Jim Coughlan
James Coughlan | |
|---|---|
| Dutchess County Comptroller | |
| In office January 1, 2010 – January 1, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Diane Jablonski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jim Coughlan September 19, 1967 Dighton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sharon Dixon Coughlan |
| Alma mater | Providence College |
| Website | Government website Personal website |
James Coughlan (born September 19, 1967) is a Republican politician and the former comptroller of Dutchess County, New York.[1][2] After defeating incumbent Diane Jablonski, Coughlan took office on January 1, 2010 as the chief accounting and auditing officer of Dutchess County.[3] He has described himself as "very conservative," and sent a controversial tweet in 2014 that was accused of being racist.[4]
Early life and career
[edit]Coughlan was born and raised in town of North Dighton, Massachusetts.[5] After graduating from Providence College, Coughlan worked in the private sector for 15 years managing projects and keeping track of budget concerns. He is a graduate of Roger Williams University Law School and member of the Massachusetts and New York State bar associations.
Political career
[edit]In November 2009, Coughlan defeated Democratic incumbent Comptroller Diane Jablonski, 26,233 to 25,616.[6][7] As the county's chief financial officer and Chairman of the Audit Committee, he is responsible for managing the $425 Million annual budget for the County.[8][9]
Coughlan conducted 50 investigations in his first term, examining the finances of county departments and other entities receiving county funding. During his first term, Coughlan advocated for reforms to New York State fiscal policies and expressed opposition for the MTA payroll tax and unfunded mandates.[10][11]
In May 2013, Coughlan announced he would seek a second term as Dutchess County Comptroller.[12] He ran unopposed in the general election on November 5, 2013, easily winning re-election with 33,410 total votes.[13] On December 12, 2013, Coughlan announced his candidacy for New York state's 41st Senate District.[14] He dropped out of the race in May, 2014.[15]
In 2017, Coughlan was defeated for reelection by Democratic nominee Robin Lois, who took office in January 2018.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Official Website of Dutchness County Government, New York". Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "Dutchess comptroller blasts MTA tax court ruling". 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-09-05. (subscription required)
- ^ "New comptroller, sitting judge take oaths in Dutchess County". 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Upstate N.Y. Politician under fire for allegedly racist tweet at MSNBC anchor Melissa Harris-Perry". New York Daily News.
- ^ "Jim Coughlan Biography". Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "Dutchess comptroller loses her job to Republican". 2009-11-04. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "NTS Election Night Reporting System - Party Breakdown Race results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "Dutchess fund balance to grow by more than $9M". 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "GOP hopefuls gear up for Putnam state Senate race". 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2013-09-05. (subscription required)
- ^ "State, Local Officials Call for Unfunded Mandate Relief". 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "Dutchess County Comptroller Coughlan to Run Unopposed". 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "News Dutchess County Comptroller James Coughlan running for re-election". 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Dutchess County Comptroller James Coughlan enters race for NY Senate seat". 12 December 2013.
- ^ Spector, Joseph (May 30, 2014). "Comptroller Jim Coughlan drops out of state Senate race". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, NY. Gannett Albany Bureau.
- ^ Howland, Jack (December 1, 2017). "Lois defeats Coughlan in race for Dutchess comptroller". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, New York.