John B. Daly (New York politician)

He was born on April 29, 1929, to Irish immigrants in Woodside, Queens, right outside of New York City. He attended school in New York and graduated with a B.A. from Fordham University. Daly later took courses at the University of Iowa and Harvard Business School. He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army until 1955.{{cite book|title=The New York red book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CqNWAAAAYAAJ|year=1985|publisher=Williams Press|page=83}}

After serving in the Army, Daly moved to Niagara Falls in 1955 to work for the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. He later joined the Carborundum Corporation as director of PR in 1962.

He entered politics as a Republican, and was a member of the City Council of Niagara Falls from 1960 to 1964.{{cite book|title=Empire State Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vg0jAQAAIAAJ|year=1974|publisher=New York State Legislative Institute at Baruch College of the City University of New York|page=22}} Afterwards he moved to nearby Lewiston, New York.{{cite news|last1=Sack|first1=Kevin|title=The Great Incumbency Machine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/27/magazine/the-great-incumbency-machine.html|accessdate=21 July 2016|work=The New York Times|date=27 September 1992}}

He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1973 to 1978, sitting in the 180th, 181st and 182nd New York State Legislatures. He then became a member of the New York State Senate from 1979 to 1995, sitting in the 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th and 191st New York State Legislatures.

Daly became the first representative of New York's 61st District on January 1, 1983, during the 185th New York State Legislature when the district was created due to the elimination of five Congressional seats across New York.{{cite news|last1=Times|first1=E. J. Dionne Jr, Special To The New York|title=DISTRICTING PLAN DRAWN IN ALBANY; SOME INCUMBENTS MAY LOSE SEATS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/09/nyregion/districting-plan-drawn-in-albany-some-incumbents-may-lose-seats.html|accessdate=21 July 2016|work=The New York Times|date=9 May 1982}} As a member of the New York State Senate in 1991, Daly was on a bipartisan committee convened by Gov. Mario M. Cuomo where Republicans were in favor of instituting a photo identification system for recipients of Medicaid programs in order to cut down on fraud and abuse.{{cite news|last1=Verhovek|first1=Sam Howe|title=Political Talk|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/15/nyregion/political-talk.html|accessdate=21 July 2016|work=The New York Times|date=15 September 1991}}

In January 1995, he was appointed as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation{{cite news|last1=Sack|first1=Kevin|title=Conservative Party Leader Picked to Run Port Authority|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/10/nyregion/conservative-party-leader-picked-to-run-port-authority.html|accessdate=November 23, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=January 10, 1995|location=Albany}} by then Gov. George Pataki.{{cite news|last1=Firestone|first1=David|title=Effort to Preserve a Political Dynasty in East Harlem Fails by a Wide Margin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/15/nyregion/effort-to-preserve-a-political-dynasty-in-east-harlem-fails-by-a-wide-margin.html|accessdate=21 July 2016|work=The New York Times|date=15 March 1995}}

In February 1997, he was appointed to the New York Public Service Commission and served as deputy chairman until the time of his death.

In 1992, The New York Times wrote about Daly's use of taxpayer dollars to produce a 15-minute television show in one of the New York State Legislature's three film studios. The show featured videos of Daly in action that appeared to promote his conservative legislative agenda and was transmitted to the public-access station in Daly's district. The Times raised questions about the cost and advantages inherent in being an incumbent politician highlighting that in 1990, 98.9% of incumbent legislators won re-election where they ran. At the time, Daly was a seven-term State Legislator.

Daly married Catherine McHugh, and they had three children, Robert, Martin and Catherine Daly. His son, Robert, also became an assemblyman for the 138th District. John B. Daly died on April 3, 1999, at his home after a long illness.

The "John B. Daly Boulevard" in Niagara County is named after Daly.{{cite web|title=John B. Daly Boulevard|url=http://us.geoview.info/john_b_daly_boulevard,5718744w|website=us.geoview.info|publisher=Geoview|accessdate=21 July 2016}}

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{{succession box | before = Richard J. Hogan | title = New York State Assembly
138th District | years = 1973–1978 | after = Joseph T. Pillittere}}

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{{succession box | before = Lloyd H. Paterson | title = New York State Senate
60th District | years = 1979–1982 | after = Walter J. Floss Jr.}}

{{succession box | before = new district | title = New York State Senate
61st District | years = 1983–1995 | after = George D. Maziarz}}

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Category:1929 births

Category:1999 deaths

Category:Politicians from Niagara Falls, New York

Category:People from Lewiston, New York

Category:Republican Party New York (state) state senators

Category:Fordham University alumni

Category:University of Iowa alumni

Category:Harvard Business School alumni

Category:Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly

Category:State cabinet secretaries of New York (state)

Category:People from Woodside, Queens

Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature