[199], During September 2008, Ferraro gained attention yet again after the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, the first such major party bid for a woman since her own in 1984. [61] She faced a threshold of proving competence that other high-level female political figures have had to face, especially those who might become commander-in-chief; the question "Are you tough enough?" [15], Ferraro began working as an elementary school teacher in public schools in Astoria, Queens,[1][8] "because that's what women were supposed to do. [28], As part of the D.A. After studying gargantuan briefing books prepared by advisers like future secretary of state Madeleine Albright, she rehearsed rigorously. ", "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November7, 1978", "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November4, 1980", "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November2, 1982", "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November6, 1984", "Federal Elections 98: 1998 U.S. Senate Results". Oh wait. [8] She kept her birth name professionally, as a way to honor her mother for having supported the family after her father's death,[1][2] but used his name in parts of her private life. [2][3][4][5] She had three brothers born before her, but one died in infancy and another at age three. Unable to return to her New York home, Ferraro died at Massachusetts General on March 26, 2011. [100] Reagan's personal appeal and campaign themes of prosperity and "It's morning again in America" were quite strong, while Mondale's liberal campaign alienated Southern whites and northern blue-collar workers who usually voted Democratic. [17] Grumblings that she was the beneficiary of nepotism were countered by her being rated as qualified by a screening committee and by her early job performance in the Investigations Bureau. [161] Ferraro was connected with many other political and non-profit organizations. [171] Ferraro became a frequent speaker on the disease,[172] and an avid supporter and honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Mondale remembered by Geraldine Ferraro's daughter | Fox News You will win big in 84, read the piece of paper inside Queens congresswoman Geraldine Ferraros cookie. When, in mid-August, Ferraro made this known, it was a journalistic tripwire, spawning headline after headline. Their campaign made history, with Ms Ferraro the first female running mate on a major party ticket for the presidency. "[110], In 1980, Ferraro co-founded the National Organization of Italian American Women,[159] which sought to support the educational and professional goals of its members and put forward positive role models in order to fight ethnic stereotyping,[160] and was still a distinguished member of its board at the time of her death. Ger-ry! Looking back at Ferraros candidacy puts in harsh relief the strides women in politics have made as well as the gendered relics that remain part of the political conversation today. There's lots of innuendo but no proof. She joined the Queens County District Attorney's Office in 1974, heading the new Special Victims Bureau that dealt with sex crimes, child abuse, and domestic violence. At the start of 1998, Ferraro left Crossfire and ran for the Democratic nomination again in the 1998 United States Senate election in New York. Another clash with Bush made for memorable headlines: Let me help you with the difference, Mrs. Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon, Bush said, in response to Ferraros criticism of the administrations reaction to the suicide bombings of an American embassy. [184], Ferraro was a member of the board of directors of Goodrich Petroleum beginning in August 2003. [29] She was a cosponsor of the 1981 Economic Equity Act. "[211], A funeral Mass was held for her on March 31 at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in New York, the site where Ferraro and Zaccaro had been married and had renewed their vows on their 50th anniversary the year before. Lila Thulin Mondale: Geraldine Ferraro was a 'gutsy pioneer' - CNN.com "[54] The Mondale campaign hoped that her selection would change a campaign in which he was well behind; in addition to attracting women, they hoped she could attract ethnic Democrats in the Northeast U.S. who had abandoned their party for Reagan in 1980. [29] She broke with her party in favoring an anti-busing amendment to the Constitution. Full Name: Geraldine Anne Ferraro Known For: First woman to run for a national office on a major political party ticket Born: August 26, 1935 in Newburgh, NY Died: March 26, 2011 in Boston, MA Parents: Antonetta and Dominick Ferraro Spouse: John Zaccaro Children: Donna Zaccaro, John Jr. Zaccaro, Laura Zaccaro [189], The campaign between the two also saw racial dust-ups caused by perceptions of remarks made by campaign surrogates. Abrams was considered the early front-runner. Perhaps rupturing the glass ceiling could generate enough enthusiasm to shake up the race in the Democrats favor. Ferraro held a marathon press conference after their release, answering questions from a crowd of more than 250 journalists. When the New Yorker, dressed in suffragist white, strode onto the stage, the crowd went wild. [67] Nonetheless, in the days after the convention Ferraro proved an effective campaigner, with a brash and confident style that forcefully criticized the Reagan administration and sometimes almost overshadowed Mondale. But I know full well the only reason Im on that short list is because Im a woman, she told the Washington Post), feather-duster platinum hair, her figure. [29] In 1984, she championed a pension equity law revision that would improve the benefits of people who left work for long periods and then returned, a typical case for women with families. [35][41] Her personality, variously described as blunt, feisty, spirited, and somewhat saucy, was also viewed as an asset. Roberts continued, Maybe thats the wrong thing to do. [69] The New York Tribune, followed by The Philadelphia Inquirer and a few other mainstream newspapers, went even further in their investigations, reporting that Zaccaro was the landlord of a company owned by pornography tycoon and Gambino crime family member Robert DiBernardo. [174] For much of the last decade of her life, Ferraro was not in remission, but the disease was managed by continually adjusting her treatments. Echoing a statement she wrote about herself in 1988,[31] Ferraro said that "I was talking about historic candidacies and what I started off by saying (was that) if you go back to 1984 and look at my historic candidacy, which I had just talked about all these things, in 1984, if my name was Gerard Ferraro instead of Geraldine Ferraro, I would have never been chosen as a vice-presidential candidate. [115] A full year later, he was acquitted at trial. "[92] Teeley declined to apologize for the remark, saying it had no sexist implications and the Ferraro campaign was being "hypersensitive" in complaining about it. [53], Mondale selected Ferraro to be his vice-presidential candidate on July 12, 1984. [81] Reagan captured 55percent of women voters[98] and about the same share of Catholic voters, the latter being the highest level yet for a Republican presidential candidate. I was kvelling.. [63] Ted Koppel questioned her closely about nuclear strategy[64] and during Meet the Press she was asked, "Do you think that in any way the Soviets might be tempted to try to take advantage of you simply because you are a woman? [24] She labeled herself a "'small c' conservative"[1] and emphasized that she was not a bleeding-heart liberal; her campaign slogan was "Finally, A Tough Democrat". In her first race, Ferraro went head-to-head against a Republican assemblyman named Alfred A. DelliBovi. "[13] Ferraro attended Marymount Manhattan College with a scholarship[4] while sometimes holding two or three jobs at the same time. Barnett, whod go on to ready many other Democratic candidatesincluding both Clintonsfor debates, says Ferraro would joke about throwing Bush off-kilter: For the opening handshake, she threatened to kiss the vice president full on the lips, he remembers. VI. [199] She thought Obama had behaved in a sexist manner and that she might not vote for him. [213] Figures from local, state, and national politics were present, and Mondale and both Clintons were among the speakers. During the veepstakes, I took advantage of the fact that people were talking about me, but I never, for one minute, really believed that it was going to happen, she remarks in the documentary Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way. "[65], The choice of Ferraro was viewed as a gamble, and pundits were uncertain whether it would result in a net gain or loss of votes for the Mondale campaign. [126] Ferraro drew renewed attacks during the primary campaign from the media and her opponents over Zaccaro's finances and business relationships. [29] In 1983, she was named to the powerful House Budget Committee. [84][85][86] After several days of back-and-forth debate in the public media, Ferraro finally conceded that, "the Catholic Church's position on abortion is monolithic" but went on to say that "But I do believe that there are a lot of Catholics who do not share the view of the Catholic Church". P.S. The lasting image of that press conference is Ferraro, eyes intent, a swarm of microphones arrayed before her. [42], As the 1984 U.S. presidential election primary season neared its end and Walter Mondale became the likely Democratic nominee, the idea of picking a woman as his vice-presidential running mate gained considerable momentum. Ferraros candidacy, however, showed the public that a woman could campaign stride-for-stride for national office. Ferraro suffered complications from . [188] Clinton publicly expressed disagreement with Ferraro's remarks, while Ferraro vehemently denied she was a racist. Many of the male delegates had given up their floor passes to a diverse group of women. Exit polling revealed that Ferraros presence on the ticket, like that of almost all vice presidential candidates, made little difference in voters choice. office, Ferraro worked long hours, and gained a reputation for being a tough prosecutor but fair in plea negotiations. After reviewing the roster of experienced women politicians (an inherently short shortlist, notes Howes. March 26, 2011, 9:43 AM. [28][140] In 1999, she joined the board of the Bertarelli Foundation,[165] and in 2003, the board of the National Women's Health Resource Center. A New York City schoolteacher, Geraldine attended Fordham Law in the evening and was one of two women in her class. [4] Ferraro attended the parochial school Mount Saint Mary's in Newburgh when she was young. [8] She became a protg of House Speaker Tip O'Neil,[39] established a rapport with other House Democratic leaders,[29] and rose rapidly in the party hierarchy. [170], Though initially given only three to five years to live, by virtue of several new drug therapies and a bone marrow transplant in 2005,[170] she would beat the disease's Stage1 survival mean of 62months by over a factor of two. He beamed. [143] She attended the June 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna as the alternate U.S. | In 1984, she made history when she accepted the nomination of Vice President Office at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. She was 75. [13][38] Following the election, she served actively on the Hunt Commission that in 1982, rewrote the Democratic delegate selection rules; Ferraro was credited as having been the prime agent behind the creation of superdelegates. [187], A heated nomination battle emerged between Clinton and Barack Obama. Team A also made note of womens mobilization and wondered how they could expand the pool of women running for higher office. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee in the 1984 presidential election, running alongside Walter Mondale; this made her the first female vice-presidential nominee representing a major American political party. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission. [120] Ferraro was a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics from 1988 to 1992,[28] teaching in-demand seminars such as "So You Want to be President? She felt that if she did a credible job, then she would change the perception of what people thought was possible for women.. In Mississippi, she was asked whether she could bake a blueberry muffin; in one "Meet the Press" interview, moderated Marvin Kalb questioned both Could you push the nuclear button? and whether Mondale would have chosen her if not for her gender. Ferraro became the first female vice presidential candidate to. [20] The couple had three children, Donna (born 1962), John Jr. (born 1964), and Laura (born 1966). [174] She was able to make a joint appearance with Palin on Fox News Channel's coverage of the November 2010 midterm elections. Ferraro, a daughter of Italian immigrants, had previously gained recognition as a vocal advocate of women's rights in Congress. "[212] Sarah Palin paid tribute to her on Facebook, expressing gratitude for having been able to work with her the year before and saying, "She broke one huge barrier and then went on to break many more. We were sitting in the living room, and she went into the bedroom to take the call and came out just smiling, remembers Dave Koshgarian, Ferraros congressional legislative director and speechwriter. Geraldine Ferraro: First Female Democratic VP Candidate - ThoughtCo [48], Ferraro took a congressional trip to Nicaragua at the start of 1984, where she spoke to the Contras. [122] During the 1988 presidential election, Ferraro served as vice chair of the party's Victory Fund. Afterward, the press asked whether shed cried when reading the news. She's very arrogant. In one, a medical worker in New York wrote: While on my way to work this morning, I turned on the car radio and heard what has got to be some of the best news Ive heard in a long time. American women will never be second-class citizens again., VIII. When, in 1980, former California governor Ronald Reagan ascended to the presidency, the exit polls showed two unusual data points: One, women voters turned out at a higher rate than men for the first time since they'd gotten the right to vote nationwide in 1920, and two, a small but significant disparity had emerged between who men and women voted for, with eight percent fewer women than men supporting Reagan. [1][8][18] Ferraro was one of only two women in her graduating class of 179. Green. Ferraro did not hold elected office again. [163] In 1992, she was on the founding board of Project Vote Smart. Throughout her career she broke down barriers and inspired a generation of. The High Point of the Democratic National Convention The Associated Press. 5. [129], The final debates were nasty, and Holtzman in particular constantly attacked Ferraro's integrity and finances. The papers were generated in the course of campaigning, on the floor of Congress, and in Ferraro's offices in Washington and her home district of Queens. [59] The speech was listed as number 56 in American Rhetoric's Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century. "[4] Unsatisfied, she decided to attend law school;[4] an admissions officer said to her, "I hope you're serious, Gerry. That is how Donna Zaccaro describes the event 37 years ago when Democratic Presidential nominee Walter Mondale selected her mother, New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, to be the first. Geraldine Ferraro Dies at 75 - NBC New York Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. Geraldine Ferraro, in full Geraldine Anne Ferraro, married name Geraldine Zaccaro, (born August 26, 1935, Newburgh, New York, U.S.died March 26, 2011, Boston, Massachusetts), American Democratic politician who was the first woman to be nominated for vice president by a major political party in the United States; as such, she served as Walter Terms of Use 2023 Smithsonian Magazine [129] Ferraro said in response that those two had never met. Geraldine Ferraro Broke A Barrier For Women, But Roadblocks Remain - NPR [103][104] Ferraro said, "I consider myself completely vindicated. [169] In November 1998, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer where plasma cells secrete abnormal antibodies known as Bence-Jones proteins, which can cause bones to disintegrate and dump toxic amounts of calcium into the bloodstream. [31], Ferraro was active in Democratic presidential politics as well. She served as one of the deputy chairs for the 1980 Carter-Mondale campaign. [207] A Newsweek cover story detected a change in how women voters responded to a female vice presidential candidate from Ferraro's time to Palin's, but Ferraro correctly predicted that the bounce that McCain received from the Palin pick would dissipate. But, as Mondale later reflected to the New York Times, the snowballing scandal cost the already struggling campaign time and momentum. . and then move on, but decades later, she labelled the medias treatment of her and her family as sexist. [17] In this role, she became a strong advocate for abused children. While some polls did indicate that a woman on the Democratic ticket might sway voters, then-CBS News pollster Kathy Frankovic explained in The Ferraro Factor: The Womens Movement, the Polls, and the Press that the sum total of data yielded mostly muddy hypotheses. Many of these stories appeared in the pages of the New York Post and Philadelphia Inquirer, which at one point had no fewer than 25 reporters investigating the familys finances. Geraldine Anne Ferraro was born on Aug. 26, 1935, in the Hudson River city of Newburgh, N.Y., where she was the fourth child and only daughter of Dominick Ferraro, an Italian immigrant who owned a . Gerry was a very real, down-to-earth, relatable person. [124] The D'Amato campaign feared facing Ferraro the most among these, as her Italian ancestry, effective debating and stump speech skills, and her staunch pro-choice views would eat into several of D'Amato's usual bases of support. [182], In December 2006, Ferraro announced her support for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. O.S.B. 5. Blge 83501 Nolu Cad. in Sehitkamil Yandex Maps Mcahitler Mah. You're taking a man's place, you know. Bushs camp wasnt as full of acclaim. She's pretty. Sani Konukolu Blv., No: 92/A, Sehitkamil, Gaziantep, 27090. Advertising Notice At the time, national politics was even more an old boys club than it is today; just 24 of the 535 voting members of Congress and no governors were women. [93] Ferraro's mother had never told her about his arrest;[93] she had been also arrested as an accomplice but released after her husband's death.