Carolyn McCarthy | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2012 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's4th district | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Dan Frisa |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen Rice |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Carolyn Cook (1944-01-05)January 5, 1944 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 26, 2025(2025-06-26) (aged 81) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 2003) Democratic (2003–2025)[a] |
| Other political affiliations | House Democratic Caucus (1997–2015) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Glen Cove Nursing School |
McCarthy supporting legislation to prevent child abuse inresidential care programs. Recorded June 20, 2008 | |
Carolyn McCarthy (néeCook; January 5, 1944 – June 26, 2025) was an American politician who served as aDemocratic member of theUnited States House of Representatives, representingNew York's 4th congressional district from 1997 to 2015. A native of the suburbanLong Island community ofMineola, New York, she worked as a nurse and was a registeredRepublican. However, she was motivated to enter politics after her husband was killed and her son was wounded in the 1993Long Island Rail Road shooting. She became an advocate forgun control legislation, and in 1996, she was elected to the House as a Democrat, defeating a Republican incumbent. She served a total of nine terms.
On January 8, 2014, she announced that she would not run for re-election that November, citing health; she retired in January 2015[2] and was succeeded by fellow DemocratKathleen Rice.
McCarthy was born Carolyn Cook inBrooklyn, New York, on January 5, 1944, and was raised inMineola, New York, onLong Island.[3] Her father was aboilermaker and her mother worked atWoolworth.[4] In her youth, she was an athlete and wanted to become aphysical education teacher but found reading challenging and later was diagnosed withdyslexia. She then studied at the Glen Cove Nursing School.[3] After caring for a boyfriend who was injured in a car accident and being moved by the care given to him by nursing staff, Cook decided to work as aLicensed Practical Nurse.[3][5] In 1967, she married Dennis McCarthy; they had a son, Kevin, and lived in Mineola.[3]
By 1993, both McCarthy's husband and son worked forPrudential Securities in Manhattan, and commuted on theLong Island Rail Road (LIRR).[3] On December 7 of that year, Dennis McCarthy was killed and Kevin was severely injured on an LIRR train at theMerillon Avenue station in the village ofGarden City, when 35-year-old Colin Fergusonopened fire on passengers.[6] Ferguson killed six and wounded 19 others.[7] Carolyn McCarthy responded to the crime by launching a campaign for more stringentgun control that eventually propelled her to Congress in 1996 on the Democratic ticket. She defeated freshman RepublicanDan Frisa by a large margin. In the biographical 1998 television movieThe Long Island Incident, which portrayed these events, she was played by actressLaurie Metcalf.[8]
During her time in Congress, McCarthy was described as "thedoyenne of anti-gun advocates in the House" and "the fiercest gun-control advocate in Congress".[9][10] She made attempts to broaden her policy portfolio, but was never able to entirely shed the label of being a one-issue congresswoman. She acknowledged this, saying in 2009 that although she is also known for her education and district work, she is still the "gun lady".[11]McCarthy was a registeredRepublican before her first run for Congress, although she ran for office as a Democrat and "evolved" over the years into a reliable Democratic vote. She voted with her party 98.1 percent of the time during the111th Congress.[11]
McCarthy's husband Dennis was murdered in the1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting, which first prompted her to run for Congress.[13]
McCarthy was one of the nation's most vocal gun control advocates. In 1997, she sponsored a bill requiringtrigger locks on guns.[14] After the1997 Empire State Building shooting, she introduced legislation to ban the sale of guns to tourists visiting the United States; afterwards, she received "threats serious enough to require police protection during most public appearances".[15] Later that year, McCarthy unsuccessfully opposed aTreasury bill provision that allowed the importation of weapons that had been modified in order to be compliant with the federal assault weapons ban.[16][17] In the aftermath of theColumbine High School massacre, McCarthy proposed a bill that would require firearms to be child-resistant, would make it more difficult for young adults to purchase guns, and would regulate gun shows.[18][19]
After theFederal Assault Weapons Ban expired in September 2004, McCarthy introduced theAssault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2007 to reauthorize it in February 2007.
On April 16, 2007, after theVirginia Tech shootings, McCarthy issued a press release calling for "legislation to prevent further acts ofgun violence".[20] ShooterSeung-Hui Cho had passed a background check despite hismental health issues owing to an inconsistent sharing of records between the federal and state governments.[21] McCarthy introduced (H.R. 2640, the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007) to remedy this problem. The bill, with the support of theNational Rifle Association, was passed by the House and signed by PresidentBush.[21][22] McCarthy said her next priority was closing thegun show loophole.[22]
In January 2012, McCarthy along with SenatorDianne Feinstein from California proposed a bill which would "ban the sale, transfer, manufacturing of importation of 150 specific firearms including semiautomatic rifles or pistols that can be used with a detachable or fixed ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and have specific military-style features, including pistol grips, grenade launchers or rocket launchers." McCarthy spoke on the bill saying, "The American people are on our side this time, and we do outnumber some of the people who are fighting against us this time."[23]
On a 2007 episode ofMSNBC's programTucker, Tucker Carlson interviewed McCarthy about theVirginia Tech massacre and her proposed reauthorization of theFederal Assault Weapons Ban. She said that the legislation would banlarge capacity "clips" and "shoulder things that go up."[24][25][26][27]
McCarthy voted in favor of theIraq War Resolution in 2002.[28] In 2006, she voted in support of a Republican resolution in support of the war.[29]
In her 1996 race, McCarthy said she was against the death penalty but added that she wouldn't support repeal because her district supported it.[30]
McCarthy was one of the strongest advocates of hearing loss detection, prevention, and treatment. A onetime nurse, she repeatedly championed the Hearing Aid Tax Credit Act, which is designed to help those with hearing loss to affordhearing aids.[citation needed]
McCarthy consistently supporteda pro-choice abortion platform. In 1997, McCarthy voted against a ban onlate-term abortions. In 2003, she was rated 100% byNARAL, and in 2006 she was rated 0% by theNRLC; both scores indicate a strongly pro-choice stance.[31]
In 2003, McCarthy introduced legislation prohibiting companies from compelling the retirement of older employees and denying them pension and benefits.[32]
McCarthy, who haddyslexia, testified in support of theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act and co-sponsored an act to fund early detection of dyslexia.[14][33][34]
In September 2007, McCarthy supported an increase of $35 billion for theState Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the national program to provide health care for children from families who earn too much to qualify forMedicaid but cannot afford private health insurance. She said, "No child in the 4th Congressional District, Long Island, or anywhere throughout our nation should ever go without medical care."[35] The increase passed but was later vetoed by PresidentGeorge W. Bush.[36]
McCarthy was a supporter of federally fundedstem cell research but restricted to the use of embryos that would be discarded. In 2007, she supported theStem Cell Research Enhancement Act which did just that[clarification needed]. It passed both the House and Senate but was later vetoed by President Bush.[37][38]
On November 4, 1999, McCarthy voted in favor of theGramm-Leach-Bliley Act.[39]
In a 2011 press release, McCarthy expressed her sentiments on theTea Party, saying "It's time to stop letting the Tea Party hold the House of Representatives hostage."[40]
The Fourth District and its predecessors had been in Republican hands since 1953,[41] even thoughNassau County has leaned Democratic for president since1992.[42] In1996, the district's first-termRepublican incumbentDan Frisa was running for re-election at the time that McCarthy testified at a congressional hearing against an ultimately unsuccessful Republican attempt to repeal theFederal Assault Weapons Ban in a congressional hearing.[43][44]
After Frisa voted for the repeal, McCarthy, a lifelong Republican,[45] announced she would run against him in the primary. However, local Republican officials showed no support for her candidacy.[4] So, with the support of the local and national Democratic parties, and the endorsement ofNewsday, the local daily newspaper, McCarthy ran as a Democrat and defeated Frisa by seventeen points.[46] Afterwards, some Republicans tried unsuccessfully to persuade her to run as a Republican in1998.[47]
She faced a close fight for reelection in 1998 against state assemblymanGregory Becker.[48] In2004, she facedHempstead mayorJames Garner. The race was expected to be competitive, but McCarthy won easily, taking 63% of the vote.
Although McCarthy always served as a Democrat, she did not change her voter registration from Republican until 2003.[1]
Before the election, it was reported that Democrats were concerned that McCarthy was in danger of losing her seat.[49] In the end, however, McCarthy defeated Republican challengerFrancis X. Becker, Jr, by a margin of 54% to 46%.[50]
Earlier in 2010, it was widely reported that McCarthy was considering entering the2010 special senatorial election to challenge SenatorKirsten Gillibrand, owing to the latter's support for gun rights.[51][52] Gillibrand had been appointed to the seat on January 23, 2009, by GovernorDavid Paterson to succeedHillary Clinton, who had left the Senate to become Secretary of State in the newObama administration. McCarthy commented, saying: "I've spent 15 years trying to prevent gun violence in this country, and if he [Paterson] does pick her [Gillibrand] and if no one goes and primaries her, I will primary her." She said she would not let New York be represented by someone with a 100% rating of the NRA. On MSNBC'sHardball with Chris Matthews, McCarthy said that she thought Gillibrand was working for theNRA.[53] On June 4, 2009, however, McCarthy announced that she would not mount a primary challenge to Gillibrand.[54]
In early 2012, there was a question as to whether redistricting might eliminate McCarthy's district.[55] In the end, her district was left essentially intact.[56]
Third-party candidates omitted, so percentages may not add up to 100%.
| New York's 4th U.S. Congressional District[57] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| 2012 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 138,561 | 62% | +8% |
| Fran Becker Jr. (R) | 72,673 | 32% | ||
| 2010[58] | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 89,828 | 54% | -8% |
| Fran Becker Jr. | 77,483 | 46% | ||
| 2008 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 164,028 | 62% | -2.9% |
| Jack Martins (R) | 94,242 | 38% | ||
| 2006 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 101,861 | 64.9% | +1.9% |
| Martin W. Blessinger (R) | 55,050 | 35.1% | ||
| 2004 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 159,969 | 63.0% | +7.1% |
| James Garner (R) | 94,141 | 37.0% | ||
| 2002 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 93,651 | 55.9% | -4.7% |
| Marilyn F. O'Grady (R) | 72,882 | 43.5% | ||
| 2000 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 136,703 | 60.6% | +8.0 |
| Gregory R. Becker (R) | 87,830 | 38.9% | ||
| 1998 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 90,256 | 52.6% | -4.9 |
| Gregory R. Becker (R) | 79,984 | 46.6% | ||
| 1996 | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | 127,060 | 57.5% | |
| Daniel Frisa (R) | 89,542 | 40.5% | -9.7%[59] | |
McCarthy announced on June 3, 2013, that she had a treatable form of lung cancer.[60] Though a heavy smoker for some forty years, she publicly attributed her cancer toasbestos, and in November 2013, she announced she would sue more than 70 companies that she blamed for asbestos exposure. She said that her father and brother, whose clothes she washed, worked with asbestos.[3][61][62][63] The lawsuit was criticized byNew York Times columnistJoe Nocera, who claimed McCarthy was part of a growing trend of cigarette smokers suing companies that once used asbestos, citing her nearly lifelong "pack-a-day" habit as evidence that she was knowingly bringing a bogus case and partaking in a widespread "asbestos scam".[64]
McCarthy, who moved toFort Myers, Florida after leaving Congress, died at home on June 26, 2025, at the age of 81.[3][65]
In January 2025, PresidentJoe Biden named McCarthy as a recipient of thePresidential Citizens Medal, along with nineteen others.[66]
Carolyn McCarthy ... became an impressive woman-of-the-people voice for gun control
I have a learning disability -- dyslexia. But I went to school at a time when children with disabilities were swept under the rug.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 4th congressional district 1997–2015 | Succeeded by |
| People | |
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| Other | |
