Susan Molinari

Susan Molinari (born March 27, 1958) is a politician, journalist, and lobbyist from New York. She was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms. She is vice president for public policy at Google.

Early life, education, and early political career

Molinari was born in Staten Island, New York, the daughter of Marguerite (Wing) and lawyer and perennial Republican politician Guy Molinari, and granddaughter of Republican politician S. Robert Molinari. She graduated from the then SUNY Albany (now called the University at Albany, The State University of New York). She served on the New York City Council before winning a special election to the House of Representatives in 1990 as a Republican to replace her father, who retired from Congress to become Staten Island Borough President.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

On January 1, 1990, incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Guy Molinari decided to resign in order to become Borough President of Staten Island. She ran for her father's seat in Staten Island-based New York's 14th congressional district. On the eve of the special election, the New York Times endorsed Molinari because she “promises to add a moderate Republican voice to the city’s Democratic-dominated congressional delegation”. On March 1990, she defeated Robert Gigante 59% to 35%.