Michael Arcuri

Michael Arcuri, a Democrat, has represented the 24th Congressional District of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Arcuri Returns Campaign Contributions
Arcuri returned $7,400 in campaign contributions from Robert J. “Skip” Anderson Jr. and Robert J. Anderson Jr., the owners of Oriska Insurance Co. Oriska's offices were raided by federal agents in connection to a insurance, wire and mail fraud investigation into the senior Anderson.

Arcuri later returned two contributions totaling $4,000 from two paralegals who work for Oriska Insurance Co.

Biography
Born in the Utica area, Arcuri graduated from the State University of Albany, then from New York Law School in 1984. He then entered private practice. In 1993, he was elected District Attorney of Oneida County, only the third Democrat ever elected to that position and the first in over 40 years. As DA, Arcuri helped to implement Oneida County’s Drug Court and Drug Treatment Alternative To Prison (D-TAP) programs and has prosecuted numerous violent criminals. In 1997, he received the the Mohawk Valley Person of the Year Award from the YWCA for his work in the area of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse. In 2003 he was elected President of the New York State District Attorney's Association. During his 12 years as Oneida County District Attorney, the Assistant District Attorney's in his office carried one of the highest case loads of any county in the State of New York and maintained a 90% conviction rate, one of the highest in the country.

Arcuri has also taught constitutional law as an adjunct professor at Utica College. 

2006 congressional elections
Arcuri announced his candidacy for the 24th Congressional district of New York a few weeks before Rep. Sherwood Boehlert announced that he would be retiring this year. Arcuri faced primary opposition from former Cortland Mayor Bruce Tytler, Utica attorney Leon Koziol, and epidemiologist Les Roberts. Prior to the primary, all three of Arcuri's opponents dropped out of the race, clearing the way for Arcuri. 

Arcuri hired Howard Wolfson to handle the media and John Zogby as his pollster. 

Endorsements
Arcuri was endorsed in his race by the following:


 * Syracuse Post-Standard
 * National and New York League of Conservation Voters
 * New York State AFL-CIO
 * Sierra Club
 * Communications Workers of America Local #1126
 * International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
 * Laborers Local 589
 * Tompkins-Cortland Building Trades Counci
 * United Auto Workers Region 9
 * Central New York Coalition of Manufacturer's Unions
 * Police Conference of New York
 * United Transportation Union
 * United Mine Workers
 * Public Employee Federation
 * Service Employee International Union,
 * International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
 * New York State United Teachers
 * AFL-CIO Central New York Labor Council
 * Service Employees International Union #1199
 * Philip S. McDonald Police Benevolent Association of Rome
 * National Association of Social Workers
 * New York State Association of Electrical Workers, Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers Local Union 182
 * Communications Workers of America, Local 1114
 * United Food and Commercial Workers, Local One
 * International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 2213
 * Northeastern Police Conference – New York State
 * Communication Workers of America, Local 1103.

Negative Ad
During the campaign, Arcuri was hit with a negative advertisement created by the National Republican Campaign Committee that accused Arcuri of calling a telephone sex line and paying for it with Oneida County funds. The ad, narrated by a sultry female voice and showing Arcuri licking his lips in slow motion, was even denounced by Arcuri's opponent, Republican Raymond Meier. 

Arcuri explained that an aide accidentally dialed the line because the number had the same last seven digits as the state Department of Criminal Justice Services in Albany. 

Victory
Arcuri defeated Republican Raymond Meier in the 2006 congressional elections to succeed incumbent Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, who retired.

Money in politics
cid=N00027890&cycle=2008

Committees and Affiliations

 * House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
 * Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings & Emergency Management
 * Subcommittee on Highways, Transit & Pipelines
 * Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment

Resources

 * Michael Arcuri for Congress, official campaign site.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Simply Left Behind

Articles

 * "Arcuri to return more campaign contributions," Utica Observer-Dispatch, August 3, 2006.
 * Stuart Rothenberg, "New York 24: Upstate New York’s Open Seat Remains a Democratic Target," Roll Call, August 10, 2006.
 * John Machacek, "Battle over Boehlert's seat rages," Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, September 24, 2006.
 * John Machacek, "National parties raising big money in race for Boehlert seat," Ithaca Journal, October 7, 2006.
 * E&P Staff, "Campaign Ad Linking Democrat to 'Sex' Call May Backfire on GOP ," Editor & Publisher, October 21, 2006.
 * Mark Weiner, "Sex-call spot is called a new low," Syracuse Post-Standard, October 21, 2006.
 * Delvin Barrett, "In central New York, which nice guy will finish first?," Newsday, October 30, 2006.
 * Raymond Hernandez, "Harsh Words Dominate New York Region’s Congressional Races," New York Times, November 4, 2006.

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