Michael R. Long


Michael R. Long is a former chairman of the Conservative Party of New York State. Long served in that capacity from December 1988 to January 2019. Previously, Long represented the Borough of Brooklyn at-large on the New York City Council from 1981 to 1983.

Early life

The son of Myra and Michael Long, Long was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York and raised in southern Queens. He attended Richmond Hill High School. He dropped out of the 12th grade in 1959 in order to join the United States Marine Corps, where he served until being honorably discharged in 1961.

Career in politics

Long represented the Borough of Brooklyn at-large on the New York City Council from 1981 to 1983. Long unsuccessfully challenged sitting New York City Councilman Sal Albanese in 1985 in the 31st District ; the seat was previously held by Republican Angelo J. Arculeo.
Long became Chairman of the Conservative Party of New York State in 1988.
Long was mentioned in the book Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning, which documents the 1977 New York City mayoral election; the first edition of the book accused then-mayoral candidate Mario Cuomo of "cold-cocking" Long; Long stated that the incident was embellished, and later editions of the book corrected the record.
In 1999, Long stated that if he compromised on the issue of late-term abortion, he would not be able "'to go to sleep at night or look in the mirror.'" A vocal and active opponent of same-sex marriage in New York State, Long declared in May 2011 that no candidate who supported gay marriage would be allowed to run on the Conservative Party's line during elections.
Long announced his retirement from the chairmanship of the Conservative Party on January 28, 2019.
In February 2019, Long falsely claimed that under New York's newly-passed Reproductive Health Act, "If the baby was born alive, they would just let the baby expire."

Personal life

In 1963, Long married the former Eileen Dougherty. Together they have nine children and 10 grandchildren. Long is a Roman Catholic. Long's house in Breezy Point, Queens, burned down during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
Long is the former owner of Long's Wines and Liquors in Brooklyn. His brother, Thomas Long, has served as chairman of the Queens County chapter of the Conservative Party.