Tim Bishop
Timothy Howard Bishop (born June 1, 1950) is an American politician and former academic administrator who served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 1st congressional district from 2003 to 2015.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, Bishop was first elected in 2002, defeating incumbent Republican Felix Grucci, and held the seat through six subsequent terms until his defeat in the 2014 election by Republican Lee Zeldin.[1][2] Prior to his congressional service, Bishop spent 29 years at Southampton College (now part of Stony Brook University), progressing from administrative assistant to campus provost, overseeing operations during a period of institutional challenges including financial difficulties and leadership transitions.[1] Born in Southampton, Suffolk County, New York, he graduated from Southampton High School, earned a B.A. in history from the College of the Holy Cross in 1972, and received an M.A. from Long Island University in 1976.[1] During his tenure in Congress, Bishop focused on issues pertinent to his coastal district, including fisheries management, environmental protection, and economic development for Long Island's agriculture and tourism sectors, while serving on committees such as Education and the Workforce and Transportation and Infrastructure.[2] His career reflects a transition from higher education administration to elective office, marked by competitive reelections amid shifting district demographics and national political tides.[1]Early Life and Education
Family Origins and Upbringing
Timothy H. Bishop was born on June 1, 1950, in Southampton, Suffolk County, New York.[3] The Bishop family traces its roots in the village to the twelfth generation, reflecting deep local ties established since the area's colonial settlement.[4] His father, Howard Cortland "Corty" Bishop (1922–2012), was a Southampton native who graduated from Southampton High School in 1941 and spent his career in various roles at the New York Telephone Company until retirement; he was a member of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church in Southampton.[5][6] Bishop grew up in Southampton, a community on Long Island's East End known for its mix of affluent summer colonies and year-round working-class residents during the mid-20th century.[7] He received his early education at Sacred Heart School, a local Catholic institution, before attending and graduating from Southampton High School in 1968.[3][8] This upbringing in a small, family-oriented town with longstanding generational connections shaped his initial exposure to regional issues like land preservation and community governance, themes he later emphasized in public life.[4]Academic Achievements
Bishop earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1972.[9][10] He subsequently obtained a Master of Public Administration from Long Island University in 1981.[9][10] These degrees provided the academic foundation for his subsequent administrative roles in higher education, though no advanced doctoral qualifications or specialized academic honors, such as fellowships or publications in scholarly journals, are documented in his biographical records.[3] Prior to college, Bishop graduated from Southampton High School in 1968.[3]Pre-Political Career
Administrative Experience at Southampton College
Bishop joined Southampton College, an undergraduate campus of Long Island University located in Southampton, New York, in 1973, initially serving in admissions-related capacities.[11] Over the subsequent decades, he progressed through multiple administrative positions, including roles in financial aid and registration, before assuming leadership responsibilities as dean and later provost.[12][13] His tenure as provost, which spanned the final 16 years of his time at the institution until his resignation in 2002 to enter politics, involved overseeing academic and operational affairs amid the college's chronic financial instability.[14] Southampton College, established in 1963, struggled with enrollment declines and budgetary shortfalls throughout much of Bishop's 29-year service, relying on innovative problem-solving by staff to sustain operations.[15] These challenges culminated in the campus's closure for undergraduate programs in 2005, three years after Bishop's departure, with LIU reallocating resources to other sites.[15]/) Bishop's administrative work occurred within a family-connected environment, as his father-in-law, William Burke, served as dean starting in 1972, and Bishop's wife was also employed there, drawing later scrutiny during his political campaigns over potential nepotism.[11] Despite such associations, no formal ethics violations were documented from his college service, and his progression reflected internal advancement in a small institution focused on environmental studies and liberal arts.[11]Entry into Politics and Congressional Elections
2002 Election and Initial Victory
In the 2002 United States House of Representatives elections, Timothy H. Bishop, a Democrat with no prior elected experience but serving as dean of administration at Southampton College, sought to unseat Republican incumbent Felix J. Grucci Jr. in New York's 1st congressional district, which covers eastern Suffolk County on Long Island.[16] Grucci had secured the seat in a May 2001 special election following the resignation of the previous representative, winning with 58% of the vote against a Democratic challenger.[17] Bishop's campaign positioned him as a local advocate focused on economic development, environmental protection for the region's coastal areas, and moderate fiscal policies, appealing to the district's mix of affluent Hamptons communities and working-class towns.[18] The race was highly competitive amid a national Republican midterm advantage, with Grucci leveraging incumbency and post-9/11 security emphases, while Bishop highlighted local issues and Grucci's family fireworks business ties.[19] On November 5, 2002, initial results showed a deadlock, but Bishop emerged victorious with 80,886 votes (50%) to Grucci's 78,465 (49%), a margin of 2,421 votes after absentee and provisional ballots were counted.[20][21] This narrow win represented a Democratic pickup in a Republican-held seat, reflecting a perceived eastward shift in the district's political center toward more moderate voters.[16] Bishop's victory was certified by New York election officials, enabling him to take office on January 3, 2003, as part of the 108th Congress.[22] The outcome bucked the national trend where Republicans expanded their House majority, underscoring the district's swing character driven by demographic changes and local priorities over partisan national waves.[21]Re-elections from 2004 to 2012
In the 2004 election, Bishop faced Republican Bill Manger in a contentious race featuring personal attacks and accusations of ethical improprieties from both campaigns. Bishop secured re-election with 121,052 votes (52.2 percent) to Manger's 110,851 votes (47.8 percent).[23][24] Bishop won re-election in 2006 against Republican George D. Goble Jr., receiving support from Democratic, Independence, and Working Families party lines. He garnered 104,360 votes, comprising 62.2 percent of the total, while Goble received 59,825 votes (35.7 percent).[25][26] The 2008 contest pitted Bishop against Goble again, with Bishop prevailing on Democratic, Independence, and Working Families lines. Bishop obtained 61.1 percent of the vote in a district benefiting from Democratic national momentum amid the financial crisis.[27][28] In 2010, amid a Republican wave in midterm elections, Bishop's race against businessman Randy Altschuler became one of the nation's tightest, initially appearing lost on election night before absentee and affidavit ballots shifted the outcome. Bishop ultimately won by 593 votes, 70,747 (51.2 percent) to Altschuler's 70,154 (48.8 percent), following a machine recount and legal challenges over provisional ballots.[29][30][31] Bishop faced Altschuler in a 2012 rematch after redistricting slightly altered the district's boundaries to include more Republican-leaning areas in Suffolk County. Bishop won more decisively with 55.4 percent of the vote to Altschuler's 43.6 percent, aided by cross-endorsements and national Democratic turnout driven by the presidential contest.[32][33]2014 Election Defeat
In the Democratic primary held on June 24, 2014, incumbent Tim Bishop faced no challengers and secured the nomination unopposed. He advanced to the general election against Republican nominee Lee Zeldin, a state senator and Iraq War veteran who had defeated businessman George Demos in the GOP primary earlier that day by a margin of 64.6% to 35.4%.[34] The general election occurred on November 4, 2014, amid a national Republican midterm surge that saw the party gain 13 seats in the U.S. House. Bishop lost to Zeldin, garnering 78,722 votes (45.5%) compared to Zeldin's 92,437 votes (53.2%), a margin of 7.7 percentage points in the district rated R+2 on the Cook Partisan Voting Index. Voter turnout in New York's 1st Congressional District exceeded 170,000 ballots, reflecting heightened engagement in this competitive Long Island-based seat encompassing Suffolk County.[35] Zeldin's campaign highlighted his military service in the U.S. Army and 82nd Airborne Division, positioning him as a contrast to Bishop's long tenure amid voter fatigue with Democratic policies under President Obama. Key debates, including one hosted in Riverhead on October 8, 2014, featured clashes over economic issues, with Zeldin advocating tax cuts and deregulation while accusing Bishop of supporting excessive federal spending; Bishop defended his record on job creation and environmental protections for Long Island's fisheries.[36] Late polling by Siena College/Newsday showed Zeldin leading 50% to 45% in early November, signaling the incumbent's vulnerability in a district that had trended Republican.[37] The defeat ended Bishop's 12-year congressional career, as Republicans capitalized on national discontent with Democratic control, flipping the seat and contributing to their House majority expansion.[38]Congressional Service (2003–2015)
Committee Assignments and Caucus Involvement
Bishop served on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce throughout much of his congressional tenure, leveraging his prior administrative experience in higher education to address issues such as workforce development and labor policies affecting Long Island's economy.[8][39] He also held a position on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he advanced bipartisan initiatives on regional infrastructure, including transportation funding and coastal resiliency projects critical to New York's 1st district.[7][39] Within the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Bishop rose to become the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment during the 113th Congress (2013–2015), influencing legislation on water infrastructure, flood control, and environmental restoration efforts, such as the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014.[40][41] In this role, he collaborated across party lines to prioritize job-creating projects and protections for waterways, reflecting the subcommittee's jurisdiction over U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activities.[42] Bishop participated in several informal congressional caucuses aligned with his district's priorities, including the Congressional Long Island Sound Caucus, where he advocated for reauthorization and funding of restoration programs to combat pollution and habitat loss in the shared waterway between New York and Connecticut.[43][44] He also engaged in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, supporting policies to promote sustainable energy practices amid coastal vulnerabilities to climate impacts.[43] These involvements enabled him to bridge committee work with targeted advocacy for environmental and economic concerns in his constituency.Key Legislative Positions and Voting Record
Tim Bishop, a Democrat representing New York's 1st congressional district from 2003 to 2015, maintained a voting record that generally aligned with moderate Democratic priorities, emphasizing environmental protection, healthcare access, and selective support for military funding while showing fiscal restraint in some economic matters. His lifetime score from GovTrack indicated a relatively centrist ideology among House Democrats, with an average alignment to party leadership but occasional bipartisan votes on appropriations and energy policy. Bishop missed only 2.2% of roll call votes during his tenure, reflecting consistent participation.[9] On environmental and energy issues, Bishop consistently supported measures to reduce emissions and promote renewables, consistent with his district's coastal vulnerabilities to climate impacts. He voted against opening the Outer Continental Shelf to additional oil drilling in 2007, opposing expanded fossil fuel extraction.[45] In 2010, he opposed barring the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, affirming federal authority over emissions.[45] Bishop voted yes on H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which established a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions, passing the House 219-212 on June 26, 2009; critics in his district highlighted this as increasing energy costs for local businesses and consumers.[46] He also backed tax credits for renewable electricity production in 2008 and enforcement of limits on CO2 pollution.[45] In healthcare, Bishop supported the Affordable Care Act (ACA), voting yes on the House passage of H.R. 3590 on March 21, 2010, by a 219-212 margin, which enacted comprehensive reforms including insurance expansions and subsidies.[47] He opposed amendments banning federal funding for health coverage including abortion services, voting no on H. Amdt. 95 in 2011. Later, amid implementation issues, Bishop joined 39 Democrats in 2013 to support a Republican bill allowing reinstatement of certain canceled insurance policies under the ACA, signaling concerns over disruptions to individual plans.[48] Regarding foreign policy and defense, Bishop took office after the 2002 Iraq War authorization but voted yes on emergency supplemental funding of $78 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in April 2003, supporting ongoing military efforts.[45] He advocated for congressional oversight on interventions, expressing opposition to unilateral executive actions without legislative approval in later public statements.[49] Economically, Bishop's record included support for fiscal stimulus during recessions but resistance to expansive spending. He voted for the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bailout, aiding financial stabilization amid the housing crisis.[45] On trade, he backed the 2005 Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), promoting exports from his agriculture-influenced district.[45] Bishop opposed raising the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 in 2007, citing potential burdens on small businesses.[45]| Key Vote | Date | Position | Bill/Amendment | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap-and-Trade (Emissions Limits) | June 26, 2009 | Yes | H.R. 2454 | Passed House 219-212[46] |
| ACA Passage | March 21, 2010 | Yes | H.R. 3590 | Passed House 219-212[47] |
| Iraq/Afghanistan Funding | April 2003 | Yes | Emergency Supplemental | Passed[45] |
| EPA GHG Regulation Ban | 2010 | No | Amendment to Block | Defeated[45] |
| Abortion Coverage Ban | February 18, 2011 | No | H. Amdt. 95 | Failed |