# Peter Vallone Sr.

Peter Fortunate Vallone Sr. (born December 13, 1934) is an American politician.

## Background

His father, Judge Charles J. Vallone (1901–1967) of the Queens County Civil Court, encouraged young Peter to broaden his horizons beyond the limited social interactions with other ethnic and religious groups that were discouraged in the pre-Vatican II era. His mother, Leah Palmigiano Vallone, was a teacher and a Democratic State Committeewoman. With his wife, Tena, he has three children (Peter Jr., Paul, and Perry) and eight grandchildren.

## Education

He attended Fordham University, where he received his BSS (1956) and his LLB (1959).

## Political career

A former Democratic New York City Councilman who represented Astoria, Queens, from 1974 to 2001, he was the second most powerful official in New York City's government after the mayor, when he became the city's first Speaker of the City Council in 1986. He held that position until Gifford Miller took over in 2002.
Vallone drafted changes to the City Charter in 1989 that he claimed allowed the Council more say on the budget.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1998 as the Democratic nominee receiving in total 1,570,317 votes or 33.16% of the electorate. Vallone was also notably the first ever candidate endorsed by the Working Families Party, with the party receiving 51,325 votes for Vallone via fusion voting. Vallone also ran for mayor in 2001, placing third in the Democratic primary.

## Later career

Vallone currently teaches political science at Baruch College and his autobiography, Learning to Govern: My Life in New York Politics, From Hell Gate to City Hall, described his years in government. He practices law in Astoria with his son, Peter Vallone Jr., who succeeded him in the City Council in 2002. After he retired from politics, Peter Vallone Sr. founded a lobbying firm with a partner, Constantinople and Vallone
In 2005, Vallone endorsed Republican Michael Bloomberg for Mayor of New York City. In 2009, he endorsed a former rival in the mayoral race, Mark Green, who attempted to win back the job of Public Advocate.

## Electoral history

New York gubernatorial election, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | George Pataki | 2,223,264 | 44.59% | |
| | Conservative | George Pataki | 348,727 | 6.99% | |
| | Total | George Pataki (incumbent) | 2,571,991 | 54.32% | +5.53% |
| | Democratic | Peter Vallone, Sr. | 1,518,992 | 30.47% | |
| | Working Families | Peter Vallone, Sr. | 51,325 | 1.03% | |
| | Total | Peter Vallone, Sr. | 1,570,317 | 33.16% | −12.29% |
| | Independence | Tom Golisano | 364,056 | 7.69% | +3.51% |
| | Liberal | Betsy McCaughey | 77,915 | 1.65% | −0.12% |
| | Right to Life | Michael Reynolds | 56,683 | 1.20% | −0.10% |
| | Green | Al Lewis | 52,533 | 1.11% | N/A |
| | Marijuana Reform | Thomas K. Leighton | 24,788 | 0.52% | N/A |
| | Unity | Mary Alice France | 9,692 | 0.21% | N/A |
| | Libertarian | Chris Garvey | 4,722 | 0.11% | −0.07% |
| | Socialist Workers | Al Duncan | 2,539 | 0.05% | +0.01% |
| | | Blank – Void – Scattering | 250,696 | 5.02% | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,001,674 | 21.15% | +17.81% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,985,932 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |