Howard Mills
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Howard Mills (born May 29, 1964) was a Republican New York assemblyman from Middletown who ran against Senator Charles Schumer of New York in the 2004 U.S. Senate election but lost in a landslide.
Mills served as a councilman and later supervisor in the town of Wallkill, Orange County, New York—not to be confused with the hamlet of Wallkill in Ulster County—before being elected to the State Assembly in 1998. As supervisor, Mills noted he worked to keep the town's finances managed properly.
However, he was not immune to questions about his role in managing the town's police department, which has seen repeated scandals since its inception in the early 1980s. At one point, when the position of chief was vacant, Mills chose to hire one of the sergeants he knew well to take over. The sergeant, however, had not even taken the civil service exam for higher positions, and Mills chose to bypass several other candidates who had passed it. The new police chief lasted a couple of years before he embarrassed the town with some sexist remarks in the department's newsletter.
Residents also complained that the town board's policy, under Mills, of requiring all who commented at public meetings to sign in with their name and address was designed to intimidate critics.
During his time as an assemblyman he served as deputy minority leader and as chairman of the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee.
In 2004 he dropped a bid for a fourth Assembly term in order to run against Schumer for the Senate. He took up the Senate race after the Republican Party had difficulty recruiting a candidate against the popular Schumer. Although a liberal, pro-choice Republican, Mills was a huge underdog from the start. He faced considerable difficulty raising money and getting name recognition. He wasn't helped by the fact that President George W. Bush ceded the state to John Kerry early in the presidential campaign (a Republican presidential candidate has not seriously contested New York since 1988). In the November election, Mills lost in the most lopsided contest for statewide office in New York history, with only 24% of the vote to 71% for Schumer. Marilyn O'Grady of the Conservative party got another 4%. He even lost his own Assembly district; in fact he won only one county, the least populated and most Republican one in the state, Hamilton County in the Adirondacks. Mills conceded the race minutes after polls closed and before any votes were counted.
In 2005, Mills was appointed by Governor George Pataki as the New York State Superintendent of Insurance, making him the state's top regulator of that industry. In August 2005 it was reported that he is considering a future bid for political office. Following his Senate defeat, Mills was considered a possible candidate for lieutenant governor. He declined a bid for statewide office, preferring to focus on his duties as Insurance Superintendent.
A NY Post article reported that Mills was reported that he had maintained his Assembly campaign account and continued raising funds while Insurance Superintendent--using them for suspect purposes such as paying for a luxury car, dining out and purchasing gifts. Governor Pataki was forced to publicly chastise Mills' conduct.
Mills had been considered a potential candidate for the State Senate or Congress in 2008, but many political observers believe his ethical lapses will be too great a hurdle to overcome in any future bid for elective office.
Mills is married to the former Erin Rice. The couple has two sons.
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| Preceded by Al D'Amato |
Republican Nominee for U.S. Senate (class 3) from New York 2004 |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by Greg Serio |
New York State Superintendent of Insurance 2005 – Present |
Succeeded by ' |
