Dede Scozzafava | |
---|---|
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 122nd district | |
In office 1999–2011 | |
Preceded by | Chloe O'Neil |
Succeeded by | Ken Blankenbush |
Personal details | |
Born | Dierdre Kathryn Scozzafava April 28, 1960 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
Political party | Republican (before 2009) Democratic (2009–present) |
Spouse | Ron McDougall |
Residence(s) | Gouverneur, New York |
Alma mater | Boston University (B.Sc), Clarkson University (MBA) |
Profession | Politician, investment adviser |
Dierdre Kathryn "Dede" Scozzafava (/ˈdiːdi skoʊzəˈfɑːvə/ DEE-dee SKOH-zə-FAH-və;[1] born April 28, 1960) is an American politician in New York. She represented District 122 in the New York State Assembly from 1999 to 2010. Scozzafava held office as a member of the Republican Party, but later became a member of the Democratic Party.
Scozzafava was the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 23rd congressional district in a 2009 special election. She faced opposition from some Republican and conservative figures who deemed her too liberal to receive their support. While Scozzafava held an early lead in the polls,[2] she later fell behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman and Democratic candidate Bill Owens and suspended her campaign shortly before the election; she then threw her support to Owens, the eventual winner. The election received significant national attention, and was alternately described as "a referendum on President Barack Obama" and "a fight over the identity of the Republican Party."[3][4] The race was also noteworthy due to the Tea Party movement influence on its outcome.[5][6] A week after the 2009 election, Scozzafava was stripped of her Republican leadership position in the State Assembly. Scozzafava later announced that she would not seek re-election in 2010.
In January 2011, Scozzafava was appointed as the New York Deputy Secretary of State for Local Government by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, a post she held until June 2016. She was later appointed as a Commissioner of the New York State Division of Tax Appeals Tribunal.