Steve Levy (politician)
A fiscally hawkish Long Island politician who switched parties in a dramatic, failed bid for New York's governorship.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American politician·Birthday: August 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Levy carved out a political career defined by a tough, no-nonsense approach to budgets and a willingness to defy party labels. A lawyer by training, he served in the New York State Assembly as a Democrat, building a reputation as a fiscal conservative focused on property taxes and government efficiency. In 2003, he was elected Suffolk County Executive, leading New York's most populous suburban county for two terms. His tenure was marked by battles to hold the line on spending and a combative style that won him admirers and critics in equal measure. In 2010, seeking higher office, he made a startling political leap, switching to the Republican Party in an attempt to secure its nomination for Governor of New York. The move, controversial and calculated, ultimately failed, and he did not seek re-election as county executive. Levy's career remains a case study in the volatile politics of suburban New York and the limits of party-switching as a strategy.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Suffolk County Executive for two terms, from 2004 to 2011.
- Elected to the New York State Assembly, representing the 8th district for over a decade.
- Authored New York State's first law requiring public notification of sex offender residence.
- Switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in a high-profile attempt to run for Governor in 2010.
Did You Know?
He was the first Suffolk County Executive to be elected to a second term since the office was established in 1970.
He faced an investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office near the end of his tenure, though no charges were filed.
After politics, he returned to practicing law and became a political commentator.
He authored a book titled 'Bias in the Booth: An Insider's Exposé of the Media's Hidden Agendas.'
“We need to stop the spending, stop the taxes, and stop the nonsense.”
