Herman Badillo

Herman Badillo ( , ; August 21, 1929 – December 3, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as borough president of The Bronx and United States Representative, and ran for Mayor of New York City. He was the first Puerto Rican elected to these posts, and the first Puerto Rican mayoral candidate in a major city in the continental United States.

Early years and personal life Badillo was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. When he was 11 years old, both of his parents died of tuberculosis and he was sent to live with his aunt in New York City. After graduating from the public school system at Haaren High School, Badillo attended the City College of New York earning a Bachelor in Business Administration in 1951. In 1954 he received an LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School, graduating first in his class. The next year he was admitted to the New York State Bar. In 1956, he also became a certified public accountant.

Early political career

After joining the Caribe Democratic Club in 1958, Badillo held several city and state positions. He was elected Bronx Borough President in 1965 and took office in January 1966. Before that, he had served as New York Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development. In 1968, a fire of undetermined origin damaged part of the interior. Although the building remained repairable, it was demolished in 1969.

U.S. House of Representatives In 1970 Badillo was elected to the United States House of Representatives from New York's 21st District in the South Bronx, becoming the first Puerto Rican to so serve. He was re-elected for three subsequent consecutive terms. He was also a member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

In 1976 he was challenged by South Bronx Councilman Ramon Velez in a contest for the Democratic Party nomination for Congressman of the 21st District. Badillo was reelected easily with 75 percent of the vote. In December of that year, he was one of the five Latino members of Congress who established the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. His closest contest came in his second attempt when he was defeated by then-New York City Comptroller Abe Beame in a runoff primary, in 1973. This was the first election with a primary run off.

In 1981 and 1985 he did not appear on the ballot, dropping out after early moves to stage a campaign failed to generate broad enough support. Badillo unsuccessfully sought a Republican mayoral nomination in 2001, losing in a landslide vote for billionaire businessman and political neophyte Michael Bloomberg who would later prevail in that general election. In 1986 Badillo was the Democratic nominee for New York State Comptroller, losing to Republican incumbent Edward Regan. During these years Badillo was also active in Presidential politics, supporting Alan Cranston for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and Michael Dukakis in 1988.

In 1993 Eric Adams, while President of the Grand Council of Guardians, accused Badillo of betraying his Hispanic heritage by having as his wife a white, Jewish woman (Irma, to whom Badillo had been married for 32 years, and who had Alzheimer's), instead of a Latina. Badillo responded that "Voting based on race is the definition of racism, and has no place in a civilized multiracial society..."

Republican Party switch and 2001 mayoral campaign In the late 1990s Badillo formally joined the Republican Party. He resigned as education special counsel and CUNY Chairman when announcing his candidacy for mayor in 2001. Despite his strong support of Mayor Giuliani, Badillo's bid for mayor never received serious support from Giuliani or the Republican Party, and he lost badly in the Republican primary to billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who had just switched parties as Badillo had done earlier.

Death Badillo died on December 3, 2014, at the Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, of congestive heart failure at the age of 85.

NYS and NYC tickets Herman Badillo ran on

1986 NYS Democratic ticket Governor: Mario Cuomo Lieutenant Governor: Stan Lundine Comptroller: Herman Badillo Attorney General: Robert Abrams U.S. Senate: Mark Green

1993 NYC Republican and Liberal ticket Mayor: Rudy Giuliani Public Advocate: Susan Alter Comptroller: Herman Badillo

Publications A Bill of No Rights: Attica and the American Prison System (New York: Outerbridge and Lazard, Inc., 1972). With Milton Haynes. Plain Talk: The Politics of Administration (Greenvale, N.Y.: Department of Health and Public Administration, C.W. Post Center, Long Island University, 1981). One Nation, One Standard: An Ex-Liberal on How Hispanics Can Succeed Just Like Other Immigrant Groups (New York: Sentinel, 2006.) (Penguin (December 28, 2006), hardcover, 256 pages, , ) This book generated major controversy within the Latino community before it was even published because of an inflammatory article in the New York Post (December 19, 2006, p. 8) announcing its release. In the book Badillo criticizes what he perceives as a lax work ethic among Hispanics, who he contends do not value education as much as other immigrants just as historically impoverished but more successful, such as Asian-Americans. In contrast to the support he gave to bilingual education during his early career, his book attacks what he describes as obstacles to assimilation, such as bilingual education, and urges Hispanics to eschew government solutions and adopt instead the cultural values that have made previous generations of American immigrants prosperous and successful. His view is that Hispanics will soon make up 25% of the population of the United States and that their failure to excel would be tragic for them and the nation.

Death and legacy "His death, at the Weill Cornell Medical Center, was caused by complications of congestive heart failure, his son, David, said."

There is a school in Buffalo, New York called Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy.