Gifford Miller
|
|
Miller.gif
Alan Gifford Miller (born November 19, 1970) is the current Speaker of the New York City Council, where he represents Council District 5. Barred from seeking reelection due to term limits, the Democrat is currently positioning himself for a run against incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2005.
Early life and education
According to the New York Observer, Miller grew up on Fifth Avenue with mother Lynden, a landscape designer and father Leigh Miller, who was a political appointee to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Miller attended St. Bernard's School, a day school for young boys. As a young man he was known to have a sweet tooth for delicious pastries. He later graduated from Princeton University with a degree in political science. A lifelong Upper East Sider, he lives on Fifth Avenue with his wife since 1999, Pamela Addison, and their two sons, Marshall and Addison Leigh. According to the New York Times, Miller also sings and has "eclectic tastes in music".
Following his graduation from Princeton in 1992, Miller joined the staff of Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat who represents the New York 14th Congressional District, which overlaps Council District 5. Council District 5 represents of the Upper East Side, Yorkville, Carnegie Hill, Turtle Bay, Sutton Place and Roosevelt Island.
Political career
Miller won his first term at the age of 26 as a City Councilmember in January 1996, after running unopposed in a special election to fill the then-vacant seat. He was the first Democrat in recent history elected to represent the wealthy district. He easily won reelection in 1997, 2001 and 2003; term limits laws prohibit him from seeking a fifth term.
Following a unanimous election on January 9, 2002, Miller succeeded Peter Vallone, Sr. as the Speaker of the New York City Council. According to the New York Observer, he tried attending Fordham University for a law degree but dropped out in 2000 to focus on the Speaker’s race.
Miller is seeking the Democratic mayoral nomination in 2005. Currently, his potential opponents for the nomination include former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer and outgoing Manhattan borough president C. Virginia Fields. The winner of the Democratic primary election on September 13, 2005 would face liberal Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg in the general election to be held on November 8, 2005.
According to the New York Observer, Miller is "widely regarded as a decent and talented man" who has nonetheless shown "signs of immaturity: his reversal on his reversal on lead-paint legislation after pressure from special interests; his eagerness to spend the city budget surplus to hire teachers, reopen firehouses and cut taxes despite an ongoing climate of fiscal uncertainty." [1] (http://www.observer.com/pages/story.asp?ID=9032)</sup>
| Preceded by: Peter Vallone | Speaker, New York City Council 2002-present | Succeeded by: Incumbent External links and references
|