Michael Balboni
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Michael Balboni (born in May 1959, Long Island, New York) is the Deputy Secretary for Public Safety for the State of New York, which is the senior homeland security and law enforcement official in Governor David Paterson's Administration. He was appointed to that cabinet-level position by former Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer in January 2007. He was retained by Governor Paterson when Paterson succeeded Spitzer, who resigned amid a sex scandal on March 17, 2008.
Balboni previously served as a Republican representing the 17th Assembly District in the State Assembly for eight years until being elected to represent the 7th Senate District in the State Senate in 1997. He was re-elected continuously, until resigning in 2007 to head the NYS Office of Public Saferty. In his role, Balboni oversees all homeland security and criminal justice agencies for Spitzer. These include the State Police, Department of Corrections, Division of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Parole and Office of Homeland Security. He coordinates all homeland security and law enforcement policy and serves as state liaison to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
[edit] Personal life
Balboni resides in East Williston with his wife Stephanie and their children, Olivia, Nicholas, Julia and Michaela.
[edit] Political life
On October 30, 2007, Balboni spoke out on CNN in favor of Governor Spitzer's proposal to reward illegal immigrants by giving them driver's licenses.
As chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, he spoke out for New York's need to receive additional Homeland Security funds. [1]
Because of his reputation for garnering support across party lines, it was rumored that he would seek the Republican nomination for Attorney General in 2006, but doing so would open his competitive, and probably Democrat-leaning, district to a threat from the Democrats. He chose not to after pressure from Senate Republican Leader Joseph Bruno, mostly to aid the Republican Party in maintaining a slim majority in the State Senate. He was reelected in 2006.
On December 26, 2006, New York State Governor-elect Spitzer announced that Balboni would be appointed Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, requiring Balboni to resign his Senate seat and triggering a special election in early 2007 that could further erode Republicans' control of the Senate. Balboni was a strong supporter of Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell (R-East Williston, NY) against Nassau County Legislator Craig Johnson (D-Great Neck, NY), however Johnson was elected in the special election on February 6, 2007.[2]
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Kemp Hannon |
New York State Assembly, 17th District 1990–1997 |
Succeeded by Maureen O'Connell |
| Preceded by Michael Tully |
New York State Senate, 7th District 1997–2007 |
Succeeded by Craig Johnson |
