Tom Golisano

Blase Thomas Golisano (1942-) is the billionaire founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States, and owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. He ran for governor of New York in 1994, 1998, and 2002 as the candidate of the Independence Party of New York. He lost all three elections, although he received 14 percent of the vote in 2002. In 2002 though, he did hand incumbent New York Governor George Pataki, the only electoral defeat in his career by defeating him in the hotly contested Independence Party Primary. In addition, by receiving more than 50,000 votes each time, he brought the party an automatic ballot line for the succeeding four years.

Related Topics:
Billionaire - Paychex - Payroll processor - United States - Buffalo Sabres - Governor of New York - 1994 - 1998 - 2002 - Independence Party of New York - George Pataki

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After New York's Republican Governor George Pataki announced he will not run again in the 2006 elections, GOP officials reported that they were attempting to recruit Golisano to run for the Republican nomination. The presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2006 race is State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

Related Topics:
George Pataki - Eliot Spitzer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Golisano has at times been an important figure in the national Reform Party.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~