Hugh Carey
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Hugh Leo Carey (born April 11, 1919) was the Governor of New York between 1975 and 1983.
Carey was born in Brooklyn, New York. Carey joined the U.S. Army as an enlisted man during World War II, served in Europe, and reached the rank of major. He received his bachelor's degree in 1942 and law degree in 1951 from St. John's University and was admitted to the bar that same year.
Running as a Democrat, Carey was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1961. He served seven terms. He was elected Governor of the State of New York in 1974 and resigned his Congressional seat on December 31, 1974. Carey was re-elected in 1978. He served two full terms as Governor. In 1983 he was succeded by his lieutenant governor, Mario Cuomo. Carey returned to private law practice in New York City where he still resides.
While generally regarded as an effective politician, Carey was not colorful and was unconcerned about his public image. Carey announced an interest in running for President in 1976 and 1980 but neither campaign went far. Carey is best remembered for his successful handling of New York City's economic crisis in the late 1970's. He is also remembered for preventing conservative legislators from reinstating the death penalty and preventing such legislators from taking away liberal state abortion laws. Like previous governor Nelson Rockefeller, Carey occasionally used expensive and oddly-constructed bond financing to carry out desired development. However, Carey also fought hard to create an economically favorable climate for entrepreneurial and other business in New York State, primarily through substantially reducing, and in some cases eliminating certain categories of, state taxes.
| Preceded by: Malcolm Wilson | Governor of New York 1975–1983 | Succeeded by: Mario Cuomo |