Patrick Dooley

Patrick Dooley was born in Port Jefferson, New York. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1989. His career experience includes working as a director of business relations. Dooley has been affiliated with the IBEW AFL-CIO.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

55 year old, construction executive, upper west side resident for 7 years, married 36 years to Nancy Lynne Villatore Dooley, Assistant principal at AECI Charter School in the South Bronx. We have 4 independent, successful adult daughters all with undergraduate degrees from the following schools; Boston University, New York University and two from American University.

I was born and raised on Long Island to an Irish Catholic family and was taught that above all else, hard work solves all problems. We were taught to respect all especially our seniors, we referred to all of our neighbors as Mr. and Mrs. I was an average student that did not meet with the potential that I had. I was often bored with school and preferred to work with my hands.

Upon graduation from high school in 1984 I followed in the foot steps of my oldest brother as well as each of my uncles and joined the military. I served my four years in the US Navy mostly on the frigate McInerney. Upon discharge we returned to New York and I accepted a position in Local #25 IBEW's apprenticeship program, where I attended their apprenticeship training 2 nights a week for 5 years while working full time .

In 1993, after the birth of my third daughter I was diagnosed with a rare form of malignant, terminal cancer. I had a portion of my left hand amputated. I was and continue to be treated at MSKCC today.

I have since moved into leadership positions in my industry and excelled at every level.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

QUALITY education for all with an emphasis on all the technology that is available to us today and supporting our educators as the professionals they are and teaching our scholars respect for not just their teachers and staff but for each other as well as their community.Safety and security for all, protecting those that are most vulnerable. Getting back to treating others as we want to be treated. We may not need more laws but the laws that are currently on the books need to be enforced as they are currently written and the judges need to be held accountableMental health for all needs to be covered on all levels. For our veterans that are returning from war and committing suicide at a rate of 22 a day. For our health care providers that have been on the front lines of a pandemic, and our scholars on all levels that have lost what would have been the traditional educational experiences they looked forward to. And of course to the homeless population that are living on he streets. Can our shelters be so bad you will sleep in sub zero temperatures? We should be embarrassed as a nation.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

This is the greatest country in the world, we need to start to behave that way. We should set the tone for the by starting internally. We have the brightest minds and the financial ability to re-shape the educational system. Lets stop looking at our schools as glorified day care and fill the needs of each child based on their individual potential.

We need to take our heads out of the sand and recognize the global climate issues we are facing. We should be investing in sustainable energy and looking hard at the impact we all have on the climate. Why are we not looking at nations that are having success and instituting here at home.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Edison, Tip O'Neill, Ronald Regan, Mohamad Ali, Steve McQueen, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Barak Obama, Pope Francis to name just a few....

But the one person that I most look up to was James Mulvey, my maternal grandfather. He was a renaissance man with a 4th grade education. In the summers of my youth my parents would ship us off to spend time with Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles. The time I spent with my Grandfather I cherished, everything we did together was wrapped in a lesson. Patching a drive way, fixing a chair, planting tomatoes, replacing a car radiator, making a kite from a brown paper bag and using bakery string, even cutting grass, came with a history lesson. But there was also lessons in decency; respecting your elders holding open a doors, helping a neighbor, never lie, tipping your cap. He taught me how to play chess and how to box, and what they had in common and the greatest gift he gave me was the love of reading. He was a beautiful human and when he passed and I was asked to give his eulogy I shared a lot of this with the church full of our family and as I looked out over the church I could see each and everyone of my cousins nodding and smiling, they all had the same memories, he shared all of himself with all of us and we all have the spirit of James Mulvey with us.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Trinity by Leon Uris

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Empathy, compassion, honesty and respect for all

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a fighter, have been my whole life. I have proudly taken the oath the to "support and defend the constitution of the United States" before and will do so again. I owe no one except for the people I will represent and I will represent with honor and dignity. I will fight against injustice, inequality and for those that have no voice. I believe in law and order.

While I am an advocate that government be less involved in our daily lives I worry about and expect to hold everyone accountable, whether that is big pharma, insurance companies, the health care industry, the tech giants. I will fight for tort reform, enforcement and stronger gun laws, consideration of a flat tax.

I expect to be ignored and brushed aside. I have spent my life, like the most of us, living my life, taking care of my family, paying my mortgage and taxes, respecting the law nd just working hard in general. But because of that I am the last person those that hold power today want at the table. Someone that will insist on transparency, can not be bought, owes no one and has nothing to lose.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To TRULY be the voice of your constituency, without fail.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

While my father worked at Grumman Aerospace in Bethpage New York and we followed the space program closely in the early 70's, including watch parties at home and I was probably 5 or 6 and I have vivid memories of the casualty reports from the Vietnam war every night on the news, which we watched religiously every night and discussed and debated at dinner these were not the most historical for me.

The most poignant historical event that happened in my lifetime? I was 8 or 9 and I remember running through the house and my mom was watching TV intently. She hushed me, which was not something she would normally do to any of us, and asked me to sit and watch this with her. It was the was the start of the Nixon impeachment proceedings and Barbara Jordan was speaking, she was referencing the constitution and the system we have that protects democracy from failing. I had no idea who she was but I was riveted and it created a spark I still have today. We watched whatever was broadcasted relating to these hearings and afterwards would discuss and debate all we heard. For in my family politics was our version of baseball.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

At 13 I had a daily newspaper route for Newsday, Long Islands local paper which I did until I started playing sports in my Freshman year of High School, I passed this route down to my youngest brother. From 15 to 17 I worked nights, weekends and during the summer as a dishwasher at the Barnwood Family restaurant in Coram, New York, where each of my brothers either worked there before, during and after me. At 17 I got a job working the parts counter AID Auto Stores, a local chain that in the 80's probably had 30 plus retail outlets. Being interested in all things mechanical it was a great job and afforded me the opportunity to deal directly with customers.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Trinity by Leon Uris. It's about the tragedy and triumphs of the human spirt and that we are all capable of overcoming our own bias.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

James Bond

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

She talks to Angels, Black Crowes

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Does or Did? and what are measuring it against. If we measure it against other houses of government then yes it is the standard bearer, it maintains order and is vital to the system of checks and balances.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, as a matter of fact I believe that far to many representatives on their path to the House, via local, city and state electoral process have "sold their soul" getting to this distinguished position of power.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Education. It all starts and ends here. You want to talk equal rights for all, education. you want to discuss the economy, education. You want to debate immigration, climate change, reproductive rights education, education, education.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Education and Labor ( My wife is an Assistant Principal at a Charter School in the South Bronx and I am a proud member in good standing of Local 25 IBEW for over 30 years)

Energy and Commerce: Vital to our economy as well as the the current global climate crisis. I would seek out the greatest minds, deepest thinkers and look under every rock to help solve this problem.

Veterans Affairs: I along with my oldest brother and with both of my Moms brothers, proudly served and I have two nephews currently on active duty

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I think it should be debated. As I mentioned earlier I believe that a two year term puts our representatives in a perpetual state of campaigning with not enough time invested in the hard work that needs to be done.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I strongly support term limits and I think it needs to be debated, especially as it relates to Congress. Our representative's are in a perpetual state of running for office instead of passing laws.

I think two four year terms for the house, held between presidential election cycle, and two six year terms for the senate should be considered. Again something that should be debated, discussed and put to the the voters.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Tip O'Neill

Tell us your favorite joke.

The past, the present and the future walk into a bar........ it was tense.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Of course, by definition; an agreement or a settlement that is reached by each side making concessions. "an ability to listen to two sides in a dispute and devise a Compromise acceptable to both"

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