| Michael E. McMahon | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Vito Fossella |
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Member of the New York City Council, 49th District
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| In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2008 |
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| Born | September 12, 1957 Staten Island, New York |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Judith Novellino McMahon |
| Residence | Staten Island, New York |
| Alma mater | New York University, New York Law School |
| Profession | attorney |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Congressman Michael McMahon |
Michael E. "Mike" McMahon (born September 12, 1957) is an American Democratic politician from Staten Island, New York, currently serving as the U.S. Representative for the 13th Congressional District of New York. The district includes all of Staten Island, plus all or part of the Gravesend, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
From 2002 to 2008, he was a member of the New York City Council, representing the 49th district on Staten Island's North Shore. He was re-elected on November 8, 2005 to a second consecutive term.
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Biography
McMahon is a lifelong resident of Staten Island. He grew up in the Stapleton neighborhood on the North Shore and attended parochial schools. He graduated from New York University in 1979, later obtaining a law degree from New York Law School. He then worked for Democratic State Assembly members Eric Vitaliano and Elizabeth Connelly. He then joined the staff of City Councilman Jerome X. O'Donovan, who he succeeded in the Council.
New York City Council
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He served as the Chair of the Sanitation Committee. During his tenure, the committee passed what is considered one of the most historic waste management plans in city history. Under his leadership, the city put together a coherent plan that seeks to minimize the use of trucks to transport garbage by utilizing barges while also more evenly distributing the load of waste processing across the five boroughs. Detractors of the plan include Council members into whose districts the waste transfer stations will be shifted. Though these Council members complain that it is an unfair shift, most of the city agrees that this shift helps the city by lightening the load in previously overburdened communities.[citation needed]
Prior to being elected to public office, McMahon worked as a partner at O'Leary, McMahon & Spero in Staten Island, New York.[1]
2008 Congressional campaign
On May 28, 2008, the Staten Island Democratic Committee endorsed McMahon to run for the Congressional seat in New York's 13th Congressional District being vacated by retiring 12-year incumbent Republican Vito Fossella.[2] On September 9, 2008 McMahon defeated opponent Steve Harrison with 75% of votes to Harrison's 25%. Harrison ran against Fossella in 2006, receiving a higher percentage of the vote than any Democrat since the district fell into Republican hands in 1981 ([1]). Earlier, on June 11, 2008, McMahon had been endorsed by twelve New York City-area Representatives.[3]
The Republicans had considerable difficulty finding a replacement for Fossella on the ballot, eventually settling on former state assemblyman Robert Straniere. As a result, nearly all major pundits believed McMahon was almost certain to win the seat—the last Republican-held seat taking in a significant portion of New York City. Although Democrats have a 17-point edge in registration, the 13th is by far the most conservative and least racially diverse district in the city. Voters are somewhat conservative on social issues and matters regarding "law and order", which kept Republicans in the seat for over a quarter century.
In the November election, McMahon won in a landslide, taking 61 percent of the vote to Straniere's 33 percent.[4] This occurred despite the fact that John McCain narrowly carried Staten Island in the presidential election; a Democratic presidential candidate has carried Staten Island only three times since 1952.
Congressional career
Political Decisions
In November 2009, McMahon voted along with 38 other Democrats against the Affordable Health Care for America Act. [5]
Committee assignments
References
External links
- Congressman Michael McMahon official U.S. House website
- Michael McMahon for U.S. Congress official campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
- Congressional profile at GovTrack.us
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Jerome X. O'Donovan |
New York City Council, 49th District 2002–2008 |
Succeeded by Kenneth Mitchell |
| United States House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by Vito Fossella |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 13th congressional district 2009 – present |
Incumbent |
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