Alan Gifford Miller (born November 19, 1970) is the current Speaker of the New York City Council , where he represents Council District 5. Barred from seeking reelection due to term limits, the Democrat is currently positioning himself for a run against incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2005.
Early life and education
Miller attended St. Bernard's School, a day school for young boys. As a young man he was known to have a sweet tooth for delicious pastries. He later graduated from Princeton University with a degree in political science. A lifelong Upper East Sider, he lives on Fifth Avenue with his wife since 1999, Pamela, and their two sons, Marshall and Addison Leigh.
Following his graduation from college in 1992, Miller joined the staff of Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat who represents the New York 14th Congressional District, which overlaps Council District 5. Council District 5 represents of the Upper East Side, Yorkville, Carnegie Hill, Turtle Bay, Sutton Place and Roosevelt Island.
Political career
Miller won his first term as a City Councilmember in January 1996, after running unopposed in a special election to fill the then-vacant seat. He was the first Democrat in recent history elected to represent the wealthy district and, at 26 years of age, the youngest Councilmember ever. He easily won reelection in 1997, 2001 and 2003; term limits laws prohibit him from seeking a fifth term.
Following a unanimous election on January 9, 2002, Miller succeeded Peter Vallone as New York City Council Speaker.
Miller has all but confirmed that he will seek the Democratic mayoral nomination in 2005. Currently, his potential opponents for the nomination include former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer and outgoing Manhattan borough president C. Virginia Fields. The winner of the Democratic primary election on September 13, 2005 would face liberal Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the general election to be held on November 8, 2005.
According to the New York Observer, Miller is "widely regarded as a decent and talented man" who has nonetheless shown "signs of immaturity: his reversal on his reversal on lead-paint legislation after pressure from special interests; his eagerness to spend the city budget surplus to hire teachers, reopen firehouses and cut taxes despite an ongoing climate of fiscal uncertainty." [1]
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