Samara Barend
Encyclopedia
Samara "Sam" Barend was the 2004 Democratic Party
nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 29th Congressional district
of New York State. She lost with 41 percent of the vote against Conservative
Mark Assini and the winner, Republican
Randy Kuhl
, in the race to succeed the retiring Amo Houghton
.http://www.nytimes.com/ref/elections2004/2004NY.html
At 26 years old, Barend would have been the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Barend, who had never run for public office before, raised more than $750,000 in her contest against a Randy Kuhl
, a Republican state senator who served in the NY State Assembly and Senate for more than 25 years. The heavily Republican nature of the 29th district, covering the Southern Tier
in rural upstate New York, worked against her. Barend was also hurt when she failed to fire campaign manager Jonah Siegellak after it was revealed he leaked to the media documents relating to Kuhl's divorce. Barend's campaign first denied any involvement in the leak of the supposedly court-sealed documents.
Barend was a featured candidate in several major Internet sources including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
's blog, The Stakeholderhttp://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/000757.html and in the female candidates profiles section on the website of the Democratic "527" ActBlue
http://www.actblue.com/list/inspirationwomen.
Prior to the campaign, Barend was best known for her congressional staff work in bringing a major interstate highway, Interstate 86
, to the "Southern Tier" area of New York state, in an attempt to revitalize the lagging economy of the region. Barend was working at the time as a staff member to the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan
and former Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
.
Barend grew up in Vestal
. She has an older sister Beth, who is a science teacher in Indiana. She also has an older brother Dave, who is an appellate criminal defense attorney in the Boston area.
According to an article in the August edition of The Kennedy School of Governments's monthly magazine published by Harvard University
, "At 19, she undertook a long-dormant plan to convert New York State Route 17 into Interstate 86. At 22, she founded Minds of Steel, a non-profit organization that promoted the benefit of physical fitness in addressing mental illness
."
From 2005-2008, Barend was the governmental affairs director for engineering and consulting firm STV Group, Inc. and director of her nonprofit Minds of Steel in Vestal. In 2008, Barend was appointed Executive Director of the New York State Asset Maximization (SAM) Commission which was tasked to identify specific public private partnerships for the State. Barend has an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania
with an individualized major in governing complex organizations (1999) and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University
's John F. Kennedy School of Government
(2004). Barend was named a member of the 1999 USA TODAY All-USA Academic Team.
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...
nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 29th Congressional district
Congressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
of New York State. She lost with 41 percent of the vote against 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....
Mark Assini and the winner, 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...
Randy Kuhl
Randy Kuhl
John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. is an American Republican politician, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He represented New York's 29th congressional district for two terms before being defeated for reelection by Eric Massa on November 4, 2008 by margin of...
, in the race to succeed the retiring Amo Houghton
Amo Houghton
Amory "Amo" Houghton Jr. is a politician from the state of New York, a retired member of the House of Representatives, and member of one of upstate New York's most prominent families in business, the Houghton family.-Early life:...
.http://www.nytimes.com/ref/elections2004/2004NY.html
At 26 years old, Barend would have been the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Barend, who had never run for public office before, raised more than $750,000 in her contest against a Randy Kuhl
Randy Kuhl
John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. is an American Republican politician, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He represented New York's 29th congressional district for two terms before being defeated for reelection by Eric Massa on November 4, 2008 by margin of...
, a Republican state senator who served in the NY State Assembly and Senate for more than 25 years. The heavily Republican nature of the 29th district, covering the Southern Tier
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...
in rural upstate New York, worked against her. Barend was also hurt when she failed to fire campaign manager Jonah Siegellak after it was revealed he leaked to the media documents relating to Kuhl's divorce. Barend's campaign first denied any involvement in the leak of the supposedly court-sealed documents.
Barend was a featured candidate in several major Internet sources including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
's blog, The Stakeholderhttp://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/000757.html and in the female candidates profiles section on the website of the Democratic "527" ActBlue
ActBlue
ActBlue is a United States political committee established in June 2004 that enables anyone to fundraise on the Internet for the Democratic Party candidates of their choice....
http://www.actblue.com/list/inspirationwomen.
Prior to the campaign, Barend was best known for her congressional staff work in bringing a major interstate highway, Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
, to the "Southern Tier" area of New York state, in an attempt to revitalize the lagging economy of the region. Barend was working at the time as a staff member to the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick "Pat" Moynihan was an American politician and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the United States Senate for New York in 1976, and was re-elected three times . He declined to run for re-election in 2000...
and former Senator 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...
.
Barend grew up in Vestal
Vestal, New York
Vestal is a town within Broome County in the Southern Tier of New York, and lies between the Susquehanna River and the Pennsylvania border. As of the 2000 census, the population was 26,535, estimated to have grown to 27,369 in 2009....
. She has an older sister Beth, who is a science teacher in Indiana. She also has an older brother Dave, who is an appellate criminal defense attorney in the Boston area.
According to an article in the August edition of The Kennedy School of Governments's monthly magazine published by Harvard University
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...
, "At 19, she undertook a long-dormant plan to convert New York State Route 17 into Interstate 86. At 22, she founded Minds of Steel, a non-profit organization that promoted the benefit of physical fitness in addressing mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
."
From 2005-2008, Barend was the governmental affairs director for engineering and consulting firm STV Group, Inc. and director of her nonprofit Minds of Steel in Vestal. In 2008, Barend was appointed Executive Director of the New York State Asset Maximization (SAM) Commission which was tasked to identify specific public private partnerships for the State. Barend has an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
with an individualized major in governing complex organizations (1999) and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University
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...
's 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...
(2004). Barend was named a member of the 1999 USA TODAY All-USA Academic Team.