Michael R. Long

Michael R. Long (born 1 February 1940 in Brooklyn, New York)[1] is the current chairman of the Conservative Party of New York State.[2][3] Long represented the Borough of Brooklyn, at-large in the New York City Council from 1981 to 1983.[4]

Contents

Early Life

The son of Myra and Michael Long, Long was raised in southern Queens and attended Richmond Hill High School. He dropped out of the 12th grade in 1959 in order to join the United States Marine Corps where he served until being honorably discharged in 1961.[5][6]

Career and Life in Politics

Long, a former New York City councilman, began working in politics as a volunteer for the 1964 Goldwater presidential campaign. He has been the party’s chairman and primary spokesman since the 1980s, advocating for smaller government, lower taxes, and the defense of socially conservative values.[2] Long holds significant sway over the direction of the party and holds near-total control over the party's political endorsements in any legislative race that crosses a county border. After representing the then abolished Brooklyn at-large New York City Council District, Long challenged sitting New York City Councilman Sal F. Albanese in 1985, for Bay Ridge's 31st District which was previously held by Republican Angelo J. Arculeo.[7][8] Long was mentioned in the book Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning, which documents the 1977 New York City mayoral election. In the first edition of the book, an account of mayoral candidate (and future Governor of New York) Mario Cuomo has him "cold-cocking" Long; Long stated that the incident was embellished, and later editions of the book corrected this.[9]

A vocal and active opponent of Same-Sex Marriage in New York State, Long has stated that no candidate who supports gay marriage will be allowed to run on the Conservative Party's line during elections.[2]

Personal Life

In 1963 Long married the former Eileen Dougherty. Together they have nine children (Michael, Matthew, James, Robert, Christopher, Francis, Edward, Eileen and Maureen) and 10 grandchildren.[10]

Long's brother, Thomas Long, is the chairman of the Queens County chapter of the Conservative Party.[11]

Sources

  1. ^ http://www.smithtownconservatives.org/Bios/long.html Michael R. Long
  2. ^ a b c Confessore, Nicholas (May 19, 2011). "Conservative Party is Obstacle to Gay Marriage". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/nyregion/michael-long-is-gay-marriages-no-1-obstacle-in-ny.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=nyregion&src=mv. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  3. ^ http://www.cpnys.org/history A Short History of the Conservative Party
  4. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=45199 Long, Michael R.
  5. ^ http://www.smithtownconservatives.org/Bios/long.html Michael R. Long
  6. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/13/nyregion/despite-size-conservative-party-is-a-force-to-reckon-with.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm Despite Size, Conservative Party Is a Force to Reckon With
  7. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=115341 New York City Council - Brooklyn At-Large Appointment
  8. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=86054 New York City Council 31
  9. ^ Pillfant, Reid. Mike Long makes nice with Andrew Cuomo. New York Observer. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  10. ^ http://www.smithtownconservatives.org/Bios/long.html Michael R. Long
  11. ^ Freedlander, David (July 6, 2011). "Conservative Party gives Bob Turner nod for Weiner's old seat". New York Observer. http://www.politickerny.com/2011/07/06/conservative-party-gives-bob-turner-nod-for-weiners-old-seat. Retrieved July 6, 2011.