Liam McLaughlin

Liam J. McLaughlin (born January 16, 1968) is the former Council President of the Yonkers City Council. He is a practicing attorney and partner at McLaughlin & Zerafa, LLP, an estates and trusts firm. On November 7, 2017 McLaughlin lost his re-election bid in a Democratic upset against attorney and CIA veteran Mike Khader. McLaughlin now is serving as Inspector General for the City of Yonkers.

Liam J. McLaughlin
Yonkers Inspector General
Assumed office
January 20, 2020
President of the Yonkers City Council
In office
January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2017
Preceded byChuck Lesnick
Succeeded byMichael Khader
Member of the Yonkers City Council from the 4th district
In office
January 1, 2000 – December 31, 2010
Preceded byCarlo Calvi
Succeeded byDennis Shepherd
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDebbie McLaughlin
ChildrenRyan McLaughlin
Alma materFordham University

Early career and background

McLaughlin grew up in Yonkers, New York and attended Cardinal Spellman High School and Fordham University where he received a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1989.[1] He became an auditor at Ernst and Young and went on to receive a Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 1996.[2]

Political career

Involved with a local neighborhood association, as well as the Ancient Order of Hibernians, McLaughlin first ran for the City Council in Yonkers, New York's fourth largest city and one of the "Big Five" cities in the State, in a 1997 election for the fourth district council seat. He scored an impressive 38% of the vote as a third-party candidate on the Conservative Party of New York State line.[3][4] He won the seat outright during the 1999 general election after winning the Republican primary and served from 2000 to 2010, including service as Minority Leader and Majority Leader.[5][6]

He ran for the New York State Senate in 2010 after being term-limited off the Council against State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, garnering 45% of the vote.[7][8] He then returned to private law practice and served as an adjunct professor at Manhattan College.[9]

In 2013, he was elected Council President.[10][11] His first local law gave a school tax exemption to military veterans, which made Yonkers the first major city in New York to offer that benefit to service members.[12][13] While Republicans across the nation surged to power on the coat tails on Donald Trump, McLaughlin was tossed out of office, beaten by Mike Khader, a son of Jordanian immigrants. With McLaughlin's defeat, the Yonkers City Council has changed to Democratic control. Khader won handily, defeating McLaughlin 54% to 46%.[14]

Electoral history

Yonkers City Council
Yonkers City Council 4th District 1997 General Election[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Carlo J. Calvi 2,405 34.18%
Right to Life Carlo J. Calvi 265 3.77%
Independence Carlo J. Calvi 189 2.69%
Total Carlo J. Calvi 2,859 40.69%
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin 2,698 38.40%
Democratic Lucy DiVestea 1,470 20.92%
Total votes 7,037 100%
Republican hold
Yonkers City Council 4th District 1999 Republican Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin - -%
Republican Carlo J. Calvi (incumbent) - -%
Total votes - 100%
Yonkers City Council 4th District 1999 Conservative Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin - -%
Conservative Carlo J. Calvi (incumbent) - -%
Total votes - 100%
Yonkers City Council 4th District 1999 General Election[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin 2,280 38.40%
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin 477 8.03%
Total Liam J. McLaughlin 2,757 46.44%
Independence Carlo J. Calvi 1,585 26.70%
Right to Life Carlo J. Calvi 563 9.48%
Total Carlo J. Calvi (incumbent) 2,148 36.18%
Democratic Anthony DiPopolo Jr. 983 16.56%
Good Government Anthony DiPopolo Jr. 49 0.83%
Total Anthony DiPopolo Jr. 1,032 17.38%
Total votes 5,937 100%
Republican hold
Yonkers City Council 4th District 2001 General Election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin 2,988 50.96%
Right to Life Liam J. McLaughlin 302 5.15%
Working Families Liam J. McLaughlin 72 1.23%
Total Liam J. McLaughlin (incumbent) 3,362 57.34%
Democratic Frank A. Adamo Jr. 1,855 31.64%
Independence Frank A. Adamo Jr. 393 6.70%
Total Frank A. Adamo Jr. 2,248 38.34%
Conservative Marina B. Manganelli 253 4.32%
Total votes 5,863 100%
Republican hold
Yonkers City Council 4th District 2003 General Election[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin (incumbent) 3,096 55.74%
Democratic Kevin T. Cacace 1,843 33.18%
Conservative Kevin T. Cacace 327 5.89%
Independence Kevin T. Cacace 215 3.87%
Total Kevin T. Cacace 2,385 42.94%
Working Families Keith Purce 72 1.30%
Write-in 1 0.02%
Total votes 5,554 100%
Republican hold
Yonkers City Council 4th District 2005 General Election[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin 2,135 46.09%
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin 398 8.59%
Total Liam J. McLaughlin (incumbent) 2,533 54.68%
Democratic Mario DeGiorgio 2,098 45.29%
Write-in 1 0.02%
Total votes 4,632 100%
Republican hold

New York State Senate
New York's 35th Senatorial District 2010 General Election[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Andrea Stewart-Cousins 39,226 50.77%
Working Families Andrea Stewart-Cousins 2,220 2.87%
Independence Andrea Stewart-Cousins 1,536 1.99%
Total Andrea Stewart-Cousins (incumbent) 42,982 55.63%
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin 29,393 38.04%
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin 4,867 6.30%
Total Liam J. McLaughlin 34,260 44.34%
Write-in 22 0.03%
Total votes 77,264 100%
Democratic hold

Yonkers City Council President
Yonkers City Council President 2013 Conservative Primary[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin 295 79.52%
Conservative Grace C. Borrani 71 19.14%
Write-in 5 1.35%
Total votes 371 100%
Yonkers City Council President 2013 Democratic Primary[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael S. Rotanelli 2,180 50.76%
Democratic Ivy Reeves 2,048 47.68%
write-in Liam J. McLaughlin 40 0.93%
Write-in 27 0.63%
Total votes 4,295 100%
Yonkers City Council President 2013 General Election[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin 10,579 42.35%
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin 2,284 9.14%
Independence Liam J. McLaughlin 1,014 4.06%
Total Liam J. McLaughlin 13,577 54.36%
Democratic Michael S. Rotanelli 9,914 39.69%
BYP Michael S. Rotanelli 251 1.00%
Total Michael S. Rotanelli 10,165 40.70%
Every Vote Counts Grace C. Borrani 692 2.77%
write-in Ivy Reeves 222 0.89%
Write-in 22 0.09%
Total votes 24,978 100%
Republican gain from Democratic
Yonkers City Council President 2017 Conservative Primary[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin (incumbent) 362 91.18%
write-in Mike Khader 25 6.30%
Write-in 10 2.52%
Total votes 397 100%
Yonkers City Council President 2017 Independence Primary[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independence Mike Khader 340 56.67%
write-in Liam J. McLaughlin (incumbent) 249 41.50%
Write-in 11 1.83%
Total votes 600 100%
Yonkers City Council President 2017 Green Primary[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Green Mike Khader 37 66.07%
Green Liam J. McLaughlin (incumbent) 19 33.93%
Total votes 56 100%
Yonkers City Council President 2017 General Election[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Khader 15,762 49.28%
Working Families Mike Khader 624 1.95%
Independence Mike Khader 565 1.77%
Green Mike Khader 220 0.56%
Women's Equality Mike Khader 135 0.42%
Total Mike Khader 17,306 54.10%
Republican Liam J. McLaughlin 12,078 37.76%
Conservative Liam J. McLaughlin 2,359 7.38%
Reform Liam J. McLaughlin 225 0.70%
Total Liam J. McLaughlin 14,662 45.84%
Write-in 18 0.06%
Total votes 31,986 100%
Democratic gain from Republican

Notes
  1. Shillinglaw, Greg. "Yonkers council president race focuses on city's ailing economy." Journal News. October 25, 2013.
  2. "Floor Statement honoring Liam J. McLaughlin. United States House of Representatives, Office of Congressman Eliot Engel. Official transcript from December 17, 2009.
  3. Kilgannon, Corey. "Dublin on the Thruway Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine." New York Times. August 25, 2002.
  4. Garcia, Ernie. "State Senate: Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Liam McLaughlin fight to the end in District 35." Journal News. November 1, 2010.
  5. Ryser, Rob. "State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, challenger Liam McLaughlin interviewed." Journal News. October 4, 2010.
  6. Garcia, Ernie. "Yonkers' McLaughlin to run for City Council president." Journal News. April 19, 2009.
  7. Katz, Celeste. "Yonkers Mayor Staying Put Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine!" Daily News. May 20, 2010.
  8. De Souza, Danielle. "McLaughlin concedes to Stewart-Cousins." Journal News. November 4, 2010.
  9. Maniace, Len. "McLaughlin drops primary bid for Yonkers council president." Journal News. June 5, 2009.
  10. Samin, Suzanne. "McLaughlin Leads In Yonkers Council President Race." Yonkers Daily Voice. November 6, 2013.
  11. "Liam McLaughlin wins Yonkers City Council president race." News 12 Westchester. November 6, 2013.
  12. Matthews, Cara. "Yonkers veterans get school-tax break." Journal News. February 27, 2014.
  13. Bruttell, Nathan. "Yonkers City Council Unanimously Expands Tax Break For Veterans." Yonkers Daily Voice. March 3, 2014.
  14. http://videos.news12.com/2017GenElecLIWC/results.htm#Westchester County
  15. "Our Campaigns - Yonkers NY City Council 04 Race - Nov 04, 1997". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  16. "1999 General Canvass Election Results" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-30.
  17. "2001 General Canvass Election Results" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-11.
  18. "2003 General Canvass Election Results" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-11.
  19. "2005 General Canvass Election Results" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-11.
  20. "NYS Board of Elections Senate Election Returns November 2, 2010" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  21. "2013CanvassPrimary130910.pdf" (PDF). www.citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  22. "2013CanvassGeneral131105.pdf" (PDF). www.citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  23. "Election Tally". www.westchestergov.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  24. "Election Tally". www.westchestergov.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
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