Barbara J. Fiala is the former Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and County Executive of Broome County, New York.[1] Fiala also served as Broome County Clerk from 1999 to 2004.[1] She was the first female County Executive of Broome County and served as President of the New York State Association of County Executives.[2] On July 30, 2015, Fiala officially announced her candidacy for the New York State Senate's 52nd district. The seat became vacant after then-Senator Thomas W. Libous was convicted of a Federal felony of lying to the FBI.[1] Fiala was defeated in the November election by Fred Akshar, the Republican nominee.[3]
Barbara J. Fiala | |
|---|---|
| Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles | |
| In office 2011–2014 | |
| Governor | Andrew Cuomo |
| Preceded by | David Swarts |
| Succeeded by | Mark J. F. Schroeder |
| 6th Broome County Executive | |
| In office 2005–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Jeffrey P. Kraham |
| Succeeded by | Patrick J. Brennan |
| Broome County Clerk | |
| In office 1999–2004 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 13, 1944 Binghamton, New York |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Anthony Fiala Sr |
| Children | Jim Fiala, Anthony Fiala Jr |
| Residence(s) | Endicott, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Broome Community College Binghamton University |
| Website | http://www.barbfiala.com |
Political career
editBroome County Executive
editFiala served as Broome County Executive from 2005 until 2010, when she was appointed Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.[4] She was elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.[4] During her tenure as County Executive, the Greater Binghamton Transportation Center was developed, the George Harvey Justice Building was refurbished, and a number of small business development programs were launched.[1] Fiala touts bipartisan cooperation as the reason for her accomplishments as County Executive.[1]
Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
editFiala was appointed Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles in 2011, and served until the end of 2014.[5] During her tenure, the state placed a higher priority on online services. The DMV website was redesigned and many motor vehicle transactions were added to the website.[5] Additionally, the DMV launched lifetime adventure licenses for hunting, fishing, skiing, and boating.[6] The adventure license offered New York residents a chance to list all adventure licenses on their drivers license, and the adventure licenses do not expire.[6]
Campaign for New York State Senate
editUpon the conviction of former New York State Senator Thomas W. Libous, Fiala announced her candidacy for the vacated senate seat. She launched her campaign for the November 2015 special election in July promising to bring jobs to the Southern Tier. Fiala said, "The one major issue here in the Southern Tier is jobs, good-paying jobs."[1]
In November 2015 Fiala was defeated in the State Senate election by Republican Fred Akshar.[3]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barbara Fiala | 40,739 | 43.99 | |
| Working Families | Barbara Fiala | 2,689 | 2.90 | |
| Republican | Jeff Kraham (Incumbent) | 39,711 | 42.88 | |
| Conservative | Jeff Kraham | 2,047 | 2.21 | |
| Other | Blank/Void | 7,418 | 8.01 | |
| Total votes | 92,604 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barbara Fiala (Incumbent) | 41,910 | 46.69 | |
| Independence | Barbara Fiala | 3,986 | 4.40 | |
| Working Families | Barbara Fiala | 2,479 | 2.76 | |
| Republican | Michael Marinaccio | 30,097 | 33.53 | |
| Conservative | Michael Marinaccio | 2,621 | 2.92 | |
| Other | Blank/Void | 8,664 | 9.65 | |
| Total votes | 89,757 | 100.0 | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Adams, Stephen (July 30, 2015). "Barbara Fiala formally announces bid for State Senate". WBNG. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ Katz, Celeste (February 9, 2011). "Gov. Cuomo: Schenectady's Brian Stratton For Canal Corp.; Broome's Barbara Fiala For DMV". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ a b Hamilton, Matthew (November 3, 2015). "Fred Akshar cruises to victory over Barbara Fiala in 52nd Senate District". Times-Union. Albany, NY.
- ^ a b "Fiala To Head DMV". Politics on the Hudson. February 9, 2011. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015.
- ^ a b Campbell, Jon (December 31, 2014). "NY's DMV commissioner calls it quits". Press & Sun-Bulletin.
- ^ a b "Governor Cuomo Promotes NYS Lifetime Adventure License Series for Hunting, Fishing and Visiting NY State Parks". February 12, 2014. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015.
- ^ "2004 Broome County Election Results" (PDF).
- ^ "2008 Broome County Election Results" (PDF).
External links
edit
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