Byron Brown
Encyclopedia
Byron William Brown II (born September 24, 1958) is the 58th and current mayor of Buffalo, New York, elected on November 8, 2005 and is the city's first African-American mayor. He previously served Western New York
as a member of the New York State Senate
and Buffalo Common Council
. He was the first African-American politician elected to the New York State Senate to represent a district outside New York City
and the first member of any minority race to represent a majority white New York State Senate district.
Brown was born and raised in Queens, New York. He rose to elective office after serving in a variety of political roles. He began his political career performing as an aide to local representatives in several legislative bodies (Buffalo Common Council, Erie County Legislature and New York State Assembly
) and later getting involved in a regional political organization. After several roles as a legislative aide, he was appointed to the Erie County
cabinet-level
Director of Equal Employment Opportunity post.
As both a New York State Senator and Buffalo Mayor, he has been closely involved in the development of the three Seneca Nation
casinos that have been planned and built in Western New York since 2002. As someone born and raised downstate
who went on to become an upstate
political servant, he has been active on the statewide political front. He is a close political ally of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
. He has also been active with the National Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
in efforts to prevent gun-related crime. His plan to revitalize Buffalo by demolishing its abundant vacant buildings has drawn opposition from historic preservation
ists, but he has made the development of the Buffalo waterfront a priority.
, a southeastern neighborhood in New York City's Queens borough, in a double
that his family shared with his grandparents, who were immigrants from the Caribbean
island of Montserrat
. He grew up on 200th Street between 100th and 104th avenues and has several relatives in the area. As a Queens resident, he was a New York Mets
and New York Knicks
fan.
Brown's father rose from a job as a stock boy to one as an executive in the garment industry. He was a Boy Scout
at Hollis Presbyterian Church in Queens and was also active in the Central Queens YMCA (now called Jamaica
YMCA
). In high school, Brown played the trumpet in the school band. Brown attended Public School 134 in Hollis, junior high school PS 109, and August Martin High School
. Brown and his sister Andrea were the first generation in his family to go to college.
After graduating from August Martin High School Brown attended Buffalo State College
, in part due to grudging admiration for Randy Smith
. He played a year of Junior Varsity
basketball as a 5 in 11 in (1.8 m) guard. While he had considered a potential medical career, Brown finished, in 1983, with a dual Bachelor of Arts
in political science
and journalism
. He subsequently completed a certificate program for senior executives in state and local government at Harvard University's
John F. Kennedy School of Government
.
and a company car. Brown was disappointed with his advancement potential in this position. As a result, he quit and took the New York State Troopers
exam before becoming Chief of staff
for Buffalo Common Council President George Arthur for two years. He then spent two years as an aide to Erie County Legislator Roger Blackwell (later Erie County Legislature Chairman). Then, he worked for two years under Arthur Eve
, the Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly
. Subsequently, he served eight years as director of the Erie County division of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
under Erie County Executive
Dennis Gorski
. He resigned his directorship in July 1993 to run for public office.
Brown became a member of Grassroots
, a political organization which was founded in 1986 by a group of block club
leaders. Brown eventually served as a vice president of the organization.
Brown was recognized in the November 1989 issue of Ebony
magazine as one the "30 Leaders of the Future" with a caption that read "Byron Brown chosen for leadership skills." The Buffalo Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
in 1991 honored him with the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Award for community service
. In 1993 he was selected by Business First for its "40 Under Forty Honor Roll". He was awarded the Infinity Broadcasting/WBLK
2001 "Voice of Power Award" and the 2004 "Citizen of the Year" award. He also received the "Political Impact Award" from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
in 2001.
In 1992, Brown was a delegate to the 1992 Democratic National Convention
from the New York's 33rd congressional district
. He was originally pledged to Bob Kerrey
, but switched to Bill Clinton
after Kerrey bowed out of the 1992 Democratic Primary campaign
on March 5, 1992. In 1993, Brown was invited to attend Bill Clinton's Inauguration.
.
Brown won the September 1995 Democratic primary for the Masten District Buffalo Common Council seat. He then took time out from campaigning to attend the October 16, 1995 Million Man March
. Brown ousted 18-year veteran councilman, David Collins, to win his seat on the Buffalo Common Council. He beat Collins by a 5,391–1,670 (76–24%) margin in the November 7, 1995 general election. In his 1997 re-election campaign, he won the September 9 Democratic primary handily, and he was unopposed in the November 4 general election. In his 1999 re-election campaign, he again won the Democratic primary easily on September 14, and he won the November 2 general election. Beginning in January 2000, Brown served as part of the first ever African-American majority in the history of the Buffalo Common Council.
In 1996, The Buffalo News
described Brown as "Buffalo's Julian Bond
". While on the Council, the future State Senator and Mayor was called "bright, creative and hardworking" in a 1999 Buffalo News survey.
and Samuel A. Herbert. Coppola was endorsed by Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello
. Brown won the September 2000 primary by a wide 18% margin. However, Coppola remained on the ballot in the general election on the Conservative Party of New York
, Working Families Party
and Green Party
lines. The Republican Party
nominee was the politically inexperienced Harrison R. Woolworth. Although Brown began the race without organized political support, he earned endorsements from many veteran non-Western New York politicians such as H. Carl McCall, Andrew Cuomo
, and Hillary Rodham Clinton
.
When he was sworn in to the State Senate on January 1, 2001, Byron Brown became New York's first African-American State Senator elected outside of New York City
. He also became the first minority member of the New York State Senate to represent a majority white district.
During Brown's tenure in the New York State Senate his Democratic Party was in the minority. He was part of the majority that backed New York Governor George Pataki
's 2001 plan to build up to three Western New York
casinos on Seneca Indian land. The legislation was controversial because it granted slot machine
rights to casino operators for the first time in New York State. Both of the previous casinos used video gambling machines with debit card
s. Brown supported the casinos as a way to support the local economy. When the casino was completed in 2003, he was on the seven-member commission that was to apportion the state's agreed 18% share of the slot machine revenue, amounting to approximately $40 million.
By spring of 2003, Brown was a rising star in the declining years of the "Harlem Clubhouse", a loose political fraternity of David Dinkins
, Charles Rangel, Basil Paterson
, Percy Sutton
and sometimes H. Carl McCall that had dominated state politics while forging the careers of its members for much of the late 20th century. He was envisioned as a front-runner for the 2006 Democratic nomination as Lieutenant Governor of New York
or as Buffalo's first black Mayor. By 2004 it seemed clear that he was eyeing the mayor's office. In the 2004 New York State Senate elections, Republican nominee Al Coppola opposed Brown for the redistricted
60th District and garnered only 23% of the vote.
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
described helping Brown win the Mayoral race as his "biggest campaign priority" in the last month and a half before Primary Day. Buffalo, which had a 8:1 Democrat to Republican ratio and a 38% black population, was 75% contained in Brown's State Senate district. Brown carried 59% of the vote in the September 13, 2005 Democratic primary, and faced Kevin Helfer, a former City Council colleague, in the general election. Brown was the sixth African-American to win the Democratic Mayor Primary since the 1960s, but all before him had failed to win the general election, even though the city had not elected a Republican since 1961. His Republican opponent, Helfer, beat him in the Conservative Party Primary as a write-in candidate, although Brown had been endorsed by that party. Brown raised more than five times as much money as Helfer, however, and defeated him 64% to 27% in the general election.
Brown was sworn in on December 31, 2005 at the Buffalo Convention Center. During his first day in office he toured the Buffalo Waterfront to show his commitment to its development. Before the end of the year, restoration on the original point where the Erie Canal
met the Great Lakes
was underway. Brown presented his plans for the development during subsequent tours by top state leaders, including future New York State Governors Eliot Spitzer
and David Paterson
. Erie Canal Harbor eventually opened on July 2, 2008.
In early 2006, the Seneca Nation filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to build the third of the three Western New York casinos that had been legislated in 2002. In 2007, Brown was not sure he was in favor of the third casino, which seemed to cater to local residents instead of luring tourist revenues. Tom Golisano
, founder of Paychex
, owner of the Buffalo Sabres
National Hockey League
franchise and three-time candidate for New York State Governor, suggested that the Buffalo economy would not benefit from a business designed to transfer money from local citizens to the Seneca Gaming Corporation. Brown withheld support while awaiting clarification of the target consumer for the third casino. In October 2006, the Seneca Nation and Brown came to terms on the final sale of a two-block stretch of city road that runs amid the 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) construction site. As part of the sale the nation agreed to both marketing terms (regarding marketing beyond the local region), and hiring preferences for city residents. However, in January 2007, a federal judge ruled that the granting of permission to run the third casino by the National Indian Gaming Commission
was improper. Seneca Nation received federal approval for their casino on July 2, 2007 and opened the following day.
and Thomas Menino
at Gracie Mansion
to confirm their support for more serious attacks on the use of illegal firearms. Bloomberg and Philip A. Amicone, Yonkers Mayor, were the only Republicans. The mayors all signed a six-point "statement of principles" focused on punishing gun possession "to the maximum extent of the law", prosecuting dealers who knowingly sell guns to criminals through so-called straw purchase
rs, opposing two United States House of Representatives
bills to restrict cities' access to gun-tracing data, endorsing technologies to detect illegal guns, and coordinating strategies and outreach to other cities in hopes of reconvening with at least 50 mayors by year end. A little over a year later the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
co-chaired by Bloomberg and Menino included 225 bi-partisan municipal
leaders in pursuit of legal, political and media strategies to stem gun crime and had a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets". Brown noted that he learned several techniques that became useful in Buffalo in reducing the homicide
rate 21% from the coalition and talks with specific mayors. Rising homicides had been a disappointment in his first year as mayor.
Brown's first-year review as a mayor was mixed. He was praised for his overhaul of city hall, his follow through on projects and systems, and his influence on statewide redistribution, but he was dogged by crime issues and his efforts for the planned casino. His agenda, hiring and discipline were respected, but rising homicides, continuing decay and evolving bureaucracy were troubling. In addition to public perceptions, Brown had a good working relationship with the Buffalo Common Council
.
As mayor of Buffalo, he presided over emergency relief from blizzards such as the mid-October 2006 two-foot snow storm. The storm more than doubled the previous record for single-day October snowfall. Despite the fact that about 200,000 city residents were without electricity, the city saw no spike in criminal activity, according to Brown.
Buffalo is second only to St. Louis among cities nationwide in terms of percentage of vacant properties per capita. Therefore, in fall 2007, Brown committed to a $100 million five-year plan to demolish 5,000 houses, which is about half of the city's total of vacant houses. However, since Buffalo has the second highest residential poverty rate (to Detroit) homes continue to be abandoned. The program may benefit the city because abandoned house costs it an approximate average of $20,060 over five years in lost taxes, debris removal, inspections, and policing. Also, 41% of all fires in Buffalo are in vacant buildings, and more than 90% of all arson cases involved abandoned houses. Subsequently, during the first ever "State of Upstate Address", New York Governor Spitzer suggested committing $100 million in state funds to build or rehabilitate 10,000 homes and apartments. The mayor's initial demolition plans met with resistance from preservationists and he had to negotiate with the National Trust for Historic Preservation
, which got him attention from coast to coast.
In 2008, Brown convinced Buffalo to use a real-time wireless video surveillance system. The city installed 56 Avrio Rapid Deployment Surveillance Solution PoleCams. The system was the result of a request by Brown that the city evaluate surveillance cameras in other cities. By January 2009 State of the City Address, Brown reported that crime had fallen 12% and homicide by 50% since he had taken office.
Washington Bureau Chief and Meet the Press
moderator Tim Russert
, who was a proud Buffalo native, Brown ordered that all flags on city property be lowered to half-staff
in order to honor Russert's memory. Brown called Russert one of Buffalo's finest ambassadors, and his decision to lower the flags in honor of Russert, a civilian who never held elected office, was an unusual gesture that was described as breathtaking on Hardball with Chris Matthews
by Tom Brokaw
. He was joined by several other officials in recognizing Russert. Chief among those was United States President George W. Bush
who signed a bill that named a stretch of U.S. Route 20A
that passes in front of Ralph Wilson Stadium
(home stadium of the Buffalo Bills
) Timothy J. Russert Highway.
In a public relations controversy, Brown got caught in a fight against the movement to replace traditional lawns with front yard gardens. His office had issued an edict that a resident remove her landscape renovations. However, an e-mail campaign in defense of the resident caused the mayor to rethink his stance.
were at odds over various political positions after Lenihan played a major role in Brown's election to the office of Mayor. Brown supported Andrew Cuomo
for New York Attorney General in the 2006 general election, David Paterson
for Lieutenant Governor of New York
in the 2006 general election and Antoine Thompson
for 60th District New York Senator in a special election on February 28, 2006. Lenihan disagreed with each of these choices. Thompson had run Brown's last common council campaign, and Brown was upset that he did not get to select his successor in the 60th District. Many supporters considered boycott
ing the special election due to a perceived racial slight against an African American who seemed to be wrongfully shutout of the process. Lenihan pointed out that neither of the previous State Senators turned Mayor, Anthony Masiello
and James D. Griffin, was granted the right to pick their successor, and he noted that Thompson had not been timely in entering the special election process. The Erie and Niagara
County Democratic committees bypassed Thompson as their nominee in favor of Marc Coppola
despite Brown's backing in the February special election. Thompson subsequently decided to run for the New York Senate seat in the November general election.
The week before the 2006 New York State Democratic Convention, Brown was described as a political confidant of Democratic New York Attorney General candidate Andrew Cuomo. He seconded Cuomo's nomination at the convention on May 30, 2006. Throughout the campaign Brown was described as a close political advisor to Cuomo. He was noted as (along with Charles Rangel) one of the important black political leaders that Cuomo courted on his road to victory.
During the 2008 United States presidential election
, like most of the New York State Democratic establishment, Brown was a supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton
, the United States Senator from New York. This marked a break from his earlier political organization, Grassroots, which supported Barack Obama
from the outset. He even ran to be a delegate for Clinton at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
. In July 2008, Golisano announced that he would attempt to create change in Albany by spending $5 million on targeted campaigns. During the New York state September primary elections for state office, The New York Times
alleged that Brown was aiding Golisano's attempt to unseat Sam Hoyt
in the New York State Assembly.
As Hillary Clinton resigned her United States Senate seat on January 21, 2009 to assume a position in the United States Cabinet
under United States President Barack Obama
, New York Governor David Paterson
was required to appoint a temporary replacement until a special election in 2010 for the balance of her term. Some thought that the New York State Governor would appoint a minority senator such as Brown, Gregory W. Meeks, H. Carl McCall, William C. Thompson, Jr., José E. Serrano or Nydia M. Velázquez. However, Andrew Cuomo was the front-runner for the seat and the next most likely candidates are Velázquez, Steve Israel
, Nita Lowey
and Meeks. Prominent women who were mentioned include Carolyn B. Maloney
and Caroline Kennedy
. The New York Timess Danny Hakim noted that Cuomo, Paterson and Brown were the three names most often mentioned prior to Paterson's ascension to the governor's office. Although these three were the favorites, Brown was considered an unknown outside of Western New York. Nonetheless, Brown's name was mentioned before Kennedy's and Cuomo's in a New York Times article paragraph about Paterson's final nomination decision thoughts. In fact, in at least one article in The New York Times on the subject, Brown was mentioned and Cuomo wasn't. When Paterson announced he had selected Blue Dog Democrat
Kirsten Gillibrand
, Brown was one of the few contenders to attend the event.
With Cuomo likely to be running for governor in the 2010 New York gubernatorial election
, Brown was mentioned in early 2010 as a possible Lieutenant Governor of New York
candidate by numerous sources, including multiple journalists from The New York Times. Meanwhile, in early 2010, newly transplanted New Yorker Harold Ford, Jr.
is considering challenging New York's Junior United States Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in the 2010 United States Senate special election in New York
and has met with Brown as part of his statewide political travels.
, who had been arrested for possessing a stolen handicapped parking tag. The Buffalo News also reported another scandal involving Mr. Stokes, and Mayor Brown. The scandal involved a $160,000 loan given to Mr. Stokes from the City of Buffalo, to open a restaurant in Buffalo. Further controversy arose when it was discovered that Michelle Baron, VP of the city backed corporation which gave Mr. Stokes, who had no previous experience operating a restaurant, the loan, was involved in securing the loan with a faulty business plan. Evidence also points to Mayor Brown green lighting the loan.
In June 2009, Commissioner Tanya Perrin-Johnson wrote a series of e-mails that were sent to about 20 employees in her department directing them to work on the mayor's re-election campaign. The Office of Special Counsel has begun an investigation to determine whether the e-mails represent a violation of the federal Hatch Act, which, among other things, prohibits employees involved in federally funded programs from using their authority to influence political campaigns. As a result of the probe, the Common Council last year decided to delay her reappointment as commissioner until the investigation concluded. She had been serving in an interim capacity. On April 8, 2011, Commissioner Tanya Perrin-Johnson resigned her position.
A March 9, 2010 Buffalo News Article outlined Mayor Brown's political relationship with Rev. Richard Stenhouse http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/08/981030/michigan-avenue-pastor-is-one.html?page=1&order=T#comment. The article details the over $5 million dollars Rev. Stenhouse received to develop affordable housing on Buffalo's east side. The article goes on to suggest much of the money was wasted due to incompetence and inexperience. Rev. Stenhouse is the pastor for one of Buffalo's largest Congregations the Bethel AME Church, and an ally of Mayor Brown.
. On the national level, he was an unheralded point guard
in the 2008 high school graduating class, and he went on to attend Queen City Prep in Charlotte, North Carolina
.
The Brown family attends St. John Baptist Church. While mayor, Brown has performed at least one wedding ceremony at the church. Byron Brown is a chapter president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
, a past President of the Buffalo State College Alumni Association Board, and at the time of his mayoral inauguration he sat on the Board of the Boy Scout Council of Western New York
and the Community Action Organization of Erie County. Brown collects tropical fish
and maintains an aquarium in his Buffalo Mayor's office. His parents divorced and at the beginning of his mayoral tenure, his mother was living in Buffalo. He also is a member of the Erie County Democratic Committee. He was a delegate to the 1992
, 2000
and 2004
Democratic National Convention
s.
On Saturday February 24, 2007 at about 6:55 a.m., Brown's Chevrolet Equinox
was stolen from an on-street parking location by someone with key access and crashed into three parked vehicles before being abandoned a few blocks from the family home. Brown had driven his son to play in a basketball tournament in Jamestown, New York
on Friday February 23. They returned home at approximately 10:30 p.m. from the tournament. In interviews at the end of March 2007, Brown claimed that all members of his family with known key access had alibis. At the time Brown III possessed a learner's permit
. Canisius College
security cameras recorded parts of the accident, including the driver leaving the scene of multiple accidents. In April a second video recording with more fluid movement was revealed in contrast to the original recording of 36 frames per minute. In a news conference
Brown announced that Byron Brown III took the senior Brown's car without permission and drove about the area near his house and Canisius College campus. Brown III admitted to the damage and was charged with driving without a driver's license and leaving the scenes of multiple accidents. Brown III was scheduled to appear on April 16, 2007 in Buffalo City Court on the charges. He pleaded guilty to unlicensed driving and leaving the scene of an accident. In 2010, his son was charged with charged with petit larceny for leaving a store with goods that were not paid for. Byron Jr. was spared a criminal conviction when a judge granted him a delayed dismissal on shoplifting charges, as recommended by prosecutors. Buffalo City Judge David M. Manz warned him and Xavier Jemison that they have to complete a four-hour shoplifting class and stay out of trouble for the next six months. He granted each an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, meaning their petit larceny charges will be dismissed if they comply with his orders.
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
as a member of the New York 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...
and Buffalo Common Council
Buffalo Common Council
The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the Buffalo, New York City Government. It is a representative assembly, with one elected member from each of nine districts: Niagara, Delaware, Masten, Ellicott, Lovejoy, Fillmore, North, University, and South. In the past, the Common...
. He was the first African-American politician elected to the New York State Senate to represent a district outside 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...
and the first member of any minority race to represent a majority white New York State Senate district.
Brown was born and raised in Queens, New York. He rose to elective office after serving in a variety of political roles. He began his political career performing as an aide to local representatives in several legislative bodies (Buffalo Common Council, Erie County Legislature and New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
) and later getting involved in a regional political organization. After several roles as a legislative aide, he was appointed to the Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
cabinet-level
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
Director of Equal Employment Opportunity post.
As both a New York State Senator and Buffalo Mayor, he has been closely involved in the development of the three Seneca Nation
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
casinos that have been planned and built in Western New York since 2002. As someone born and raised downstate
Downstate New York
Downstate New York is a term denoting the southeastern portion of New York State, United States, in contrast to Upstate New York. The term "Downstate New York" has significantly less currency than its counterpart term "Upstate New York", and the Downstate region is often not regarded as one...
who went on to become an upstate
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
political servant, he has been active on the statewide political front. He is a close political ally of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
. He has also been active with the National Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
in efforts to prevent gun-related crime. His plan to revitalize Buffalo by demolishing its abundant vacant buildings has drawn opposition from historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
ists, but he has made the development of the Buffalo waterfront a priority.
Background
Brown was raised in HollisHollis, Queens
Hollis is a neighborhood within the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. A predominantly African American community, the boundaries are considered to be the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road to the west, Hillside Avenue to the north, Francis Lewis Boulevard to...
, a southeastern neighborhood in New York City's Queens borough, in a double
Duplex (building)
The term duplex can be used to describe several different dwelling unit configurations:A duplex house is defined as a dwelling having apartments with separate entrances for two families. This includes two-story houses having a complete apartment on each floor and also side-by-side apartments on a...
that his family shared with his grandparents, who were immigrants from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
. He grew up on 200th Street between 100th and 104th avenues and has several relatives in the area. As a Queens resident, he was a New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
fan.
Brown's father rose from a job as a stock boy to one as an executive in the garment industry. He was a Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
at Hollis Presbyterian Church in Queens and was also active in the Central Queens YMCA (now called Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
). In high school, Brown played the trumpet in the school band. Brown attended Public School 134 in Hollis, junior high school PS 109, and August Martin High School
August Martin High School
August Martin High School is a New York City public high school located in South Jamaica, Queens. Located at 156-10 Baisley Boulevard, in 2008, there were 1,217 students in grades 9-12 under principal Anthony Cromer. The school offers classes in aviation, as the school is named after August...
. Brown and his sister Andrea were the first generation in his family to go to college.
After graduating from August Martin High School Brown attended Buffalo State College
Buffalo State College
The State University of New York College at Buffalo, referred to as Buffalo State College, often referred to colloquially as Buff State, is a public, liberal arts college in Buffalo, New York, United States and is part of the State University of New York. Buffalo State was founded in 1871 as the...
, in part due to grudging admiration for Randy Smith
Randy Smith (basketball)
Randolph "Randy" Smith was an American professional basketball player who set the NBA record for consecutive games played. From 1972-1982, Smith played in every regular season game, en route to a then-record of 906 straight games...
. He played a year of Junior Varsity
Junior varsity
Primarily in North America, junior varsity or JV players are the members of a team who are not the main players in a competition , usually at the high school and college levels in the United States and Canada. The main players comprise the varsity team...
basketball as a 5 in 11 in (1.8 m) guard. While he had considered a potential medical career, Brown finished, in 1983, with a dual Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. He subsequently completed a certificate program for senior executives in state and local government at Harvard University's
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
.
Early career
After college, Brown worked for Bristol-Myers for a year as a regional sales representative, a job that came with a respectable salary and employee benefits such as an expense accountExpense Account
An expense account is the right to reimbursement of money spent by employees for work-related purposes.-US tax treatment of expense accounts:...
and a company car. Brown was disappointed with his advancement potential in this position. As a result, he quit and took the New York State Troopers
New York State Police
The New York State Police is the state police force of over 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not...
exam before becoming Chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
for Buffalo Common Council President George Arthur for two years. He then spent two years as an aide to Erie County Legislator Roger Blackwell (later Erie County Legislature Chairman). Then, he worked for two years under Arthur Eve
Arthur Eve
Arthur O. Eve is a retired American politician who served as a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly representing districts in...
, the Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
. Subsequently, he served eight years as director of the Erie County division of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
under Erie County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
Dennis Gorski
Dennis Gorski
Dennis T. Gorski is a retired politician in New York and an ex-Marine. A resident of Cheektowaga, New York, Gorski is a former County Executive of Erie County, New York, which includes Buffalo, New York and many of its suburbs. He was the first Democrat elected Erie County Executive and the first...
. He resigned his directorship in July 1993 to run for public office.
Brown became a member of Grassroots
Grassroots (organization)
Grassroots is a political organization in Erie County, New York, which was founded in 1986 by a group of block club leaders, that is known for successful voter registration and elective placements such as Byron Brown in the Buffalo City Council and Crystal Peoples in the Erie County Legislature...
, a political organization which was founded in 1986 by a group of block club
Neighborhood association
A neighborhood association is a group of residents or property owners who advocate for or organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary dues....
leaders. Brown eventually served as a vice president of the organization.
Brown was recognized in the November 1989 issue of Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine as one the "30 Leaders of the Future" with a caption that read "Byron Brown chosen for leadership skills." The Buffalo Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
in 1991 honored him with the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
Award for community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. In 1993 he was selected by Business First for its "40 Under Forty Honor Roll". He was awarded the Infinity Broadcasting/WBLK
WBLK
WBLK is an Urban contemporary FM radio station licensed to Depew that serves Buffalo. WBLK plays the musical genres of hip hop, R&B, urban contemporary gospel, and soul. WBLK celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2005, making WBLK the oldest urban FM radio station in the United States of America. Its...
2001 "Voice of Power Award" and the 2004 "Citizen of the Year" award. He also received the "Political Impact Award" from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
in 2001.
In 1992, Brown was a delegate to the 1992 Democratic National Convention
1992 Democratic National Convention
The 1992 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for President and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee for Vice President; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New...
from the New York's 33rd congressional district
New York's 33rd congressional district
The 33rd Congressional District of New York was a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York. It was eliminated as a result of the 1990 Census. It was last represented by Henry J. Nowak...
. He was originally pledged to Bob Kerrey
Bob Kerrey
Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey was the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska . Having served in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions, he moved into politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992...
, but switched to Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
after Kerrey bowed out of the 1992 Democratic Primary campaign
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1992
The 1992 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1992 U.S. presidential election...
on March 5, 1992. In 1993, Brown was invited to attend Bill Clinton's Inauguration.
Early elective experience
In his first attempt at public office in 1993, Brown ran for the third district of the Erie County Legislature against incumbent William Robinson and George "Butch" Holt, who had Eve's endorsement. Robinson earned the Democratic Party endorsement in June 1993, with the help of Holt who voted for Robinson instead of himself. In June, Brown was notified that he must resign his Erie County cabinet-level post in order to run for public office and he did so in July. Holt won the Democratic nomination with a 267-vote 40–37% margin over Brown in the September 14, 1993 primary electionPrimary 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....
.
Brown won the September 1995 Democratic primary for the Masten District Buffalo Common Council seat. He then took time out from campaigning to attend the October 16, 1995 Million Man March
Million Man March
The Million Man March was a gathering of social activists, en masse, held on and around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995...
. Brown ousted 18-year veteran councilman, David Collins, to win his seat on the Buffalo Common Council. He beat Collins by a 5,391–1,670 (76–24%) margin in the November 7, 1995 general election. In his 1997 re-election campaign, he won the September 9 Democratic primary handily, and he was unopposed in the November 4 general election. In his 1999 re-election campaign, he again won the Democratic primary easily on September 14, and he won the November 2 general election. Beginning in January 2000, Brown served as part of the first ever African-American majority in the history of the Buffalo Common Council.
In 1996, The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
described Brown as "Buffalo's Julian Bond
Julian Bond
Horace Julian Bond , known as Julian Bond, is an American social activist and leader in the American civil rights movement, politician, professor, and writer. While a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, during the early 1960s, he helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating...
". While on the Council, the future State Senator and Mayor was called "bright, creative and hardworking" in a 1999 Buffalo News survey.
State Senate
In 2000, he competed for the Democratic nomination for the New York State Senate 57th District against incumbent Al CoppolaAl Coppola
Alfred "Al" Coppola is a former state senator and politician in New York. A resident of Buffalo, New York, Coppola is a long time political figure in the city, who served briefly as the 60th District member in the New York Senate at the turn of the 21st century.A longtime member of the Buffalo...
and Samuel A. Herbert. Coppola was endorsed by Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello
Anthony Masiello
Anthony M. Masiello was mayor of Buffalo, New York from 1994 to 2005. Prior to being mayor, he served as a New York State Senator.-Personal and Educational Background:...
. Brown won the September 2000 primary by a wide 18% margin. However, Coppola remained on the ballot in the general election on the Conservative Party of New York
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
, Working Families Party
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
and Green Party
Green 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...
lines. The Republican Party
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...
nominee was the politically inexperienced Harrison R. Woolworth. Although Brown began the race without organized political support, he earned endorsements from many veteran non-Western New York politicians such as H. Carl McCall, Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
, and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
.
When he was sworn in to the State Senate on January 1, 2001, Byron Brown became New York's first African-American State Senator elected outside 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...
. He also became the first minority member of the New York State Senate to represent a majority white district.
During Brown's tenure in the New York State Senate his Democratic Party was in the minority. He was part of the majority that backed New York 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 :...
's 2001 plan to build up to three Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
casinos on Seneca Indian land. The legislation was controversial because it granted slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
rights to casino operators for the first time in New York State. Both of the previous casinos used video gambling machines with debit card
Debit card
A debit card is a plastic card that provides the cardholder electronic access to his or her bank account/s at a financial institution...
s. Brown supported the casinos as a way to support the local economy. When the casino was completed in 2003, he was on the seven-member commission that was to apportion the state's agreed 18% share of the slot machine revenue, amounting to approximately $40 million.
By spring of 2003, Brown was a rising star in the declining years of the "Harlem Clubhouse", a loose political fraternity of 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:...
, Charles Rangel, Basil Paterson
Basil Paterson
Basil Alexander Paterson , a labor lawyer, is a longtime political leader in New York and Harlem and father of the 55th Governor of New York, David Paterson. His mother was Jamaican, his father Grenadian.-Early life:...
, Percy Sutton
Percy Sutton
Percy Ellis Sutton was a prominent black American political and business leader. A civil-rights activist and lawyer, he was also a Freedom Rider and the legal representative for Malcolm X...
and sometimes H. Carl McCall that had dominated state politics while forging the careers of its members for much of the late 20th century. He was envisioned as a front-runner for the 2006 Democratic nomination as Lieutenant Governor of New York
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...
or as Buffalo's first black Mayor. By 2004 it seemed clear that he was eyeing the mayor's office. In the 2004 New York State Senate elections, Republican nominee Al Coppola opposed Brown for the redistricted
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
60th District and garnered only 23% of the vote.
Mayoral election
In February 2005, Brown announced his candidacy for Mayor of Buffalo. On April 29, 2005 three-term Democratic Mayor Anthony Masiello announced he would not seek a fourth four-year term. Masiello had run on both major party lines for his final two terms and had twice endorsed Republican Governor George Pataki. During his tenure, the city population and industrial tax base had decreased. Six candidates, including Brown, entered the race to replace him, with Brown accumulating many endorsements and the backing of organized labor.New York Attorney General 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...
described helping Brown win the Mayoral race as his "biggest campaign priority" in the last month and a half before Primary Day. Buffalo, which had a 8:1 Democrat to Republican ratio and a 38% black population, was 75% contained in Brown's State Senate district. Brown carried 59% of the vote in the September 13, 2005 Democratic primary, and faced Kevin Helfer, a former City Council colleague, in the general election. Brown was the sixth African-American to win the Democratic Mayor Primary since the 1960s, but all before him had failed to win the general election, even though the city had not elected a Republican since 1961. His Republican opponent, Helfer, beat him in the Conservative Party Primary as a write-in candidate, although Brown had been endorsed by that party. Brown raised more than five times as much money as Helfer, however, and defeated him 64% to 27% in the general election.
Economic development
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
met the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
was underway. Brown presented his plans for the development during subsequent tours by top state leaders, including future New York State Governors 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...
and David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
. Erie Canal Harbor eventually opened on July 2, 2008.
In early 2006, the Seneca Nation filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to build the third of the three Western New York casinos that had been legislated in 2002. In 2007, Brown was not sure he was in favor of the third casino, which seemed to cater to local residents instead of luring tourist revenues. Tom Golisano
Tom Golisano
Blase Thomas Golisano is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States and former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team...
, founder of Paychex
Paychex
Paychex, Inc. is a payroll and human resource service company which serves approximately 572,000 businesses in the US. The company is headquartered in Penfield, New York and has more than 100 locations across the country...
, owner of the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
franchise and three-time candidate for New York State Governor, suggested that the Buffalo economy would not benefit from a business designed to transfer money from local citizens to the Seneca Gaming Corporation. Brown withheld support while awaiting clarification of the target consumer for the third casino. In October 2006, the Seneca Nation and Brown came to terms on the final sale of a two-block stretch of city road that runs amid the 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) construction site. As part of the sale the nation agreed to both marketing terms (regarding marketing beyond the local region), and hiring preferences for city residents. However, in January 2007, a federal judge ruled that the granting of permission to run the third casino by the National Indian Gaming Commission
National Indian Gaming Commission
The National Indian Gaming Commission is an independent federal regulatory agency within the Department of the Interior. Congress established this agency through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988. The agency has the duty to "promulgate such regulations and guidelines as it deems...
was improper. Seneca Nation received federal approval for their casino on July 2, 2007 and opened the following day.
Crime and poverty
Brown was one of the original 15 mayors from United States cities such as Washington, Dallas, Philadelphia, Seattle and Milwaukee who convened at a meeting hosted by Michael BloombergMichael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
at Gracie Mansion
Gracie Mansion
thumb|250px|Western sideGracie Mansion is the official residence of the mayor of the City of New York. Built in 1799, it is located in Carl Schurz Park, at East End Avenue and Eighty-eighth Street in Manhattan...
to confirm their support for more serious attacks on the use of illegal firearms. Bloomberg and Philip A. Amicone, Yonkers Mayor, were the only Republicans. The mayors all signed a six-point "statement of principles" focused on punishing gun possession "to the maximum extent of the law", prosecuting dealers who knowingly sell guns to criminals through so-called straw purchase
Straw purchase
A straw purchase is any purchase wherein the purchaser knowingly acquires an item or service for someone who is, for whatever reason, unable to purchase the item or service themselves...
rs, opposing two United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
bills to restrict cities' access to gun-tracing data, endorsing technologies to detect illegal guns, and coordinating strategies and outreach to other cities in hopes of reconvening with at least 50 mayors by year end. A little over a year later the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
co-chaired by Bloomberg and Menino included 225 bi-partisan municipal
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
leaders in pursuit of legal, political and media strategies to stem gun crime and had a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets". Brown noted that he learned several techniques that became useful in Buffalo in reducing the homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
rate 21% from the coalition and talks with specific mayors. Rising homicides had been a disappointment in his first year as mayor.
Brown's first-year review as a mayor was mixed. He was praised for his overhaul of city hall, his follow through on projects and systems, and his influence on statewide redistribution, but he was dogged by crime issues and his efforts for the planned casino. His agenda, hiring and discipline were respected, but rising homicides, continuing decay and evolving bureaucracy were troubling. In addition to public perceptions, Brown had a good working relationship with the Buffalo Common Council
Buffalo Common Council
The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the Buffalo, New York City Government. It is a representative assembly, with one elected member from each of nine districts: Niagara, Delaware, Masten, Ellicott, Lovejoy, Fillmore, North, University, and South. In the past, the Common...
.
Buffalo is second only to St. Louis among cities nationwide in terms of percentage of vacant properties per capita. Therefore, in fall 2007, Brown committed to a $100 million five-year plan to demolish 5,000 houses, which is about half of the city's total of vacant houses. However, since Buffalo has the second highest residential poverty rate (to Detroit) homes continue to be abandoned. The program may benefit the city because abandoned house costs it an approximate average of $20,060 over five years in lost taxes, debris removal, inspections, and policing. Also, 41% of all fires in Buffalo are in vacant buildings, and more than 90% of all arson cases involved abandoned houses. Subsequently, during the first ever "State of Upstate Address", New York Governor Spitzer suggested committing $100 million in state funds to build or rehabilitate 10,000 homes and apartments. The mayor's initial demolition plans met with resistance from preservationists and he had to negotiate with the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
, which got him attention from coast to coast.
In 2008, Brown convinced Buffalo to use a real-time wireless video surveillance system. The city installed 56 Avrio Rapid Deployment Surveillance Solution PoleCams. The system was the result of a request by Brown that the city evaluate surveillance cameras in other cities. By January 2009 State of the City Address, Brown reported that crime had fallen 12% and homicide by 50% since he had taken office.
Public relations
On June 13, 2008, upon the death of NBC NewsNBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
Washington Bureau Chief and Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
moderator Tim Russert
Tim Russert
Timothy John "Tim" Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted the eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview...
, who was a proud Buffalo native, Brown ordered that all flags on city property be lowered to half-staff
Half-staff
Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...
in order to honor Russert's memory. Brown called Russert one of Buffalo's finest ambassadors, and his decision to lower the flags in honor of Russert, a civilian who never held elected office, was an unusual gesture that was described as breathtaking on Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who...
by Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
. He was joined by several other officials in recognizing Russert. Chief among those was United States President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
who signed a bill that named a stretch of U.S. Route 20A
U.S. Route 20A (New York)
U.S. Route 20A is an east–west alternate route of US 20 that extends for across the western portion of New York in the United States. It leaves US 20 in Hamburg, a suburb of Buffalo, and rejoins it in East Bloomfield about five miles west of Canandaigua, the county seat of...
that passes in front of Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
(home stadium of the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) Timothy J. Russert Highway.
In a public relations controversy, Brown got caught in a fight against the movement to replace traditional lawns with front yard gardens. His office had issued an edict that a resident remove her landscape renovations. However, an e-mail campaign in defense of the resident caused the mayor to rethink his stance.
Reelection
On September 15, 2009, Brown won the Democratic Primary for a second term by a nearly two to one margin over City councilman Micky Kearns. Brown had amassed an early lead amongst voters until several scandals involving former basketball star Leonard Stokes, including the questionable government support of his failed "One Sunset" restaurant and a perceived undue influence in mitigating Stokes's arrest for possessing a stolen handicapped parking permit, cut away most of his lead. There were no Republican, third-party or independent candidates, so Brown ran unopposed and won the general election.Political dealings
Brown and Erie County Democratic Party chairman Leonard LenihanLeonard Lenihan
Leonard Lenihan is the Chairman of the Erie County Democratic Committee in Erie County, New York. He is a former Chairman of the Erie County Legislature and a former county personnel commissioner. He was a Presidential Elector for Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John Edwards in 2004. His wife, Kathleen...
were at odds over various political positions after Lenihan played a major role in Brown's election to the office of Mayor. Brown supported Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
for New York Attorney General in the 2006 general election, David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
for Lieutenant Governor of New York
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...
in the 2006 general election and Antoine Thompson
Antoine Thompson
Antoine Maurice Thompson was a Democratic New York State Senator who represented the state's 60th Senate district, which includes parts of Buffalo and Tonawanda, the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Grand Island. Thompson previously served for six years as the Masten District councilman in...
for 60th District New York Senator in a special election on February 28, 2006. Lenihan disagreed with each of these choices. Thompson had run Brown's last common council campaign, and Brown was upset that he did not get to select his successor in the 60th District. Many supporters considered boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
ing the special election due to a perceived racial slight against an African American who seemed to be wrongfully shutout of the process. Lenihan pointed out that neither of the previous State Senators turned Mayor, Anthony Masiello
Anthony Masiello
Anthony M. Masiello was mayor of Buffalo, New York from 1994 to 2005. Prior to being mayor, he served as a New York State Senator.-Personal and Educational Background:...
and James D. Griffin, was granted the right to pick their successor, and he noted that Thompson had not been timely in entering the special election process. The Erie and Niagara
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
County Democratic committees bypassed Thompson as their nominee in favor of Marc Coppola
Marc Coppola
Marc A. Coppola is a resident of the Town of Tonawanda, New York and a former member of the New York State Assembly, where he represented the New York 60th Senate district which includes parts of the Cities of Buffalo and Tonawanda, the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Grand Island.Coppola...
despite Brown's backing in the February special election. Thompson subsequently decided to run for the New York Senate seat in the November general election.
The week before the 2006 New York State Democratic Convention, Brown was described as a political confidant of Democratic New York Attorney General candidate Andrew Cuomo. He seconded Cuomo's nomination at the convention on May 30, 2006. Throughout the campaign Brown was described as a close political advisor to Cuomo. He was noted as (along with Charles Rangel) one of the important black political leaders that Cuomo courted on his road to victory.
During the 2008 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, like most of the New York State Democratic establishment, Brown was a supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
, the United States Senator from New York. This marked a break from his earlier political organization, Grassroots, which supported Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
from the outset. He even ran to be a delegate for Clinton at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
. In July 2008, Golisano announced that he would attempt to create change in Albany by spending $5 million on targeted campaigns. During the New York state September primary elections for state office, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
alleged that Brown was aiding Golisano's attempt to unseat Sam Hoyt
Sam Hoyt
William B. Hoyt III , better known as Sam Hoyt, was a member of the New York State Assembly. Hoyt represented the 144th Assembly district, consisting of part of Buffalo, New York, and all of Grand Island, New York...
in the New York State Assembly.
As Hillary Clinton resigned her United States Senate seat on January 21, 2009 to assume a position in the United States Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
under United States President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, New York Governor David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
was required to appoint a temporary replacement until a special election in 2010 for the balance of her term. Some thought that the New York State Governor would appoint a minority senator such as Brown, Gregory W. Meeks, H. Carl McCall, William C. Thompson, Jr., José E. Serrano or Nydia M. Velázquez. However, Andrew Cuomo was the front-runner for the seat and the next most likely candidates are Velázquez, Steve Israel
Steve Israel
Steve J. Israel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located on Long Island and includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County, part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and the...
, Nita Lowey
Nita Lowey
Nita Melnikoff Lowey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously represented the 20th district from 1989 to 1993.-Early life, education and career:...
and Meeks. Prominent women who were mentioned include Carolyn B. Maloney
Carolyn B. Maloney
Carolyn Bosher Maloney is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, popularly known as the "silk stocking district", includes most of Manhattan's East Side; Astoria and Long Island City in Queens; and Roosevelt Island.-Early life,...
and Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
. The New York Timess Danny Hakim noted that Cuomo, Paterson and Brown were the three names most often mentioned prior to Paterson's ascension to the governor's office. Although these three were the favorites, Brown was considered an unknown outside of Western New York. Nonetheless, Brown's name was mentioned before Kennedy's and Cuomo's in a New York Times article paragraph about Paterson's final nomination decision thoughts. In fact, in at least one article in The New York Times on the subject, Brown was mentioned and Cuomo wasn't. When Paterson announced he had selected Blue Dog Democrat
Blue Dog Democrat
The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs, is a group of United States Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party who identify themselves as moderates....
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
, Brown was one of the few contenders to attend the event.
With Cuomo likely to be running for governor in the 2010 New York gubernatorial election
New York gubernatorial election, 2010
The New York gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor of New York, who will serve a four-year term to begin in January 2011. Incumbent Democratic Governor David Paterson, elected as Lieutenant Governor in 2006 as the running mate of former Governor...
, Brown was mentioned in early 2010 as a possible Lieutenant Governor of New York
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...
candidate by numerous sources, including multiple journalists from The New York Times. Meanwhile, in early 2010, newly transplanted New Yorker Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007...
is considering challenging New York's Junior United States Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in the 2010 United States Senate special election in New York
United States Senate special election in New York, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate special election in New York took place on November 2, 2010, concurrently with other 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...
and has met with Brown as part of his statewide political travels.
Allegations of Corruption
The Buffalo News has reported that Brown may have interfered with a police investigation in 2007. The allegations stem from an incident in which it is alleged where Brown ordered police to free a possible friend of the mayor, Leonard StokesLeonard Stokes
Leonard Aloysius Scott Stokes was an English architect.Leonard Stokes was born in Southport in 1858. He trained in London and travelled in Germany and Italy. Most of his designs were for Roman Catholic buildings, including churches, convents and schools. His first outstanding work was the...
, who had been arrested for possessing a stolen handicapped parking tag. The Buffalo News also reported another scandal involving Mr. Stokes, and Mayor Brown. The scandal involved a $160,000 loan given to Mr. Stokes from the City of Buffalo, to open a restaurant in Buffalo. Further controversy arose when it was discovered that Michelle Baron, VP of the city backed corporation which gave Mr. Stokes, who had no previous experience operating a restaurant, the loan, was involved in securing the loan with a faulty business plan. Evidence also points to Mayor Brown green lighting the loan.
In June 2009, Commissioner Tanya Perrin-Johnson wrote a series of e-mails that were sent to about 20 employees in her department directing them to work on the mayor's re-election campaign. The Office of Special Counsel has begun an investigation to determine whether the e-mails represent a violation of the federal Hatch Act, which, among other things, prohibits employees involved in federally funded programs from using their authority to influence political campaigns. As a result of the probe, the Common Council last year decided to delay her reappointment as commissioner until the investigation concluded. She had been serving in an interim capacity. On April 8, 2011, Commissioner Tanya Perrin-Johnson resigned her position.
A March 9, 2010 Buffalo News Article outlined Mayor Brown's political relationship with Rev. Richard Stenhouse http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/08/981030/michigan-avenue-pastor-is-one.html?page=1&order=T#comment. The article details the over $5 million dollars Rev. Stenhouse received to develop affordable housing on Buffalo's east side. The article goes on to suggest much of the money was wasted due to incompetence and inexperience. Rev. Stenhouse is the pastor for one of Buffalo's largest Congregations the Bethel AME Church, and an ally of Mayor Brown.
Personal
Byron Brown is married to the former Michelle Austin and they have a son, Byron III, who is referred to as Byron, Jr. by some accounts. Brown III enjoys basketball and has attended high-level youth basketball camps. He played for City Honors SchoolCity Honors School
City Honors School at Fosdick-Masten Park, known colloquially as City Honors, or CHS, is a college preparatory school in Buffalo, New York. City Honors is part of the Buffalo Public Schools system. The school was founded in 1975 by three faculty members from Bennett High School and Clinton Junior...
. On the national level, he was an unheralded point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
in the 2008 high school graduating class, and he went on to attend Queen City Prep in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
The Brown family attends St. John Baptist Church. While mayor, Brown has performed at least one wedding ceremony at the church. Byron Brown is a chapter president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
, a past President of the Buffalo State College Alumni Association Board, and at the time of his mayoral inauguration he sat on the Board of the Boy Scout Council of Western New York
Scouting in New York
Scouting in New York has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live...
and the Community Action Organization of Erie County. Brown collects tropical fish
Tropical fish
Tropical fish include fish found in tropical environments around the world, including both freshwater and salt water species.Tropical fish are popular as aquarium fish, due to their often bright coloration...
and maintains an aquarium in his Buffalo Mayor's office. His parents divorced and at the beginning of his mayoral tenure, his mother was living in Buffalo. He also is a member of the Erie County Democratic Committee. He was a delegate to the 1992
1992 Democratic National Convention
The 1992 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for President and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee for Vice President; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New...
, 2000
2000 Democratic National Convention
The 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore as its candidate for President and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as its candidate for Vice President. The convention was held at...
and 2004
2004 Democratic National Convention
The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...
Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
s.
On Saturday February 24, 2007 at about 6:55 a.m., Brown's Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox
The second generation Equinox was announced by GM on December 21, 2008, and debuted at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The 2010 Equinox went on sale in June 2009. It is built on a stiffened version of the same "Theta" platform used in the previous model. The new Equinox...
was stolen from an on-street parking location by someone with key access and crashed into three parked vehicles before being abandoned a few blocks from the family home. Brown had driven his son to play in a basketball tournament in Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
on Friday February 23. They returned home at approximately 10:30 p.m. from the tournament. In interviews at the end of March 2007, Brown claimed that all members of his family with known key access had alibis. At the time Brown III possessed a learner's permit
Learner's permit
A driver's permit, learner's permit or learner's license, is a restricted license that is given to a person who is learning to drive, but has not yet satisfied the requirements to obtain a driver's license...
. Canisius College
Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
security cameras recorded parts of the accident, including the driver leaving the scene of multiple accidents. In April a second video recording with more fluid movement was revealed in contrast to the original recording of 36 frames per minute. In a news conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
Brown announced that Byron Brown III took the senior Brown's car without permission and drove about the area near his house and Canisius College campus. Brown III admitted to the damage and was charged with driving without a driver's license and leaving the scenes of multiple accidents. Brown III was scheduled to appear on April 16, 2007 in Buffalo City Court on the charges. He pleaded guilty to unlicensed driving and leaving the scene of an accident. In 2010, his son was charged with charged with petit larceny for leaving a store with goods that were not paid for. Byron Jr. was spared a criminal conviction when a judge granted him a delayed dismissal on shoplifting charges, as recommended by prosecutors. Buffalo City Judge David M. Manz warned him and Xavier Jemison that they have to complete a four-hour shoplifting class and stay out of trouble for the next six months. He granted each an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, meaning their petit larceny charges will be dismissed if they comply with his orders.
Election history
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | Conservative | Votes | Pct | Right to Life | Votes | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 NYSS 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... 57th |
Byron Brown | 48,683 | 59.77% | Bob Woolworth | 12,542 | 15.40% | Al Coppola Al Coppola Alfred "Al" Coppola is a former state senator and politician in New York. A resident of Buffalo, New York, Coppola is a long time political figure in the city, who served briefly as the 60th District member in the New York Senate at the turn of the 21st century.A longtime member of the Buffalo... |
18,938 | 23.25% | Anthony Murty | 1,285 | 1.58% | ||||
| Democratic 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... |
47,011 | 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... |
11,069 | Conservative Conservative Party of New York The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.... |
13,501 | Right to Life New York State Right to Life Party The 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... |
1,285 | |||||||||
| Liberal Liberal Party of New York The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal... |
1,672 | Independence Independence Party of New York The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994... |
1,473 | Green Party Green 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... |
3,385 | |||||||||||
| Workers Workers Party, USA Not to be confused with the defunct Trotskyist party, Workers Party .The Workers Party is a small left-wing political party in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the Workers Party stands on a platform of anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism, and publishes a biweekly newspaper The Worker... |
2,052 | |||||||||||||||
| 2002 NYSS 60th | Byron Brown | 43,260 | 65.14% | Al Coppola | 23,154 | 34.86% | ||||||||||
| Democratic 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... |
41,436 | 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... |
20,236 | | | ||||||||||||
| Liberal Liberal Party of New York The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal... |
1,824 | Conservative Conservative Party of New York The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.... |
2,918 | |||||||||||||
| 2004 NYSS 60th | Byron Brown | 75,031 | 77.07% | Al Coppola | 22,328 | 22.93% | ||||||||||
| Democratic 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... |
65,609 | 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... |
22,328 | | | ||||||||||||
| Independence Independence Party of New York The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994... |
3,736 | |||||||||||||||
| Conservative Conservative Party of New York The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.... |
1,990 | |||||||||||||||
| Workers Workers Party, USA Not to be confused with the defunct Trotskyist party, Workers Party .The Workers Party is a small left-wing political party in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the Workers Party stands on a platform of anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism, and publishes a biweekly newspaper The Worker... |
3,696 | |||||||||||||||
| 2005 Buffalo Mayor | Byron Brown | 46,613 | 63.79% | Kevin Helfer | 19,853 | 27.17% | Judith S. Einach | 3,525 | 4.82% | Charles J. Flynn | 3,082 | 4.22% | ||||
| Democratic 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... |
43,541 | 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... |
17,680 | Green Party Green 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... |
3,525 | Independence Independence Party of New York The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994... |
3,082 | |||||||||
| Working Families Working Families Party The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP... |
3,072 | Conservative Conservative Party of New York The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.... |
2,173 | |||||||||||||
| 2009 Buffalo Mayor | Byron Brown | 17,728 | 99.12% | Michael P. Kearns | 158 | 0.88% | ||||||||||
| Democratic 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... |
15,567 | Write-In | 158 | |||||||||||||
| Independence Independence Party of New York The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994... |
667 | |||||||||||||||
| Conservative | 643 | |||||||||||||||
| Working Families Working Families Party The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP... |
851 |