| Kieran Michael Lalor | |
|---|---|
Kieran Michael Lalor speaking at the National Press Club |
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| Born | Wappingers Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Years of service | 2001–2007 |
| Rank | corporal (USMC) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Marine Corps Achievement Medal National Defense Service Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal Combat Action Ribbon |
Kieran Michael Lalor is an American politician, entrepreneur and author who founded Iraq Vets for Congress (a political action committee). He works in the defense industry, and is a former social studies teacher, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
Lalor was the Republican candidate in New York's 19th congressional district election of 2008, but lost to incumbent John Hall. Lalor is a resident of Fishkill, New York.
In November 2010 Lalor published a book about Marine Corps boot camp called, This Recruit: A First Hand Account of Marine Corps Boot Camp Written While Knee Deep in Mayhem. Beginning with his trip to the recruiting office, Lalor kept a journal. As he did not have any writing implements the first few days on Parris Island he memorized the important events by constantly recalling them in chronological order before bed and as soon as he woke up. When he was finally issued pen and paper he wrote down everything he could remember about the dizzying first days on the island and mailed the entries home. For the rest of boot camp Lalor's entries were written at night in the barracks under his blanket using a flashlight. Each morning he mailed the entries home for safe-keeping.
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Lalor was born in Wappingers Falls, New York, and graduated from Providence College. He then worked as a Social Studies teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in nearby Poughkeepsie.
Lalor enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in July 2000 and thereafter served as a U.S. Marine Corp reservist.[1] At basic training, he was the second oldest recruit in his platoon.[2] He later enrolled at Pace University School of Law, but left school when his reserve infantry unit was called to active service after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, with Lalor training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as part of a "ready reaction force."[1] Lalor's unit was demobilized in December 2002 but was activated again in March 2003 and deployed to Iraq.[1][2] While in Iraq, Lalor's unit participated in security and humanitarian operations in the city of Nasiriyah, located along the Euphrates River in southern Iraq.[2]
Upon his return from Iraq, Lalor returned to the Pace University School of Law and graduated in 2007. His six year military obligation ended in 2006, and Lalor achieved the rank of Corporal.
| Kieran Lalor | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Jo Lalor; 3 children |
| Residence | Fishkill, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Providence College (B.A.) Pace Law School (J.D.) Presently an MBA candidate at Pace University's Lubin School of Business. |
| Occupation | Attorney/Consultant |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Lalor is the founder of Iraq Vets for Congress, a group of Republican congressional candidates who served in Iraq.[3] Lalor and the IVC generated national interest and covered by Newsweek and The Weekly Standard.[4][5][6] On behalf of the group, Lalor addressed the National Press Club in April 2008[7] During the 2010 election cycle the Iraq Vets For Congress helped elect five Iraq veterans to the United States House of Representatives. , December 2010
Lalor won a District-wide Republican convention held on May 22, 2008, prevailing over former Congressman Joseph DioGuardi and County legislator George Oros.[2]
He declared his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2007 and was the first candidate to file paperwork as a candidacy for the 2008 race.[8] The 19th district is considered vulnerable, and Hall has been targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee.[9] Lalor was joined in the Republican race by ex-Congressman Joseph DioGuardi; County legislator George Oros; and businessman Andrew Saul, a Bush appointee as Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and a board member of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Saul withdrew from the race for the Republican nomination on November 20, 2007, citing personal reasons.[10] As of his October 15 report, Saul had raised more than $781,000 for the race, out raising even the incumbent, while Lalor had raised less than $30,000, leading pundits to question his viability as a candidate in an election year where the Republican party is looking for candidates who self-finance.[11][12][13] On May 22, 2008, Republican delegates from each of the five counties represented in the 19th district met in Mahopac, New York to endorse a candidate, and chose Lalor, with 347 votes going to Lalor, 311 to Oros, and 102 to DioGuardi.[14] Oros vowed to wage a primary challenge[15] but subsequently withdrew from the race.[3]
In connection with his campaign, Lalor appeared on Fox News Channel, Pundit Review Radio, and other media and was described by blogger Brian Faughnan of The Weekly Standard as "a bright, hard-working, and energetic candidate, who is proud to call himself a Reagan Republican".[5] Lalor believed a conservative candidate would have the best chance of unseating Hall.[8] He garnered attention, leveling criticism of Hall's Republican predecessor, Sue Kelly, as being too liberal, and criticized the Republican frontrunner Andrew Saul, by saying "[H]e's Sue Kelly all over again",[16] as well as criticizing former Governor George Pataki for his endorsement of Oros, stating that "In 1995, George Pataki became governor of what would become the largest, most inefficient state government in the nation".[17]
Lalor was an outspoken critic of Hall since he took office, and has been quoted as saying that "John Hall went to the floor of the House and said we can't win. When an elected official — my only voice in the House — gives up in one of his first speeches, it's unconscionable."[18]
In September 2007, Lalor criticized Hall for refusing to condemn MoveOn.org after the group ran an ad attacking General David Petraeus, who is a native of the Cornwall, New York and a graduate of United States Military Academy, both of which are located in the 19th Congressional District.[19] In the article, Lalor wrote "Hall and his ilk are busily feigning support for the military and for veterans while at the same time carrying out the left's marching orders in Washington with one destructive anti-military vote after another."
During the November 4, 2008 general election, Democratic Congressman John Hall defeated Lalor, with 58% of the vote however, Lalor earned more votes than any challenger in the history of the district, but the least any Republican candidate has ever won. Lalor won 42% of the vote.
In September 2010 Lalor founded Vets For New York (VFNY), a political action committee (PAC), which supports conservative Republican veterans running for local, county, state and federal office in New York State.