Jane Corwin
Encyclopedia
Jane Lewis Corwin is an American politician and businesswoman who has served as a Republican Party
member of the New York State Assembly
since 2009. She represents the 142nd Assembly District which covers parts of Erie
and Niagara
counties. Corwin was also the Republican Party nominee in the special election held on May 24, 2011 to fill Western New York's 26th district
seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
previously held by Republican Chris Lee. She faced three other candidates in the election; losing to Democrat Kathy Hochul
47 percent to 43 percent, according to unofficial results. Independent Jack Davis
who ran on a Tea Party line garnered 9 percent of the vote, and Green Party candidate Ian Murphy got 1 percent.
Before entering politics, Corwin was on the board of directors of the family business, and worked at a financial firm while earning her master's degree in business administration.
the company's publications, and while in college, she was vice president of marketing
. Corwin has stressed she did not grow up wealthy, noting that in the 1980s, her family almost lost their home.
She began college at the private Ithaca College
and had to transfer to the State University of New York at Albany because of cost concerns. She earned a B.A. degree in psychology from SUNY in 1985, and then attended Pace University
earning an M.B.A. in finance
in 1990.
She worked on Wall Street
from 1987 to 1990 as a research director for Henry Ansbacher, Inc., a British financial firm that helped large media conglomerates acquire small, locally-owned newspapers. She also served on the board of directors
of the Talking Phone Book as Secretary-Treasurer beginning in 1987, making strategic decisions for the company. After completing her education in 1990, she returned to Western New York State to marry Philip M. Corwin II whom she had met in graduate school. The couple worked at The Talking Phone Book with Philip serving as chief financial officer. She also began a family, and has said of this time, "I didn't go into the office every day ... We had more board discussions over the kitchen table than the board room." The business was sold to Hearst Corporation
in 2004 for $400 million, making Corwin and her siblings wealthy, according to the Buffalo News. Campaign disclosure forms have indicated Corwin's personal assets is between $58 and $158 million, mainly derived from her family's business.
of Erie County Executive
Christopher Collins serving as an assistant treasurer for his campaign from 2007–2008, according to the Buffalo News.
, who had the Republican party endorsement, but who had been censured for fraternizing with an intern one year earlier. Corwin went on to defeat Working Families Party
candidate Jeffrey Bono in the November 2008 general election
, receiving 89 percent of the vote. She ran uncontested in the November 2010 general election, receiving endorsements from the Conservative and Independence
parties of New York State.
While in the State Assembly, Corwin was appointed chair of the Assembly Minority Manufacturing Task Force and became ranking minority member of the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee. She opposed a bill that would legalize gay marriage. She also opposed a loosening of state drug laws that would reduce long prison terms and give judges more leeway in sentencing, and voted "no" on a bill that required the unshackling of prisoners while giving birth. Based on her Assembly voting record on fiscal matters, the state Conservative Party placed her near the top in its 2009 and 2010 annual rankings of Assembly members.
. Later that month, Corwin was unanimously chosen by Republican Party leaders to be the Party's nominee in the special election
to fill the seat. (State law does not provide for primary elections prior to special elections.) Corwin also received the endorsements of the New York Conservative Party and the Independence Party of New York
. She vied for the congressional seat against local businessman Jack Davis
, an independent candidate running on the Tea Party ballot line; Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul
, a Democrat; and writer Ian Murphy the Green Party candidate. The election was held on May 24.
that was enacted by the Democratic majority Congress in 2010. She signed a tax pledge, promising to oppose all efforts to increase marginal tax rates on individuals and businesses, and to oppose reductions of tax credit
s or deductions
that are not matched by reductions in tax rates.
She strongly supported U.S. Representative Paul Ryan
's proposal to reform the Medicare
program for senior citizens by turning it into a program that would give seniors vouchers to purchase private health insurance coverage. Corwin said the plan would protect Medicare
for future generations by putting it on solid financial ground. On May 17, Corwin's campaign announced that Corwin would consider alternatives to the Ryan voucher plan, if they would help keep Medicare solvent. Corwin called her Democratic opponent's proposals to raise taxes on the wealthy an attack on those "who help our jobs grow and who will keep Medicare from going into bankruptcy", and has said that the Democrats, including Hochul, have offered no alternative to the Republicans' voucher plan.
When answering Project Vote Smart
's "Political Courage" survey in 2008, Corwin replied that she believes abortion should be legal in the first trimester of pregnancy and in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is endangered. When interviewed toward the end of her 2011 campaign for Congress, Corwin stated she would vote for any bill that restricted taxpayer funding of abortion, but indicated that abortion was "a woman's decision in the first trimester."
. The Times has also cited the candidacy of third party candidate Davis as a factor which is "siphoning support" from Corwin. The Hill said the Medicare issue seemed to be boosting Hochul's campaign, though it was difficult to handicap the race because of the presence of the third party candidate.
A late April poll by Sienna College
had Corwin in the lead with 36 percent, followed by Hochul with 31 percent and Davis with 23 percent of the vote. An early May poll by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Institute showed Hochul at 35 percent, Corwin at 31 percent and Davis at 24 percent. The non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report called the race a "toss-up" but tilting Democratic as of May 16. Additional polling by Sienna and PPP in the days immediately preceding the election had Hochul leading by four and six point margins. Corwin ultimately lost to Hochul 47 to 43 percent in the special election. Independent candidate Jack Davis
received 9 percent, and Green Party candidate Ian Murphy received 1 percent of the vote.
National media attention was given to a 15 second video clip that appeared to show Corwin's Assembly chief of staff, Michael Mallia, repeatedly asking the 78-year-old Davis why he had skipped a campaign debate, followed by Mallia shrieking as Davis apparently shoved him or flapped at the camera. The video clip was circulated by local and national Republican organizations and prompted bipartisan criticism of both Davis and Mallia. Requests to see a longer tape and a tape made by second camera were refused by Corwin and her campaign. In an interview with the National Journal
, Corwin said she thought the video was self-explanatory, and indicated that Mallia had been acting on his own free time, and not as her employee while he was tracking and taping her opponent, Davis. In response to Davis' complaints that he had been harassed, Corwin said, "I've had cameras on me for two months now, and I've never hit anybody ... and I think that's the difference is how you handle a situation like that." One week after the election, Mallia resigned his position as Corwin's chief of staff as a result of the controversy.
Corwin responded to attacks that she basically wants to eliminate Medicare, by airing an ad claiming her opponent Hochul wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare. Corwin's ad was based on Hochul's debate statement that budget talks should put everything on the table. A FactCheck.org representative called Corwin's ad, "bogus"; Corwin's campaign responded that Hochul also supports Obama's health care law which includes $500 billion in reductions in payments to Medicare Advantage private insurers.
American Crossroads
endorsed and provided support to Corwin's campaign, reflecting the national importance of the contest. The New York Post
and the Rochester Business alliance endorsed Corwin, as did the FreedomWorks
PAC. The Tea Party Express
and TEA New York also endorsed Corwin with their leaders visiting Buffalo and Rochester to make it clear that Corwin was favored by the Tea Party, and to criticize Davis' use of the moniker.
Roll Call reported that Corwin had invested nearly $2.5 million of her own funds in the campaign as of May 13; Davis had promised to spend as much as $3 million of his own funds; and outside funds coming from both liberal and conservative groups had already "turned the Buffalo and Rochester airwaves into a steady stream of campaign ads."
On election day morning, Corwin obtained a court order from a Justice of the New York Supreme Court that took effect when the polls closed. The order would impound all voting equipment, temporarily enjoin the canvas of paper ballots and bar the certification of the winner pending further court proceedings. Corwin's campaign said such orders are usual in close elections. According to The Buffalo News, however, the order was likely rendered moot by Corwin's concession, also on May 24, 2011.
. Philip was previously the chief financial officer of the Talking Phone Book and has been active in Erie County politics. He is vice chair of Erie County Industrial Development Agency, Erie County director of economic development, and a member of board of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise which gives economic development assistance to companies in Western New York State.
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...
member 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...
since 2009. She represents the 142nd Assembly District which covers parts of Erie
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...
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...
counties. Corwin was also the Republican Party nominee in the special election held on May 24, 2011 to fill Western New York's 26th district
New York's 26th congressional district
The 26th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in Western New York. It includes all of Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming counties, and parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans counties...
seat in the U.S. 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...
previously held by Republican Chris Lee. She faced three other candidates in the election; losing to Democrat Kathy Hochul
Kathy Hochul
Kathleen Courtney "Kathy" Hochul is the Democratic U.S. Representative for New York's 26th congressional district, serving since June 1, 2011. She prevailed in the four-candidate special election of May 24, 2011 to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Republican Chris Lee, and is the...
47 percent to 43 percent, according to unofficial results. Independent Jack Davis
Jack Davis (industrialist)
John "Jack" Davis is an American industrialist and politician from Newstead, New York. He made his fourth bid for New York's 26th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the special election held on May 24, 2011. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by...
who ran on a Tea Party line garnered 9 percent of the vote, and Green Party candidate Ian Murphy got 1 percent.
Before entering politics, Corwin was on the board of directors of the family business, and worked at a financial firm while earning her master's degree in business administration.
Early life and education and business career
Corwin has said she spent 36 years working in the private sector, beginning her business career at age eight by delivering phone books for The Talking Phone Book, the family business that had been founded by her father, Wilbur Lewis, a former salesman. During her teen years, she proof-readProofreading
Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or computer monitor to detect and correct production-errors of text or art. Proofreaders are expected to be consistently accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before publication.-Traditional method:A proof is...
the company's publications, and while in college, she was vice president of marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
. Corwin has stressed she did not grow up wealthy, noting that in the 1980s, her family almost lost their home.
She began college at the private Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
and had to transfer to the State University of New York at Albany because of cost concerns. She earned a B.A. degree in psychology from SUNY in 1985, and then attended Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
earning an M.B.A. in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
in 1990.
She worked on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
from 1987 to 1990 as a research director for Henry Ansbacher, Inc., a British financial firm that helped large media conglomerates acquire small, locally-owned newspapers. She also served on the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the Talking Phone Book as Secretary-Treasurer beginning in 1987, making strategic decisions for the company. After completing her education in 1990, she returned to Western New York State to marry Philip M. Corwin II whom she had met in graduate school. The couple worked at The Talking Phone Book with Philip serving as chief financial officer. She also began a family, and has said of this time, "I didn't go into the office every day ... We had more board discussions over the kitchen table than the board room." The business was sold to Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
in 2004 for $400 million, making Corwin and her siblings wealthy, according to the Buffalo News. Campaign disclosure forms have indicated Corwin's personal assets is between $58 and $158 million, mainly derived from her family's business.
Community activities
Since 2004, Corwin has been President of the Philip M. and Jane Lewis Corwin Foundation to provide direct funding to educational, medical and religious charities that benefit children. A review of the foundation's financials by the Buffalo News indicated that more than half of its distributions have gone to Boston College, Philip Corwin's alma mater; the second largest recipient has been a school the Corwin children attended. In recent years, she has given $500 college scholarships to local public high school students, and has indicated she has not taken any tax benefits for her donations. She has also been a community volunteer, serving as president of a committee of the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, as confirmation leader at her church, and as a member of a committee of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. She served on the board of directors of Brookfield Country Club Women's Association and became a private sector protégéMentorship
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
of 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...
Christopher Collins serving as an assistant treasurer for his campaign from 2007–2008, according to the Buffalo News.
State Assembly
Corwin has said she entered politics in 2008 because she "could not stand idly by and watch state government spend away our children's future." During her first campaign for the Assembly, she said the State needed to adopt a business-like approach, cut spending, cut taxes, end "unfunded mandates" and improve the business environment. She won the primary for the 142nd Assembly District seat against three other Republican candidates including incumbent Assemblyman Mike ColeMike Cole
Michael W. "Mike" Cole was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly representing the 142nd Assembly District, covering portions of Erie and Niagara Counties. He served on the Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee, Higher Education Committee, Local Governments Committee, and...
, who had the Republican party endorsement, but who had been censured for fraternizing with an intern one year earlier. Corwin went on to defeat 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...
candidate Jeffrey Bono in the November 2008 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, receiving 89 percent of the vote. She ran uncontested in the November 2010 general election, receiving endorsements from the Conservative and 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...
parties of New York State.
While in the State Assembly, Corwin was appointed chair of the Assembly Minority Manufacturing Task Force and became ranking minority member of the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee. She opposed a bill that would legalize gay marriage. She also opposed a loosening of state drug laws that would reduce long prison terms and give judges more leeway in sentencing, and voted "no" on a bill that required the unshackling of prisoners while giving birth. Based on her Assembly voting record on fiscal matters, the state Conservative Party placed her near the top in its 2009 and 2010 annual rankings of Assembly members.
U.S. Congressional run
In February 2011, U.S. Representative Chris Lee resigned abruptly after reports surfaced that he had been flirting with a woman on CraigslistCraigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
. Later that month, Corwin was unanimously chosen by Republican Party leaders to be the Party's nominee in the special election
New York's 26th congressional district special election, 2011
A 2011 special election in New York's 26th congressional district was held on May 24, 2011 to fill a seat in the U.S. Congress for New York's 26th congressional district. The vacancy was due to the February 2011 resignation of married Republican Chris Lee who resigned amid a scandal involving...
to fill the seat. (State law does not provide for primary elections prior to special elections.) Corwin also received the endorsements of the New York Conservative Party and the Independence Party of New York
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...
. She vied for the congressional seat against local businessman Jack Davis
Jack Davis (industrialist)
John "Jack" Davis is an American industrialist and politician from Newstead, New York. He made his fourth bid for New York's 26th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the special election held on May 24, 2011. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by...
, an independent candidate running on the Tea Party ballot line; Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul
Kathy Hochul
Kathleen Courtney "Kathy" Hochul is the Democratic U.S. Representative for New York's 26th congressional district, serving since June 1, 2011. She prevailed in the four-candidate special election of May 24, 2011 to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Republican Chris Lee, and is the...
, a Democrat; and writer Ian Murphy the Green Party candidate. The election was held on May 24.
Political positions
Corwin said that if elected, she would work to cut federal government spending, reduce taxes and repeal the health care overhaulPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
that was enacted by the Democratic majority Congress in 2010. She signed a tax pledge, promising to oppose all efforts to increase marginal tax rates on individuals and businesses, and to oppose reductions of tax credit
Tax credit
A tax credit is a sum deducted from the total amount a taxpayer owes to the state. A tax credit may be granted for various types of taxes, such as an income tax, property tax, or VAT. It may be granted in recognition of taxes already paid, as a subsidy, or to encourage investment or other behaviors...
s or deductions
Tax deduction
Income tax systems generally allow a tax deduction, i.e., a reduction of the income subject to tax, for various items, especially expenses incurred to produce income. Often these deductions are subject to limitations or conditions...
that are not matched by reductions in tax rates.
She strongly supported U.S. Representative Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan may refer to:* Paul Ryan , member of the U.S. House of Representatives* Paul Ryan , music agent for The Agency, former Cradle of Filth guitarist* Paul Ryan , comics artist...
's proposal to reform the Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
program for senior citizens by turning it into a program that would give seniors vouchers to purchase private health insurance coverage. Corwin said the plan would protect Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
for future generations by putting it on solid financial ground. On May 17, Corwin's campaign announced that Corwin would consider alternatives to the Ryan voucher plan, if they would help keep Medicare solvent. Corwin called her Democratic opponent's proposals to raise taxes on the wealthy an attack on those "who help our jobs grow and who will keep Medicare from going into bankruptcy", and has said that the Democrats, including Hochul, have offered no alternative to the Republicans' voucher plan.
When answering Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
's "Political Courage" survey in 2008, Corwin replied that she believes abortion should be legal in the first trimester of pregnancy and in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is endangered. When interviewed toward the end of her 2011 campaign for Congress, Corwin stated she would vote for any bill that restricted taxpayer funding of abortion, but indicated that abortion was "a woman's decision in the first trimester."
Campaign
The special election was initially thought to be a "certain victory" for the Republican candidate, but became "fiercely competitive", according to The New York Times, because of a U.S. House Republican plan to privatize MedicareMedicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
. The Times has also cited the candidacy of third party candidate Davis as a factor which is "siphoning support" from Corwin. The Hill said the Medicare issue seemed to be boosting Hochul's campaign, though it was difficult to handicap the race because of the presence of the third party candidate.
A late April poll by Sienna College
Siena Research Institute
Siena Research Institute is an affiliate of Siena College, located originally in Friars Hall and now in Hines Hall on the college's campus, in Loudonville, New York, in suburban Albany. It was founded in 1980....
had Corwin in the lead with 36 percent, followed by Hochul with 31 percent and Davis with 23 percent of the vote. An early May poll by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Institute showed Hochul at 35 percent, Corwin at 31 percent and Davis at 24 percent. The non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report called the race a "toss-up" but tilting Democratic as of May 16. Additional polling by Sienna and PPP in the days immediately preceding the election had Hochul leading by four and six point margins. Corwin ultimately lost to Hochul 47 to 43 percent in the special election. Independent candidate Jack Davis
Jack Davis (industrialist)
John "Jack" Davis is an American industrialist and politician from Newstead, New York. He made his fourth bid for New York's 26th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the special election held on May 24, 2011. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by...
received 9 percent, and Green Party candidate Ian Murphy received 1 percent of the vote.
National media attention was given to a 15 second video clip that appeared to show Corwin's Assembly chief of staff, Michael Mallia, repeatedly asking the 78-year-old Davis why he had skipped a campaign debate, followed by Mallia shrieking as Davis apparently shoved him or flapped at the camera. The video clip was circulated by local and national Republican organizations and prompted bipartisan criticism of both Davis and Mallia. Requests to see a longer tape and a tape made by second camera were refused by Corwin and her campaign. In an interview with the National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
, Corwin said she thought the video was self-explanatory, and indicated that Mallia had been acting on his own free time, and not as her employee while he was tracking and taping her opponent, Davis. In response to Davis' complaints that he had been harassed, Corwin said, "I've had cameras on me for two months now, and I've never hit anybody ... and I think that's the difference is how you handle a situation like that." One week after the election, Mallia resigned his position as Corwin's chief of staff as a result of the controversy.
Corwin responded to attacks that she basically wants to eliminate Medicare, by airing an ad claiming her opponent Hochul wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare. Corwin's ad was based on Hochul's debate statement that budget talks should put everything on the table. A FactCheck.org representative called Corwin's ad, "bogus"; Corwin's campaign responded that Hochul also supports Obama's health care law which includes $500 billion in reductions in payments to Medicare Advantage private insurers.
American Crossroads
American Crossroads
American Crossroads is a 527 organization that has raised and spent tens of millions of dollars to defend and elect Republican candidates to federal office, and was very active in the 2010 U.S. midterm elections. Its president is Steven J. Law, a former United States Deputy Secretary of Labor for...
endorsed and provided support to Corwin's campaign, reflecting the national importance of the contest. The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
and the Rochester Business alliance endorsed Corwin, as did the FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks is a conservative non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., United States. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representatives....
PAC. The Tea Party Express
Tea Party Express
The Tea Party Express is a California-based group founded in the summer of 2009 to support the Tea Party movement. Founded as a national bus tour to rally Tea Party activists, the group's leadership also endorses and promotes conservative candidates running for state and federal offices...
and TEA New York also endorsed Corwin with their leaders visiting Buffalo and Rochester to make it clear that Corwin was favored by the Tea Party, and to criticize Davis' use of the moniker.
Roll Call reported that Corwin had invested nearly $2.5 million of her own funds in the campaign as of May 13; Davis had promised to spend as much as $3 million of his own funds; and outside funds coming from both liberal and conservative groups had already "turned the Buffalo and Rochester airwaves into a steady stream of campaign ads."
On election day morning, Corwin obtained a court order from a Justice of the New York Supreme Court that took effect when the polls closed. The order would impound all voting equipment, temporarily enjoin the canvas of paper ballots and bar the certification of the winner pending further court proceedings. Corwin's campaign said such orders are usual in close elections. According to The Buffalo News, however, the order was likely rendered moot by Corwin's concession, also on May 24, 2011.
Electoral history
Personal life
Corwin and her husband Philip have been married for 21 years. The couple have three children and reside in Clarence, New YorkClarence, New York
Clarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 30,673 according to the 2010 census. This represents an increase of 17.42% from the 2000 census figure . Clarence is also the name of a postal district in the south part of the town...
. Philip was previously the chief financial officer of the Talking Phone Book and has been active in Erie County politics. He is vice chair of Erie County Industrial Development Agency, Erie County director of economic development, and a member of board of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise which gives economic development assistance to companies in Western New York State.