Carl Pasquale Paladino"Paladino steamrolls to stunning upset" The Buffalo News (born August 24, 1946) is an American businessman and political activist. Paladino is the chairman of Ellicott Development Co., a real estate development company he founded in 1973.
Paladino ran for Governor of New York in the 2010 election. He upset Rick Lazio in the Republican primary, but was defeated by Democrat Andrew Cuomo (63%–33%) in the general election. Paladino's candidacy was supported by the Tea Party movement and by residents of his native Western New York.
Paladino was elected to the South Buffalo seat on the Buffalo School Board in 2013, and was re-elected in 2016. In December 2016, the board condemned racist remarks that Paladino had made about President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and demanded that he resign. On August 17, 2017, following a public hearing, the New York State Education Department removed Paladino from his board seat for publicly disclosing confidential information obtained in executive session. Paladino was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 23rd District in 2022 but narrowly lost in the Republican primary to Nick Langworthy.
Early life, education, and career Paladino's parents emigrated from Italy to the United States. His father participated in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.Reisman, Nick (September 2, 2010). "Paladino: Dignity Corps an update of New Deal program" . Democrat and Chronicle. Gannett News Service. Retrieved 3 September 2010. He was raised in the Lovejoy District of BuffaloFink, James (November 4, 2011). "Paladino purchases property near Lovejoy roots". Business First. Retrieved November 6, 2011. and attended Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School in South Buffalo. Paladino graduated from St. Bonaventure University for his B.A. and from the Syracuse University College of Law. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1971. He spent three months on active duty in the United States Army and over ten years in the reserve, discharged in 1981 at the rank of captain.Buffalo News editorial board (June 17, 2011). "Respect our military". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 17 June 2011. Paladino founded Ellicott Development Co. in 1973; the company buys properties, builds stores, and leases them to national retail outlets and government agencies.Breidenbach, Michelle (October 10, 2010). "How Carl Paladino built his Rite-Aid empire". The Post-Standard (Syracuse). Retrieved 10 October 2010. He later was part of the consortium that acquired the Fort Erie Race Track in Canada in August 2014."Ellicott Development President Carl Paladino, acting on the Paladino Family interest with investors Joe Mosey and Joel Castle, have purchased the Fort Erie Race Track in Fort Erie, Canada. Carl confirmed this with WBBZ-TV during an interview for the Political Buzz program scheduled to air next week on Your Hometown Television Station. Paladino noted the NASCAR track project and other development opportunities as some of the reasons for his first development project in Southern Ontario." Report from WBBZ-TV dated August 8, 2014.
Paladino is close friends with pizzeria owner Joseph Todaro Jr. and has denied the existence of an Italian organized crime syndicate in Buffalo. In response to allegations of an Italian mafia in Buffalo, Paladino stated in 2023: "There's no mob in Buffalo, and I know everybody. It's all a fantasy."
Political career
Early political activity Paladino registered with the Democratic Party in 1974 and remained with it until 2005. Later that year, after the retirement of Buffalo mayor Anthony Masiello, Paladino enrolled in the Republican Party.Smerd, Jeremy (September 26, 2010). "Accidental candidate". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 26 September 2010. Paladino and several limited partnerships controlled by him have donated to numerous political candidates and organizations, both Democratic and Republican. During his time as a Democrat, he generally considered himself a conservative Reagan Democrat in the mold of former Buffalo Mayor James D. Griffin and former New York Governor Hugh Carey.
Paladino helped lead a campaign to remove the toll barriers on Interstate 190 in the mid-2000s. After finding a state law that required the state to remove the tolls once the bonds for that portion of the thruway had been paid off (which took place in 1996), Paladino threatened to sue. The Thruway Authority removed the tolls.
In 2009, Paladino got involved in the campaign on behalf of South Buffalo councilman Michael Kearns in Buffalo's Democratic primary mayoral election, campaigning against incumbent Byron Brown. He also endorsed Kearns in the New York State Assembly race in 2012 to replace Buffalo city comptroller Mark J. F. Schroeder.
2010 campaign for Governor of New York
On April 5, 2010, Paladino officially entered the race for Governor of New York. Tom Ognibene, the former minority leader of the New York City Council, was his chosen running mate. Michael Caputo was Paladino's campaign manager. Roger Stone acted as a supporter and advisor for the campaign, recommending Caputo to Paladino.Hakim, Danny. "Opposing Campaigns, With One Unlikely Link: Roger Stone Plays Role in Two Opposing Campaigns". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2010. Tom Golisano, an American businessman and philanthropist who ran three gubernatorial campaigns on third-party lines, also advised the campaign.Spector, Joseph (2010-09-20). "Coming to a town near you: An upstate businessman running for governor", The Ithaca Journal . Gannett News Service. Retrieved 2010-09-20. Paladino ran as a pugnacious political outsider with the support of the Tea Party movement. His campaign website frequently referenced a line from the 1976 film Network: "'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore'".
Paladino pledged himself to one term in office and, like fellow businessmen-turned-politicians Chris Collins and Michael Bloomberg, would forgo collecting his salary if elected. He stated that he would then endorse his lieutenant governor for the 2014 gubernatorial election.
With regard to a planned Islamic community center two blocks from the site of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York City, in late July 2010, Paladino issued a radio ad which stated, "As Governor, I will use the power of eminent domain to stop this mosque and make the site a war memorial instead of a monument to those who attacked our country." He added that the mosque should not be built within a range of "the dust cloud containing human remains [of the 9/11 victims] traveled".
In April 2010, a local progressive Web site released a series of racially charged and sexually explicit e-mails that purported to be from Paladino. Paladino acknowledged some of them were indeed circulated by him among a circle of friends, mostly in the construction industry.McCarthy, Robert (2010-09-15). "Laughing it up with Carl" . The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2010-09-16. Campaign manager Michael Caputo initially stated that the authenticity of some of the e-mails could not be verifiedPaybarah, Azi (April 12, 2010). "Paladino's dirty e-mails". The New York Observer. Retrieved 12 April 2010. and continued to maintain that the e-mails were "of questionable origin";Benjamin, Elizabeth (October 13, 2010). "E-mailgate II?" (Updated) . State of Politics (YNN). Retrieved 13 October 2010. the site themselves could not identify the anonymous source of the e-mails and was only able to verify them through a series of cc: addresses included with the package of e-mails.Freedlander, David (2010-10-26). "The site that saved Andrew Cuomo" . New York Observer. Retrieved 2010-10-26. Paladino acknowledged that some of the e-mails were authentic, but denied that he originated any of them, saying that he was nevertheless "somewhat careless" about forwarding them to others.Benjamin, Elizabeth (April 12, 2010). "Men: If you've opened graphic e-mail, Paladino wants your vote!" . Capitol Tonight. Retrieved 12 April 2010. Paladino admitted many of these emails were "off-color" and could be considered offensive, took responsibility for them, and apologized.
Paladino vied with Rick Lazio, Steve Levy, and Myers Mermel for the Republican nomination. At the state Republican convention, Paladino received 8 percent of the weighted vote, falling short of the 25 percent needed for automatic ballot access. Paladino then submitted 28,000 signatures in an effort to petition his way onto the Republican primary ballot.Johnson, Michael (July 15, 2010). "Paladino gathers 28k signatures" . State of Politics blog. Retrieved 15 July 2010. Paladino's petitions were sufficient to qualify him for the primary.
Paladino originally planned to seek the nomination of the Conservative Party of New York but dropped out because party chairman Michael Long allowed him only two minutes of speech time to make his case.Gallivan, Pete (May 29, 2010). , WGRZ. Retrieved 30 May 2010. The Conservative Party's nomination went to Rick Lazio. Paladino supporter Ralph Lorigo acted as a placeholder at the convention, joining forces with Steve Levy's supporters.Benjamin, Elizabeth (May 30, 2010). "The Paladino-Lorigo Connection" . State of Politics: YNN. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
Paladino held a two-week boat tour at the end of May 2010 along the Erie Canal to learn more about the rest of upstate New York."Off the canal, into the fray". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 31 May 2010. He began a television and radio advertising campaign in July of that year, including local TV stations as well as national ads on the Fox News Channel.Haberman, Maggie (July 2, 2010). "Air Paladino begins next week". Politico. Retrieved 3 July 2010. He frequently called for debates, first with Lazio (who declined) and then with Cuomo.Ewing, Claudine (October 4, 2010). . WGRZ. Retrieved 4 October 2010. Paladino said he might be willing to spend more than $10,000,000 (10 million) of his own wealth on the campaign.Lesser, Benjamin (October 5, 2010). "His own best business partner: GOP governor hopeful Carl Paladino pays himself to run campaign", Daily News (New York). Retrieved 5 October 2010.
Paladino founded the "Taxpayers Party", which also fielded David Malpass and Gary Berntsen as U.S. Senate candidates;Benjamin, Elizabeth (July 7, 2010). "Paladino, Berntsen, Malpass team up" . State of Politics. Retrieved 7 July 2010. both dropped out of their races, leading the party to nominate Joseph J. DioGuardi as Malpass's replacement and Rus Thompson for comptroller.Katz, Celeste (July 7, 2010). "Paladino, Berntsen, Malpass want ..." Paladino's campaign submitted 30,000 signatures for the Taxpayers line on August 10, 2010. Other potential candidates for state office indicated interest, and several state legislature candidates filed petitions under the "Taxpayers" banner to be on their ballot."List of independent nominating petitions" . New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
In the Republican primary election on September 14, 2010, Paladino, with heavy support in his native Western New York, defeated Lazio. In the primary for lieutenant governor, however, Ognibene, who had been selected by Paladino, lost to Lazio's choice, Greg Edwards. The Paladino-Edwards ticket competed in November against Democrat Andrew Cuomo and his running mate, Robert Duffy, as well as several minor-party candidates.