Rick Lazio - Definition and Overview

Enrico Anthony "Rick" Lazio (born March 13, 1958) is a former U.S. Representative from the state of New York. A Republican, he ran unsuccessfully against Hillary Clinton for the U.S. Senate in 2000.

Lazio was born in West Islip in Suffolk County, New York. He is a graduate of Vassar College and from the Law School at American University. Prior to being elected to Congress, he was the executive assistant district attorney for Suffolk County and served in the Suffolk County Legislature.

He represented the New York 2nd Congressional District as a Republican and was first elected in 1992, defeating the incumbent Tom Downey, who had served for eighteen years. Lazio served four terms from 1993 to 2001, becoming Deputy Majority Whip and Assistant Majority Leader. In 2000, he ran for the Senate but was defeated by Hillary Clinton in the race to succeed Daniel Patrick Moynihan. His comparatively late entry into the race (five months before Election Day) followed New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's decision not to run for the Senate.

He is currently the President and CEO of the Financial Services Forum.