Joe Crowley

Joseph Crowley (born March 16, 1962) is a former American politician and consultant who served as U.S. Representative from New York's 14th congressional district from 1999 to 2019.

Crowley attended private Roman Catholic schools in the city, graduating from Power Memorial Academy in Manhattan in 1981.

He graduated from Queens College in 1985 with a degree in political science and communications.

He previously served in the New York State Assembly from 1987 to 1998.

After leaving Congress, he joined the Washington, D.C. lobbying and law firm Squire Patton Boggs.

He left that firm in 2022 and joined the rival law firm Dentons.

Crowley was born in Woodside, Queens, New York City, to Joseph F. Crowley Sr., an Irish American, and Eileen Crowley, who emigrated from County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Crowley Sr. served in the United States Army during the Korean War, later becoming a lawyer and a New York City Police Department detective.

Crowley Jr. is the second of four siblings.

Crowley Jr.'s paternal uncle Walter H. Crowley was a New York City councilman, and is the namesake of Crowley Playground in Elmhurst, Queens.

He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1987 to 1998, sitting in the 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th, 191st and 192nd New York State Legislatures.

Because of his Irish roots, he quickly became involved in Irish-American politics throughout New York.

Democratic Congressman Thomas J. Manton announced his retirement from Congress in 1998, having already filed for and circulated petitions for reelection.

He withdrew on the last day it was legally possible to do so and arranged for Crowley, his chosen successor, to replace him on the ballot.

Crowley was not aware of this until Manton phoned him to tell him his name would be on the general election ballot.

Crowley was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998.

The seat was considered open after incumbent Thomas J. Manton retired.

Crowley's cousin, New York City firefighter John Moran, was killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Crowley authored a bill that provided the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor to all emergency workers who died as a result of the terrorist acts.

He also created the Urban Area Security Initiative, which directs money to prevent terrorism toward regions that are seen as the most threatened.

Crowley, who has spent much time in India, created a Bangladesh caucus and was formerly the chair of the India Caucus.

On October 10, 2002, Crowley was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

Crowley joined Bronx Representative José E. Serrano in 2008 in proposing legislation to help clean up PCB-contaminated schools.

Crowley was inducted into the Power Memorial Academy Hall of Fame in 2011.

In April 2011, Crowley received media attention for an angry "speech" he gave without actually speaking.

Crowley ripped pieces of paper with words to deliver his message.

Prior to redistricting for the 2012 election, Crowley represented the 7th District, which encompassed portions of Queens and the Bronx.

It included neighborhoods such as Woodside, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, and College Point, in Queens as well as the neighborhoods of Castle Hill, Co-op City, Parkchester, Throgs Neck, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Bay, Country Club, and City Island in the eastern Bronx.

After 2013, Crowley represented New York's 14th congressional district, which includes the eastern Bronx and part of north-central Queens.

The Queens portion includes the neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Astoria, College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona and Woodside.

The Bronx portion of the district includes the neighborhoods of Morris Park, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, and Throgs Neck as well as City Island.

During his tenure, Crowley served as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus from 2017 to 2019, as well as the local chairman of the Queens County Democratic Party from 2006 to 2019.

In 2017, Crowley was the commencement speaker at and received an honorary degree from Touro Law Center.

He was defeated by Democratic primary challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in what was viewed as one of the biggest upsets of the 2018 midterm elections.

On June 26, 2018, Crowley was defeated in the Democratic primary by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Crowley served as Democratic Caucus Chairman of the United States House of Representatives, the fourth highest leadership position in the House Democratic Caucus.

In the June 26, 2018, Democratic primary for New York's 14th congressional district, Crowley was defeated by challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who received 57% of the vote, in what was seen as a massive upset.

Crowley remained on the general election ballot under the Working Families Party line.

Ocasio-Cortez called on Crowley to take his name off the ballot, but he responded that he could not unless he moved, died, was convicted of a felony, or filed to run for another office in November as a paper candidate (which he claimed would be a form of electoral fraud).

Ocasio-Cortez defeated Crowley and Republican Anthony Pappas in the November 6 general election, with Crowley receiving 7% of the vote.