Howard Mills III

Last updated

Did we collect specific evidence that this was going on when Howard Mills was supervisor? No, but we didn't need to go that far back. However, having done a lot of these investigations, the kinds of problems that we saw are not the kinds of problems that spring up overnight. They are the kinds of problems that fester for years and years, and so I would be very surprised if these problems had not been going on for many years, back through several administrations, including his.

— Mark Peters, Chief Investigator, New York State Attorney General's Office, January 19, 2001. [10]

2004 campaign for U.S. Senate

In 2004 he dropped a bid for a fourth Assembly term in order to run against Charles Schumer for the U.S. Senate. He was considered a "sacrificial lamb" from the outset of the campaign. [13] He was nominated by the State Republican Committee after its fallout with the conservative front-runner Michael Benjamin, who had a significant advantage to Mills in both fund raising and campaign volunteers. [14] Mills was denied the nomination of the Conservative Party of New York State over the abortion issue. [15] He faced considerable difficulty raising money and getting name recognition. He raised only $600,000 for the race, while Schumer's campaign amassed over $24 million. [16] In the November election, as anticipated, Mills lost. His was the most lopsided contest for statewide office in New York State history, garnering 24% of the vote to Schumer's 71%. Marilyn O'Grady of the Conservative Party received 4%. Mills lost his own Assembly district, winning only Hamilton County, the least-populated and most Republican county in the state. Mills conceded the race minutes after polls closed and before any votes were counted.[ citation needed ]

New York Superintendent of Insurance

In 2005, Mills was appointed by Governor George Pataki as the New York State Superintendent of Insurance, making him the state's top regulator of that industry. [4] Mills signed landmark settlement agreements with the world's largest insurer as well as three prominent U.S. insurance brokers, secured auto rate premium reductions, was involved in securing an extension of the federal Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) through the end of 2007, and within the Insurance Department itself, created a Corporate Practices Unit within the agency's Office of General Counsel. [2]

After a New York Post article revealed that Mills had maintained his Assembly campaign account and continued raising funds while Insurance Superintendent, using them for purposes such as paying for a luxury car, dining out and purchasing gifts, Governor Pataki publicly chastised Mills' conduct. [5] [17] He served until 2007, when he reentered the private sector and became Chief Advisor, Insurance Industry Group, Deloitte & Touche USA. [18]

Mills was seriously considering entering New York's 19th congressional district election, 2008, against freshman incumbent John Hall. [5] Although Hall was targeted by National Republican Congressional Committee, they struggled to find a top tier candidate, and Mills' backers believed that he was up to the task. [19] However, in late 2007, Mills issued a press release stating he was not interested in running for congress. [20]

Electoral history

Howard Mills III
38th Superintendent of Insurance of New York
In office
May 18, 2005 –December 31, 2006
U.S. Senate (class 3) from New York, 2004 [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Chuck Schumer (I)4,769,82470.6%Democrat hold
Republican Howard Mills III1,625,06924.6%
Conservative Marilyn F. O'Grady 220,9603.4%
Green David McReynolds 36,9420.5%
Libertarian Donald Silberger19,0720.3%
Builders Party Abe Hirschfeld 16,1960.2%
Socialist Workers Martin Koppel 14,8110.2%

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodstock</span> 1969 music festival in Bethel, New York, US

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, 40 miles (65 km) southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music" and alternatively referred to as the Woodstock Rock Festival, it attracted an audience of more than 460,000. Thirty-two acts performed outdoors despite overcast and sporadic rain. It was one of the largest music festivals in history and became synonymous with the counterculture of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Pataki</span> Governor of New York from 1995 to 2006

George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984. Pataki was the third Republican since 1923 to win New York's governorship, after Thomas E. Dewey and Nelson Rockefeller, and is the most recent one to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery, New York</span> Town in Orange County, New York, US

Montgomery is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. Located roughly 60 miles (97 km) northwest of New York City, the town of Montgomery is an historical and cultural hub of the Hudson Valley region and has been a steadily growing outer-ring commuter suburb, in the last 30 years, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was listed as 23,322.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Schumer</span> American politician (born 1950)

Charles Ellis Schumer is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since 2021 and as a United States senator from New York since 1999. A member of the Democratic Party, he has led the Senate Democratic Caucus since 2017 and was Senate Minority Leader from 2017 to 2021. He became New York's senior senator in 2001, on the retirement of Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Elected to a fifth Senate term in 2022, Schumer surpassed Moynihan and Jacob K. Javits as the longest-serving U.S. senator from New York. He is the dean of New York's congressional delegation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al D'Amato</span> American politician (born 1937)

Alfonse Marcello D'Amato is an American attorney, lobbyist, and Republican politician who represented the state of New York in the United States Senate from 1981 to 1999. From 1995 to 1999, he chaired the Senate Banking Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 New York gubernatorial election</span>

The 2006 New York gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of New York, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections, then incumbent Republican governor George Pataki chose not to run for re-election in a fourth term. Democrat Eliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, won the election over former Republican state Assembly minority leader John Faso. As of 2024, this is the last time the Governor's office in New York changed partisan control. This was the first open-seat election since 1982. Primary elections were held on September 12. This is the last gubernatorial election where any of the following counties voted Democratic: Genesee, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Niagara, Fulton, Steuben, Tioga & Schoharie.

Mary O'Connor Donohue is an American retired educator, attorney, politician and Judge of the New York Court of Claims, who served as the lieutenant governor of New York from 1999 to 2006. Donohue was first elected lieutenant governor in 1998, and was re-elected in 2002.

Samuel Stephen Yasgur was an American attorney and Sullivan County, New York official. He was the son of Max Yasgur, who leased land on his 600 acres (2.4 km2) dairy farm in Bethel, New York for the Woodstock Music & Art Festival in August 1969. Yasgur said that his "consultations with his father" played a crucial role in the concert coming to Bethel. He grew up on his father's farm, and was a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Chicago Law School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Bruno</span> American politician (1929–2020)

Joseph Louis Bruno was an American businessman and Republican politician from upstate New York. Bruno served in the New York State Senate from 1977 to 2008 and was Senate Majority Leader from 1994 to 2008. Bruno was convicted of federal corruption charges in 2009, but his conviction was overturned on appeal and a subsequent retrial resulted in an acquittal.

Alexander Ferguson "Sandy" Treadwell is an American politician, journalist, and artist. He was Secretary of State of New York, as well as New York's representative on the Republican National Committee. He was also a writer for Sports Illustrated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in New York (state)</span>

The results of elections in the state of New York have tended to be more Democratic-leaning than in most of the United States, with in recent decades a solid majority of Democratic voters, concentrated in New York City and some of its suburbs, including Westchester County, Rockland County and Long Island's Nassau county, and in the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Ithaca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubén Díaz Jr.</span> American politician (born 1973)

Rubén Díaz Jr. is an American politician who served as the 13th borough president of The Bronx in New York City from 2009 to 2021. He was elected in April 2009 and reelected in 2013 and 2017. He previously served in the New York State Assembly.

Thomas J. Kirwan was an American politician and member of the New York State Assembly. He represented the 100th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Beacon, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie, and the towns of Marlboro, Newburgh, Lloyd and Shawangunk.

Timothy's Law is the reference used for a New York state statute signed into law on December 22, 2006 by Governor George E. Pataki which took effect January 1, 2007. The law requires that health plans sold in the state provide comparable coverage for mental health ailments as they do for physical ailments. This is often referred to as mental health parity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Benjamin (investor)</span> American investor and politician

Michael Benjamin was born Michael Benjamin Bonheur in New York City, New York, United States. Benjamin works as a private investor focusing on Internet companies. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 2010 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 2, 2010, along with elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer won re-election to a third term. Schumer won every county except for Wyoming, Tioga, and Hamilton counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 2004 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 2, 2004, along with elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as the presidential election, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Senator Chuck Schumer won re-election to a second term with 71.2% of the vote, at the time the highest margin of victory for any statewide candidate in New York's history, and winning every county except Hamilton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward A. Diana</span>

Edward A. Diana is an American educator, politician and former County Executive of Orange County, New York. Prior to being elected County Executive, he served for twelve years as County Legislator. He resides in Wallkill, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail</span> Rail trail in New York, US

The Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail, also known as the Jesse McHugh Rail Trail, is a 3.22-mile (5.18 km) rail trail between the village of Walden and the neighboring hamlet of Wallkill. The two communities are located in Orange County and Ulster County, respectively, in upstate New York.

References

  1. ↑ Tiber, Elliot. "How Woodstock Happened... Part 2, Discoverynet, reprinted from The Times Herald-Record, Woodstock Commemorative Edition (1994)
  2. 1 2 3 "Official Biography - Howard Mills III - Superintendent Archived 2008-02-07 at the Wayback Machine ". New York State Insurance Department Archived 2005-06-29 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on January 25, 2007.
  3. 1 2 Slackman, Michael (2004-10-11). "3 Weeks Out, Refrain in Senate Race Is Still, Howard Who?". New York Times . Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  4. 1 2 "Governor Pataki announces new Insurance Superintendent" Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine . Greater New York Council of Insurance Brokers [ permanent dead link ]. December 24, 2004.
  5. 1 2 3 Celock, John. "Mills Mulling Run Against Hall" Archived 2008-01-06 at the Wayback Machine . City Hall News. November 27, 2007.
  6. ↑ "People of the State of New York v The Town of Wallkill". United States District Court, Southern District of New York. January 17, 2007. Retrieved from Times Herald-Record article entitled "Text of the attorney general's complaint" on February 29, 2008.
  7. ↑ Hegedus, Nathan. "Wallkill cops face Spitzer's scrutiny". Times Herald-Record . January 17, 2001.
  8. ↑ Herbert, Bob. "In America; Police Predators". New York Times . January 25, 2001.
  9. ↑ "False arrest claim set for trial". Times Herald-Record . March 1, 2003.
  10. 1 2 3 "Coscette v Town of Wallkill, et al." New York Appellate Division Reports . October 18, 2001.
  11. ↑ Barry, Dan. "Seeing Lawless Police Behavior, State Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Small Town". New York Times . January 19, 2001.
  12. ↑ "Key dates in Wallkill police controversy". Times Herald-Record . January 19, 2007.
  13. ↑ "Senate hopeful claims GOP bosses snubbed him". Albany Times-Union , February 25, 2004.
  14. ↑ Humbert, Mark. Major Parties to Anoint their Senate Combatants. Associated Press . May 15, 2004.
  15. ↑ Remember Senate 2004, November 20, 2005.
  16. ↑ 2004 New York Senate Race Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine OpenSecrets
  17. ↑ Benjamin, Elizabeth. "Odds and Ends" [ permanent dead link ]. Albany Times-Union . December 27, 2006.
  18. ↑ Levensohn, Michael. "Mills to take job with financial firm when he leaves as state Insurance head". Times Herald-Record . December 27, 2006.
  19. ↑ James, Alexa. "Mills mulling run against John Hall". Times Herald-Record . November 29, 2007.
  20. ↑ Benjamin, Elizabeth. "Mills: Don't Believe The Hype" Archived 2008-01-01 at the Wayback Machine . New York Daily News . November 29, 2007.
  21. ↑ "NYS Board of Elections United States Senator Election Returns". New York State Board of Elections . Retrieved on February 29, 2008.
New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly, 95th District
1999–2002		Succeeded by
Preceded by New York State Assembly, 97th District
2003–2004		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senate (Class 3) from New York
2004 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Gregory V. Serio
 Superintendent of Insurance of New York
2005–2006		Succeeded by
Louis W. Pietroluongo
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.