Mike Cole
Encyclopedia
Michael W. "Mike" Cole was a Republican
member of the New York State Assembly
representing the 142nd Assembly District, covering portions of Erie and Niagara Counties. He served on the Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee, Higher Education Committee, Local Governments Committee, and Government Operations Committee. He was also the ranking member of the Ethics and Guidance Committee.
, and is a graduate of Alden Central High School. He received a B.S. degree from the State University of New York College at Brockport in 1994 and a Juris Doctor
degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. He was admitted to the bar in February 2001 and maintains a private law practice.
He was first elected to the Assembly during a special election in May 2006, gaining close to 70 percent of the vote. He was elected to his first full term as an Assemblyman on November 7, 2006, defeating Democratic challenger Laura Monte with nearly 57 percent of the vote.
Cole won a Republican nominating convention for his Assembly District in May 2008, but was defeated in the September 2008 Republican primary election
by challenger Jane Corwin
.
and then spending the night in her apartment with her. These actions were direct violations of the Assembly policy against fraternization
with student interns. The intern additionally lost her position. Additionally, Cole was removed as the ranking Republican on the Alcoholism
and Drug Abuse Committee, was barred from the Assembly Intern Program and lost the rights and privileges otherwise due to him per his seniority.
This has been criticized by news sources, such as the Rupert Murdoch
-owned newspaper
New York Post
, as a partisan
move by Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
because Democratic
Legislature members, such as Diane Gordon
(who is under indictment for soliciting a $500,000 bribe), Brian McLaughlin (who is under indictment for racketeering, embezzlement and fraud), Clarence Norman Jr.
(who was convicted in three separate trials on felony larceny and corruption charges; sentenced to two to six years in prison, pending an appeal), and Gloria Davis, (who pleaded guilty in 2003 to bribery and served two months on Rikers Island
) are under investigation for (with the exception of Davis) felony
criminal offenses, yet Speaker
Silver chose to censure Cole, for an incident in which he broke no law.
Kolodziej). They have two daughters, Emily and Allison, and attend St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Alden.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
representing the 142nd Assembly District, covering portions of Erie and Niagara Counties. He served on the Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee, Higher Education Committee, Local Governments Committee, and Government Operations Committee. He was also the ranking member of the Ethics and Guidance Committee.
Education and early career
Cole was raised in Alden, New YorkAlden (town), New York
Alden is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 10,470 at the 2000 census. The town is derived from a family name known to early settlers....
, and is a graduate of Alden Central High School. He received a B.S. degree from the State University of New York College at Brockport in 1994 and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. He was admitted to the bar in February 2001 and maintains a private law practice.
Political career
Cole's first elected office was as Alden Town Councilman in 1998 and he later served as the Town Supervisor.He was first elected to the Assembly during a special election in May 2006, gaining close to 70 percent of the vote. He was elected to his first full term as an Assemblyman on November 7, 2006, defeating Democratic challenger Laura Monte with nearly 57 percent of the vote.
Cole won a Republican nominating convention for his Assembly District in May 2008, but was defeated in the September 2008 Republican primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
by challenger Jane Corwin
Jane Corwin
Jane Lewis Corwin is an American politician and businesswoman who has served as a Republican Party member of the New York State Assembly since 2009. She represents the 142nd Assembly District which covers parts of Erie and Niagara counties...
.
Censure
In 2007, Cole was formally censured by New York State Assembly. He admitted to drinking excessively with a student internIntern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
and then spending the night in her apartment with her. These actions were direct violations of the Assembly policy against fraternization
Fraternization
Fraternization is "turning people into brothers"—conducting social relations with people who are actually unrelated and/or of a different class as though they were siblings, family members, personal friends or lovers....
with student interns. The intern additionally lost her position. Additionally, Cole was removed as the ranking Republican on the Alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and Drug Abuse Committee, was barred from the Assembly Intern Program and lost the rights and privileges otherwise due to him per his seniority.
This has been criticized by news sources, such as the Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
-owned newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, as a partisan
Partisan (political)
In politics, a partisan is a committed member of a political party. In multi-party systems, the term is widely understood to carry a negative connotation - referring to those who wholly support their party's policies and are perhaps even reluctant to acknowledge correctness on the part of their...
move by Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
Sheldon Silver
Sheldon "Shelly" Silver is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New York. He has held the office of Speaker of the New York State Assembly since 1994.- Personal life :...
because Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Legislature members, such as Diane Gordon
Diane Gordon
Diane Gordon is an American politician and a former member of the New York State Assembly who represented the East New York section of Brooklyn from 2001 to 2008....
(who is under indictment for soliciting a $500,000 bribe), Brian McLaughlin (who is under indictment for racketeering, embezzlement and fraud), Clarence Norman Jr.
Clarence Norman Jr.
Clarence Norman, Jr. is an American politician from the state of New York. He was the former chairman of the Kings County Democratic Party and member of the New York State Assembly from the 43rd Assembly District in Central Brooklyn, which includes Crown Heights and parts of Flatbush and Prospect...
(who was convicted in three separate trials on felony larceny and corruption charges; sentenced to two to six years in prison, pending an appeal), and Gloria Davis, (who pleaded guilty in 2003 to bribery and served two months on Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
) are under investigation for (with the exception of Davis) felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
criminal offenses, yet Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Silver chose to censure Cole, for an incident in which he broke no law.
Personal life
Cole resides in Alden with his wife Lori (néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Kolodziej). They have two daughters, Emily and Allison, and attend St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Alden.
Election results
- May 2006 special election, NYS Assembly, 142nd AD
Michael W. Cole (REP New York Republican State CommitteeThe New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
- INDIndependence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
- CON - STR)... 5,915 Jeffery A. Bono, III (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
- WORWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
)... 2,650
- November 2006 general electionGeneral electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, NYS Assembly, 142nd ADMichael W. Cole (REP New York Republican State CommitteeThe New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
- INDIndependence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
- CON - STR)... 25,035 Laura Monte (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
- WORWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
)... 19,917
- September 2008 Republican primary electionPrimary electionA primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, NYS Assembly, 142nd ADJane L. Corwin ... 3,951 Michael W. Cole ... 3,063 Leonard A. Roberto ... 1,481 Jeffrey A. Bono, III ... 255