Wendy Long


Wendy Elizabeth Long is an American attorney from New York. A Republican, Long ran for the United States Senate in 2012 and in 2016, losing to incumbent Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, respectively.

Early life and education

Wendy Elizabeth Stone was born on June 21, 1960, in Worcester, Massachusetts, but grew up in a small town in New Hampshire. She was "raised as a Congregationalist in a New England Yankee family."
Long graduated from Dartmouth College and later attended Northwestern University School of Law where she served as an editor of the Northwestern University Law Review. During her third year of law school, Long studied at Harvard Law School and was graduated with distinctions cum laude and Order of the Coif, in 1995. Long has also studied as a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute.

Law career

Long served as a law clerk for Judge Ralph K. Winter on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City, and then clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States. Long later served as a litigation partner for the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, LLP in New York City.
In 2005, Long helped to found the Judicial Confirmation Network, where she served as chief counsel. Long has advocated for judicial restraint through media and public speaking, participated in discussion and debate on U.S. Circuit Court and U.S. Supreme Court nominations, and led public support or opposition to various judicial nominees. She supported the confirmations of Harriet Miers, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States. Long also played a prominent role in opposing the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In 2007, Long became a legal advisor to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.
Long has also served as press secretary for two Republican U.S. Senators, William L. Armstrong from Colorado and Gordon J. Humphrey from New Hampshire.

Political campaigns

2012 U.S. Senate campaign

In 2012, Long challenged Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the November 6, 2012 general election for United States Senate. On March 16, 2012, Long received 47% of the New York State Republican convention vote, with Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos receiving 27% and Congressman Bob Turner receiving 25%; all three candidates attained access to the ballot for the Republican primary. Long prevailed by a sizable margin in the June 26 Republican primary, receiving
50.9% of the vote; Turner received 35.6% of the vote and Maragos 13.5%. Long was designated as the nominee for the Conservative Party of New York State, having received 91% percent of the delegate vote at the Conservative Party's state convention; thus, Long appeared on both the Republican and Conservative lines in the November 6 general election.
Long lost the general election for United States Senate to Kirsten Gillibrand by 46 percentage points.
Long's supporter and college friend from Dartmouth, Dinesh D'Souza, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2014 for violating the federal campaign election law by making illegal contributions to Long's 2012 Senate campaign in the names of others.

2016 U.S. Senate campaign

In March 2016, Long announced a challenge to Chuck Schumer for his seat in the US Senate. She launched her campaign on March 3 and lost the election on November 8 by 43 percentage points.
Long endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election, although she received no endorsement in return. She cited mosques in Syracuse, New York as the reason for increased crime.

Personal life

Long married Arthur S. Long, an attorney with the firm of Gibson Dunn, in 1998. Long resides in New York City with her husband and their two children.
Long was raised as a Congregationalist, but converted to Catholicism at age 35. She is a member of the Church of Our Saviour in Manhattan and serves as a catechism teacher.
Long served as a member of the New York City Parks Mounted Auxiliary Unit.

Works

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