Michael McMahon
American politician (born 1957)
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Michael E. McMahon (born September 12, 1957) is an American politician and attorney serving as the district attorney for Richmond County, which is coextensive with Staten Island. A member of the Democratic Party, McMahon is a former U.S. representative for New York's 13th congressional district, serving from 2009 until 2011, and a former member of the New York City Council.
Michael McMahon | |
|---|---|
| |
| District Attorney of Richmond County | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2016 | |
| Chief Assistant | Ashleigh J. Owens (2024-present)[1] |
| Preceded by | Daniel Master (acting) |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 13th district | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Vito Fossella |
| Succeeded by | Michael Grimm |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 49th district | |
| In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Jerome X. O'Donovan |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Mitchell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 12, 1957 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Judith Novellino |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | New York University (BA) New York Law School (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Early life, education and career
McMahon is a lifelong resident of Staten Island. He is of German and Irish descent. He grew up in the Stapleton neighborhood on the North Shore and attended parochial schools. He graduated from New York University in 1979, later obtaining a J.D. degree from New York Law School. He then worked for Democratic State Assembly members Eric Vitaliano and Elizabeth Connelly. He joined the staff of City Councilman Jerome X. O'Donovan, whom he succeeded in the Council. Prior to being elected to public office, McMahon worked as a partner at O'Leary, McMahon & Spero law firm in Staten Island.[2] Since 1981 he is member of the student Corps Saxo-Borussia Heidelberg.
New York City Council
McMahon served as the Chair of the New York City Council's Sanitation & Solid Waste Management Committee focusing on minimizing the use of trucks to transport garbage and also more evenly distributing the load of waste processing across the five boroughs.
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
Political positions
In November 2009, McMahon voted along with 38 other Democrats against the Affordable Health Care for America Act[3] and against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010.[4] He was the only member of the New York City delegation to do so, and was only one of two New York Democrats, the other being Michael Arcuri, to vote against it.
Political campaigns
2008
On May 28, 2008, the Staten Island Democratic Committee endorsed McMahon to run for the Congressional seat in New York's 13th congressional district being vacated by retiring 12-year incumbent Republican Vito Fossella.[5] On September 9, 2008 McMahon defeated opponent Steve Harrison in the Democratic Party primary with 75% of votes to Harrison's 25%. Earlier, on June 11, 2008, McMahon had been endorsed by the city's 12 Democratic congressmen.[6]
The 13th had long been considered to be the most conservative district of the 13 that divided New York City. It was based in Staten Island, which is the base of the city's Republican Party. Although Democrats have a 17-point edge in registration, its voters are somewhat conservative on social issues and matters regarding "law and order", which kept Republicans in the seat for over a quarter century. However, the Republicans had considerable difficulty finding a replacement for Fossella on the ballot, eventually settling on former state assemblyman Robert Straniere. As a result, nearly all major pundits believed McMahon was almost certain to win the seat.
In the November election, McMahon won in a landslide, taking 61 percent of the vote to Straniere's 33 percent.[7] With his victory, New York City's congressional delegation became entirely Democratic for the first time in 76 years. This occurred despite the fact that John McCain narrowly carried Staten Island in the presidential election; a Democratic presidential candidate has carried Staten Island only four times since 1936.
2010
McMahon was challenged by Republican and Conservative Party nominee Michael Grimm, a former FBI Special Agent, and Libertarian nominee Tom Vendittelli. Grimm won the election, defeating McMahon.[8] He was one of a number of freshman Democrats who lost reelection in the GOP landslide of 2010. In all, Democrats lost 63 seats in the 2010 Republican landslide.[9]
2015
McMahon had publicly expressed a "serious interest" for retaking his old seat, now numbered as the 11th District, in the 2015 special election to replace his successor Michael Grimm.[10] Grimm, who defeated McMahon for reelection in 2010, announced his plans to resign in January after pleading guilty to a felony tax evasion charge on December 23, 2014.[11] McMahon, however, declined to run, deciding to enter the race for Staten Island (Richmond County) District Attorney, and the Democratic nomination went to New York City Councilman Vincent J. Gentile, who was from the Brooklyn portion of the district.[12][13]
Richmond County District Attorney
In November, McMahon defeated Republican candidate Joan Illuzzi for Staten Island District Attorney.[14] In April 2024, following the resignation of former Erie County District Attorney John Flynn, McMahon was sworn in as President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York.[15]
Electoral history
2023
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 20,328 | 93.5 | |
| Write-in | 1,417 | 6.5 | ||
| Total votes | 21,745 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2019
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 33,447 | 78.1 | |
| Independence | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 8,525 | 19.9 | |
| Total | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 41,972 | 98.0 | |
| Write-in | 838 | 2.0 | ||
| Total votes | 42,810 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2015
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Joan Illuzzi (write-in) | 530 | 54.9 | |
| Conservative | Michael McMahon | 430 | 44.6 | |
| Write-in | 5 | 0.5 | ||
| Total votes | 965 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon | 20,368 | 48.6 | |
| Independence | Michael McMahon | 2,579 | 6.2 | |
| Total | Michael McMahon | 22,947 | 54.8 | |
| Republican | Joan Illuzzi | 14,181 | 33.8 | |
| Conservative | Joan Illuzzi | 4,287 | 10.2 | |
| Reform | Joan Illuzzi | 409 | 1.0 | |
| Total | Joan Illuzzi | 18,877 | 45.0 | |
| Write-in | 83 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 41,907 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
2010
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Grimm | 55,822 | 44.0 | |
| Conservative | Michael Grimm | 9,204 | 7.3 | |
| Total | Michael Grimm | 65,026 | 51.3 | |
| Democratic | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 56,412 | 44.5 | |
| Independence | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 4,361 | 3.4 | |
| Total | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 60,773 | 47.9 | |
| Libertarian | Tom Vendittelli | 929 | 0.7 | |
| Write-in | 72 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 126,800 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
2008
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon | 12,805 | 75.7 | |
| Democratic | Stephen A. Harrison | 3,992 | 23.6 | |
| Write-in | 128 | 0.8 | ||
| Total votes | 16,925 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon | 107,640 | 57.4 | |
| Working Families | Michael McMahon | 6,579 | 3.5 | |
| Total | Michael McMahon | 114,219 | 60.9 | |
| Republican | Robert A. Straniere | 62,441 | 33.3 | |
| Conservative | Timothy J. Cochrane | 5,799 | 3.1 | |
| Independence | Carmine A. Morano | 4,947 | 2.6 | |
| Write-in | 40 | 0.0 | ||
| Total votes | 187,446 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
2005
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 15,762 | 62.8 | |
| Conservative | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 1,248 | 5.0 | |
| Working Families | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 751 | 3.0 | |
| Total | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 17,761 | 70.8 | |
| Republican | Jody Hall | 7,333 | 29.2 | |
| Write-in | 2 | 0.0 | ||
| Total votes | 25,096 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2003
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 10,035 | 62.2 | |
| Conservative | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 1,097 | 6.8 | |
| Total | Michael McMahon (incumbent) | 11,132 | 69.0 | |
| Republican | Lisa Giovinazzo | 4,607 | 28.6 | |
| Independence | John Johnson | 390 | 2.4 | |
| Write-in | 1 | 0.0 | ||
| Total votes | 16,130 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2001
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon | 4,937 | 38.9 | |
| Democratic | Debi Rose | 4,767 | 37.6 | |
| Democratic | Jon R. Del Giorno | 2,987 | 23.5 | |
| Write-in | 1 | 0.0 | ||
| Total votes | 12,692 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael McMahon | 14,877 | 46.9 | |
| Working Families | Michael McMahon | 1,005 | 3.2 | |
| Total | Michael McMahon | 15,882 | 50.1 | |
| Republican | Joseph F. Cammarata | 9,607 | 30.3 | |
| Conservative | Joseph F. Cammarata | 875 | 2.8 | |
| Right to Life | Joseph F. Cammarata | 408 | 1.3 | |
| Total | Joseph F. Cammarata | 10,890 | 34.4 | |
| Liberal | Debi Rose | 4,798 | 15.1 | |
| Green | Susan K. Roecker | 123 | 0.4 | |
| Total votes | 31,693 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
