Rich David

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Richard C. David

| image =

| office = Mayor of Binghamton, New York

| term_start = January 1, 2014

| term_end = December 31, 2021

| predecessor = Matthew T. Ryan

| successor = Jared M. Kraham

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|5|14}}

| birth_place = Pittsford, New York, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Republican

| education = Allendale Columbia School

| alma_mater = St. John Fisher College (BA)
Binghamton University (MPA)

}}

Richard Claude "Rich" David (born May 14, 1976) is an American politician and journalist. He served as the mayor of Binghamton, New York from 2014 to 2021. He ran for the 52rd district of the New York State Senate in 2022.

Education and early career

David graduated from Allendale Columbia School in 1994.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bupipedream.com/news/95817/a-guide-to-faces-to-know-around-campus/|title=A guide to faces to know around campus|date=2018-06-22|work=Pipe Dream|access-date=2018-06-25}} He then attended St. John Fisher College where he studied communications and political science. While at St. John Fisher College, David worked as a production intern at a local television station.{{cite web|last1=Robinson|first1=David|title=Rich David: Binghamton mayoral candidate goes 'back to basic'|url=http://archive.pressconnects.com/article/20130824/NEWS01/308240041/Rich-David-Binghamton-mayoral-candidate-goes-back-basic-|website=pressconnects.com|publisher=Press & Sun-Bulletin}}{{cite web|last1=Rahman|first1=Tania|last2=Wilson|first2=Geoffrey|title=Binghamton Mayor Rich David comes to campus, discusses his ascent to city hall|url=http://www.bupipedream.com/news/35034/meet-the-mayor/|website=bupipedream.com|publisher=Binghamton University Pipe Dream}}

In 1998, David moved to Binghamton to start his career in journalism as a general assignment reporter for WBNG-TV. While covering local politics, he met then-Mayor Richard A. Bucci and became interested in public service. In 2000, Bucci appointed David as City Hall's Director of Community Relations, a position in the Mayor's Office that handled public information, media relations and constituent communications.

In 2002, David received his Master of Public Administration from Binghamton University while working at City Hall.{{cite web|title=Meet Rich David, Republican candidate for Binghamton mayor|url=http://www.bupipedream.com/news/24877/rich-david-david-aims-to-increase-police-force-transparency-connect-with-bu/|accessdate=21 July 2015}}

In 2004, David was appointed Deputy Mayor, a position that provides professional support and advises the Mayor in all matters related to the daily operation of city government. In 2006, David left local government as the term-limited Bucci administration came to an end. He was hired as public affairs officer at SUNY Broome Community College.

In 2008, David and his development firm Confluence Enterprises completed work restoring a historic downtown Binghamton building into a loft apartment where David now resides, investing $250,000 in the revitalization effort. In subsequent years, Confluence Enterprises has invested in various real estate holdings and businesses in Binghamton.{{cite web|title=More revitalization in downtown Binghamton|url=http://www.wbng.com/closings/22734779.html}}

Mayoral campaigns

=2009=

David first ran for Mayor of Binghamton in 2009, attempting to unseat incumbent Matthew T. Ryan. In the general election, David ran on the Republican and Conservative lines against Ryan, who ran on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, and third-party candidate Douglas Walter Drazen. David came in second place in the three-way race.{{cite web|title=Broome County Board of Elections|url=http://www.gobroomecounty.com/files/elections/pdfs/2013%20GENERAL%20ELECTION%20RESULTS.pdf}}

{{Election box begin | title= Binghamton, New York Mayoral Election, 2009 }}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Matthew Ryan|votes=3,660|percentage=36.0%|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Working Families Party|candidate=Matthew Ryan|votes=406|percentage=4.0%|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate|change=N/A|percentage=40.0%|candidate=Matthew Ryan|votes=4,006|party=Total}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Rich David|votes=3,589|percentage=35.4%|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Conservative Party of New York|candidate=Rich David|votes=366|percentage=3.6%|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate|change=N/A|percentage=38.9%|party=Total|candidate=Rich David|votes=3,955}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independence Party of New York|candidate=Douglas Walter Drazen|votes=2,059|percentage=20.3%|change=N/A}}{{Election box turnout||votes=10,157|percentage=|change=N/A}}

=2013=

In 2013, four years after he had lost to Ryan, David again ran for Mayor of Binghamton. In the Republican primary, David received 939 votes—61 percent—beating challengers Douglas Walter Drazen with 433 votes and Edward Hickey with 164 votes.{{cite web|title=Broome County Board of Elections|url=http://www.gobroomecounty.com/files/elections/pdfs/2013%20PRIMARY%20ELECTION%20RESULTS.PDF}} In the general election, David beat Democratic Binghamton City Councilwoman Teri Rennia by 6.79% and was elected Mayor of Binghamton.

{{Election box begin | title= Binghamton, New York Mayoral Election, 2013 }}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Richard C. David

|votes = 4,206

|percentage = 47.02

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Teri Rennia

|votes = 4,074

|percentage = 45.54

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party of New York

|candidate = Richard C. David

|votes = 666

|percentage = 7.44

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 8,946

|percentage =

|change = N/A

}}

=2017=

In 2017, Rich David ran on the Republican, Conservative, and Independence lines for reelection as Mayor of Binghamton. He was challenged by former Deputy Mayor Tarik Abdelazim, who ran on the Democratic and Working Families lines.

{{Election box begin | title= Binghamton, New York Mayoral Election, 2017 }}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Richard C. David|votes=5,134|percentage=58.91|change=TBD|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Tarik Abdelazim|votes=3,572|percentage=40.99|change=TBD|}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 8,175

|percentage =

|change = TBD

}}

Mayoralty

David was sworn into office as Mayor of Binghamton on January 1, 2014.{{cite web|title=David takes oath for Binghamton Mayor|url=http://www.wbng.com/news/local/David-takes-oath-for-Binghamton-Mayor-238375491.html}}

=Law enforcement=

One of David's major campaign promises was to increase the number of officers in the Binghamton Police Department which had been cut by 14 percent during the Ryan administration. David restored seven officers in his first year in office.{{cite web|title=An early look at Mayor Rich David's State of the City address|url=http://www.wbng.com/news/local/An-early-look-at-Mayor-Rich-Davids-State-of-the-City-address-293740991.html}}

=Infrastructure=

In 2014, Binghamton's $7 million infrastructure plan improved more than 11 center line miles of city streets. In 2015, city was set to receive 15 miles of street improvements as part of a $8 million plan.{{cite web|title=State of the City: 'Binghamton is back in the game'|url=http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2015/02/23/david-set-deliver-second-state-city-speech/23899503/}}

In 2015, David initiated a $4 million plan to convert the city's roughly 7,000 streetlights to LED technology.{{cite web|title=First LED streetlight bulbs go up in Binghamton|url=http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2015/06/24/first-led-streetlight-bulbs-go-binghamton/29218427/}}

=Budget management=

As part of David's push for municipal budget stability, his first budget included a 0.48 percent residential property tax increase, the second-lowest increase in 17 years.{{cite web|last1=Howe|first1=Steve|title=David pushes for budget stability in Binghamton|url=http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2014/09/13/binghamton-budget-proposal/15525999/|website=pressconnects.com|publisher=Press & Sun-Bulletin}}{{cite web|title=David proposes Binghamton budget with 0.5% tax increase|url=http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2014/09/15/david-binghamton-budget/15690627/|website=pressconnects.com|publisher=Press & Sun-Bulletin}}