in 1982, carey declined run re-election , cuomo declared candidacy. once again faced ed koch in democratic primary. time, koch s support death penalty backfired , alienated many voters outside new york city when, in interview playboy magazine, described lifestyle of both suburbia , upstate new york sterile , lamented thought of having live in small town of albany governor, saying city without chinese restaurant . cuomo won primary ten points , faced republican nominee businessman lewis lehrman in general election. recession aiding democratic candidates, cuomo beat lehrman 50.91% 47.48%.

cuomo actively campaigned walter mondale in 1984 presidential election, , named on mondale s list of vice presidential candidates. geraldine ferraro nominated running mate, cuomo chosen give keynote speech @ 1984 democratic national convention in san francisco. vigorously attacked ronald reagan s record , policies in speech brought him national attention, memorably saying: there despair, mr. president, in faces don t see, in places don t visit, in shining city. considered 1 of frontrunners democratic nomination president in 1988 , 1992.

cuomo re-elected in landslide in 1986 against republican nominee andrew p. o rourke 64.3% 31.77%. consistently ruled out possibility of running in 1988 presidential election, announcing on february 19, 1987, not run , going on publicly decline draft movements in wake of gary hart s withdrawal following donna rice affair.

in 1990 gubernatorial election, cuomo re-elected 53.17% of vote republican pierre andrew rinfret s 21.35% , conservative herbert london s 20.40%.

when cuomo asked if planning run president in 1992, say: have no plans , no plans make plans , refused rule out. in october 1991, news broke interested in running , taking advice consultant bob shrum. @ same time, began working on budget new york state legislature, , promised not make announcements presidential run until had reached agreement republican-controlled state senate , democratic-controlled state assembly. 2 polls taken in november of new hampshire democratic primary showed him leading field @ least twenty points, , poll in december showed him trailing president george h. w. bush 48% 43%, having been behind 28% 2 months previously.

the filing deadline new hampshire primary on december 20, 1991, , cuomo expected wait until deadline before filing , declaring candidacy. in days before deadline, cuomo not able negotiate agreement republicans in legislature , on deadline day, on date of deadline, required submit ballot application in person. in extraordinary display of political indecision, later fictionalized in joe klein s primary colors, kept airplane idling on tarmac decided whether fly new hampshire enter race. democratic party leaders asked him run , prepared 2 statements, 1 in case ran , 1 in case did not. tried come final agreement on budget, not, made announcement @ 3:30 p.m. day:

responsibility governor deal extraordinarily severe problem. not, travel new hampshire today , file name candidate in presidential primary. hope , prepared it. seemed me cannot turn attention new hampshire while threat hangs on head of new yorkers have sworn put first.

cuomo s supporters launched draft movement , encouraged people write in name in democratic primary, held on february 18, 1992. cuomo did not discourage it, many saw implicit endorsement of campaign. cuomo went on receive 6,577 votes in primary, 3.92% of total cast , subsequently asked draft committee close down, saying, flattered support , impressed commitment, convinced in fairness ought end effort. group closed down, cuomo refused rule out joining primaries later in year, stating, have said more once nomination should go willing , able campaign it. willing, because new york s budget has not been settled not able campaign it. ultimately, cuomo did not enter race , bill clinton went on win democratic nomination , general election. because of cuomo s refusal run national office, despite popularity, referred hamlet on hudson .

cuomo in 2007

after bill clinton won democratic nomination president in 1992, cuomo candidate vice president refused considered , did not make clinton s final shortlist. spoken of candidate nomination united states supreme court, when president clinton considering nominees during first term replace retiring byron white, cuomo stated not interested in office. george stephanopoulos wrote in 1999 clinton came within 15 minutes of nominating cuomo before latter pre-emptively rejected post.

in 1994, cuomo ran fourth term. in election, republicans attacked him weak economic recovery within state since 1990s recession , resulting high unemployment opposition death penalty highlighting case of arthur shawcross, multiple murderer convicted of manslaughter paroled state 1987 , while on release became serial killer. republicans able associate shawcross cuomo willie horton michael dukakis 6 years earlier. cuomo defeated george pataki in 1994 republican landslide, taking 45.4% of vote pataki s 48.8%. cuomo lost because support outside of new york city vanished; carried 1 county outside 5 boroughs, albany county.

cuomo , fellow democrat ann richards, governor of texas had been defeated in re-election campaign george w. bush, appeared in series of humorous television advertisements snack food doritos shortly afterwards, in discussed sweeping changes occurring. changes discussing turned out new doritos packaging.

accomplishments

in cuomo s first term governor of new york state, produced balanced budget , earned highest credit rating on long term state in 1 decade. philosophy in leading state 1 of progressive pragmatism. cuomo , democratic-controlled house of representatives (democrats had on 3:2 margin in house) successful in stopping u.s. president ronald reagan s administration eliminating federal income tax deductibility of state, local , property taxes.

during second term governor, cuomo pushed enactment of sweeping fiscal reforms state. comprehensive reform measures enacted in governmental ethics new york state under cuomo s leadership. cuomo extended new york state s economic reach in business, globally, contributing both strengthening , developing it.

cuomo known beginning decade of child initiative, effort included multiple health care , educational strategies better lives of children in new york state. further, in 1988, rebuild ny transportation bond act initiative under cuomo continuance of efforts rebuild bridges , roads throughout state. cuomo increased assistance local law enforcement agencies in order reduce or eliminate crime; , prison expansion in state continued said have regretted. under cuomo, new york state first in nation enact seat belt laws.

governor mario , wife matilda cuomo presided on first new york state family support conference in 1988. statewide initiatives in developing on 1,000 [family support] programs today termed individual , family support nationwide , cited national council on disability. first governor support ecological approach families represented [community integration] , community development goal of deinstitutionalization.

healthcare area cuomo improved governor, implementing initiatives succeeded in reducing costs of prescription medications. endeavor assisted senior citizens in making medications more affordable. under cuomo s leadership, public health plan tackled aids epidemic intense in nation.

overseeing programs environmental preservation , conservation, cuomo implemented aggressive initiatives in these areas. under cuomo s leadership, new york state first in united states integrate both environmental protection , energy conservation goals.

cuomo s progressivism evident in appointments of judges new york court of appeals. cuomo appointed of judges state appeals court, including first 2 female judges, both first african-american , hispanic judges.

cuomo eliminated new york state regents scholarship given students ranked high on statewide special examination.