Mike Long Obituary | Ex-Magic: The Gathering player Mike Long, better known as Mike, was a prominent presence on the Pro Tour during its infancy.
For decades, he was one of New York state’s most powerful political heavyweights and a national force in the conservative movement.
Ex-chairman Mike Long has died at 82 after a lengthy battle with kidney disease.When Nelson Rockefeller, a Republican, became governor of New York in 1988, Long was elected chairman of the New York’s Conservative Party, a third party created in 1962 by William Buckley, among others, to counteract the GOP’s shift to the left under Rockefeller.
Alfonse D’Amato, R-N.Y., and George Pataki, D-N.Y., were two of the many conservatives who were elected to office under Long’s leadership over the course of three decades.
Long told me last Thursday, the day before he entered a hospice, “I had a terrific run.” “Make sure you write that,” he said.
As far as Long’s impact on his state and nation, “a fantastic run” is an understatement.As a high school dropout, US Marine, and liquor store owner with a deep connection to middle- and working-class voters, Long was a “must-have” for practically any Republican candidate in the state.
It was the Conservative line that made the difference in my first election for governor and without Mike Long, I never would have had that line.
Thank you for your friendship, your leadership and most of all, your courage and strength. He’ll be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Eileen and the entire Long family. Libby and I are so sorry for your loss.”
Eileen Long, his wife of 59 years; nine children; 24 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.
Son Chris Long said his father died at home in Breezy Point, surrounded by family.However, the Conservative Party’s impact is confined to state elections because parties infiltrated by Democratic sympathisers often back the Conservative Party in local elections.
In 1970, Long helped elect Sen. James L. Buckley of New York to the U.S. Senate on the Conservative Party’s platform. In 1980, Long sponsored U.S. Sen. Al D’Amato’s campaign for re-election, the same year he voted for Ronald Reagan to become the next president of the United States.
During Pataki’s time as leader of the Conservative Party, the party’s support helped him defeat Gov. Mario M. Cuomo in 1994. With the support of the Conservative Party, Pataki went on to win reelection two more times.
“One of the nicest human beings I ever met,” Pataki said of Long.When it came to politics, Long was “by far the best,” New York Gov. Eliot Pataki tells the Times Union, citing Long’s “passion to his faith, his family, and his trust in the United States of America.”
As Chris Long put it, “Not only were his nine children blessed to have him as their father, but there were many others who were blessed to have him in their lives.”
“The loss of Mike Long is enormous,” said current state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar, a Long protege.
There is a hole in our lives that can never be replaced since we have lost a good man, a dear friend, mentor, and an exceptional political leader.
Today, there are numerous politicians who learned from Mike, which will serve as a lasting legacy for him for many years to come.
Semper Fi, Marine’s slogan, was Mike’s credo throughout his life,” said the party’s executive director, Shaun Levine.
Mike’s passion to making people’s lives better is a loss at a time when it’s needed the most, and he will be dearly missed.
After attending a rally for Barry Goldwater, a Republican who ran for president in 1964, Long became a conservative activist. He was a Goldwater campaign volunteer.
Despite Goldwater’s defeat in the 1964 presidential election to Lyndon B. Johnson, the conservative movement is credited with helping Reagan win the White House in 1980.
It was in 1972 when Long became the party’s chairman in New York City, having started out as a district leader.
In 1974, he was elected as a state vice chairman, and in 1984, he was elected as the executive vice chairman. In 1988, he was chosen chairman of the state’s conservative party.
In spite of New York City’s cultural shifts to the left, Long never strayed from his long-held opinions. He was anti-abortion, anti-homosexual marriage, and pro-gun rights.
Additionally, he was an active person in his community, serving as secretary of the board of trustees of Daytop Village, a substance-abuse treatment centre; past chairman of the board of directors of Holy Angels Academy in Bay Ridge.
The manner of Mike Long’s death is still a mystery to us. Since Mike Long’s family is still grieving, they are unlikely to provide many resources at this time. You can rest assured that we will add the facts soon they become available to us.
The loss of Mike Long has devastated the Long family, and we should all pray that their grief and anguish will soon come to an end. As soon as the specifics of Mike Long’s death are known, we promise to keep you updated on them.
All of the deceased’s friends and family members are devastated by his untimely passing. Let us pray for Mike Long’s family, that they will have the strength to bear the death of their loved one.
The fact that Long was willing to work with prominent Democrats in 2013 to oppose a referendum that ultimately led to the legalisation of casinos in New York showed that he was more than willing to serve as a partisan leader.
Long’s Liquors Store in Brooklyn, which he and his brother Thomas owned for many years, was also a family business.
In addition to his wife, Eileen, Long is survived by nine children, 25 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Long’s 59th anniversary with Eileen was honoured in May.
Mike’s family includes his wife Patty, kids Kyle, Gregory, and Warren, as well as his mother Lois Long-Berglund, sisters Nancy and Patricia Long, as well as nephew Christopher and other relatives. He was predeceased by his parents and siblings.
His father, Robert “Bob” Long, his stepfather, Edgar Berglund, and his in-laws, Robert “Bob” and Mary Schwalen, have all died before he was born.Thank you all so much for your kindness and generosity during this difficult time.