Laureen Oliver

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She is the Co-Founder of the New York State Independence Party along with B. Thomas Golisano, the billionaire CEO/Founder of Paychex, and Dr. Gordon Black (Harris Interactive). Prior to the Independence Party Oliver served as the Monroe County Chairwoman of United We Stand America.

Oliver served as Founding State Chairwoman of Independence Party from 1993 to 1998 and State Secretary from 1998 to 2000. She also served as a National Delegate to the Reform Party.

In 1994, she was the party's nominee for Comptroller of New York State. In 1998, she was the running mate of B. Thomas Golisano for Lieutenant Governor. The Golisano/Oliver ticket finished third, behind the Republican ticket of Gov. George Pataki and Judge Mary Donohue and the Democratic ticket of New York City Council Speaker Peter Vallone and Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra Frankel.

In 1996 she served on Governor Lamb's presidential committee and nominated him at the 1996 Reform Party's National Convention in Long Beach, California.

She served as Golisano's Chief Political Advisor in his 1994, 1998 and 2000 campaigns for Governor of New York. In 2005, she was Ballot Access Political Advisor to Senator H. Russ Potts Independent Candidate for Governor (Virginia). In 2006, she was Ballot Access Chief Political Advisor to Kinky Friedman's Independent Candidate for Governor (Texas).

Electoral history

1998 Results for NYS Governor and Lieutenant Governor
*George Pataki and Mary Donohue (R-C) (inc.), 54%
*Peter Vallone and Sandra Frankel (D-WF), 33%
*Tom Golisano and Laureen Oliver (I), 8%
*Betsy McCaughey Ross and Jonathan C. Reiter (L), 1.4%

1994 Race for NYS Comptroller
*Carl McCall (D-L), 45.15%
*Herbert London (R-C-RTL), 40.48%
*Laureen Oliver (I), 1%