Mike Arcuri


Michael Angelo Arcuri is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He lost re-election on November 2, 2010, to Republican Richard L. Hanna.
Arcuri is a member and an administrative law judge of the New York Industrial Board of Appeals.

Early life, education and career

Arcuri's father was Carmen Arcuri. His mother, Elizabeth, retired as a stenographer. Arcuri graduated from Thomas R. Proctor High School, in Utica, New York in 1977.
In 1981, Arcuri graduated from the State University of New York at Albany where he majored in history and minored in economics. In 1984, he graduated from New York Law School and was admitted to practice law in New York state in 1985.
Arcuri returned to Utica to open a law office in 1986.

Oneida County District Attorney

In 1993, Arcuri was elected District Attorney of Oneida County, home to Utica. He was only the third Democrat ever to hold the post and the first in 40 years.

U.S. House of Representatives

The 22nd congressional district encompasses a large swath of central New York, including Utica, Auburn, Rome and most of the suburbs of Binghamton.
A member of the right-wing Blue Dog Coalition, Arcuri was named by the National Review as one of the most centrist members of the House, with a voting record of 50.2% liberal and 49.8% conservative, a distinction he shared with only one other member of the United States House of Representatives during the 110th Congress.

Committee assignments

  • Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • *Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management
  • *Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • *Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
  • Committee on Rules
  • *Subcommittee on Rules and the Organization of the House

    Controversy

In 2002, Arcuri personally prosecuted Joseph A. Smith of Oneida for the murder of Desiree Case of Yorkville. Her body was discovered in an abandoned house on February 26, 2000. Smith was arrested on November 29, 2001, after he was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in a sealed indictment. A jury found Smith guilty of both counts of murder in March 2002. In late June 2002 a judge set aside the conviction, when Arcuri brought forward evidence he discovered that the defense was not provided with in the case, most notably the confession of another man, Earl Wright, who was eventually found guilty of the murder of Case. Arcuri dropped charges against Smith and he was released from jail on August 1, 2002. He later filed a claim for misconduct and negligence against the Oneida County District Attorney's Office and the City of Utica, N.Y., Police Department, which was settled out of court.

Elections

2006

In November 2006, Arcuri defeated State Senator Ray Meier for the 22nd District congressional seat left open by the retiring Sherwood Boehlert. Arcuri won by 54 percent of the vote to Meier's 45 percent, becoming only the second Democrat to represent this district and its predecessors in 106 years, and the first since 1951.

2008

In his bid for re-election in 2008, Arcuri faced a closer-than-expected challenge from businessman Richard L. Hanna but prevailed. Arcuri won 52 percent of the votes to Hanna's 48 percent

2010

In a rematch of the election two years prior, Arcuri faced off again against Hanna but lost 101,599 to 85,624, as the GOP made gains across the country.

2016

Arcuri ran for Oneida County Court judge but lost to Assistant District Attorney Robert Bauer.

Personal life

Arcuri has four children: Carmen Joseph, Dominique, Nicholas Deon, and Sophia Rose Arcuri. He is married to the former Sabrina Kennedy.