Mike Foley (born April 5, 1954) is an American politician serving as the 41st
lieutenant governor of Nebraska
The lieutenant governor of Nebraska is the highest-ranking executive official in the State of Nebraska after the governor. According to the Nebraska State Constitution, in the event a governor dies, becomes permanently incapacitated, resigns, or ...
since 2015. A member of the
Republican Party, he was previously elected to the
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the sm ...
from 2001 to 2007 and served as the
Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts from 2007 until 2015.
Personal life
Foley was born in
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
and graduated from
Bishop Kearney High School There are two Catholic secondary schools named Bishop Kearney High School in the U.S. state of New York:
* Bishop Kearney High School (Irondequoit, New York), near Rochester
* Bishop Kearney High School (New York City)
Bishop Kearney High School ...
in 1972, the
State University of New York at Brockport
State University of New York Brockport (also known as SUNY Brockport or Brockport State, and previously The College at Brockport) is a public university in Brockport, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY).
History
C ...
in 1976, and
Michigan State University with an M.B.A. He held summer positions in the offices of the
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States a ...
and the
United States International Trade Commission
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC or I.T.C.) is an agency of the United States federal government that advises the legislative and executive branches on matters of trade. It is an independent, bipartisan entity that analyze ...
. For 18 years, he was the director of financial analysis for the
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) is the national association representing the state public service commissioners who regulate essential utility services, including energy, telecommunications, and water. NARUC me ...
in Washington, DC. Prior to that position he was a consultant with Kirschner Associates.
He is married to Nebraska native Susan (Seiker) Foley. They have six children and are members of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Nebraska Legislature
Foley was elected in 2000 to represent the 29th Nebraska legislative district, and reelected in 2004 with 70% of the vote. He sat on the Judiciary and the Transportation and Telecommunications committees. He resigned in January, 2007 to become state auditor after winning a statewide election for that position in the 2006 election cycle.
In 2005, senator Foley opposed two bills prohibiting the state government's discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation; regarding the measures, he stated, "
mosexual conduct is wrong. And it's OK to think that it is wrong. And it is OK to say that it is wrong."
Auditor of Public Accounts
On November 7, 2006 Foley defeated incumbent Democrat
Kate Witek
Kate Witek is a former Nebraska State Auditor, Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts, member of the Nebraska Legislature, and candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska. She was first elected Nebraska State Auditor in November 1998 as a Republi ...
to become the
Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts. In 2010 he was re-elected to a second term with 80% of the statewide vote.
Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska
Pete Ricketts
John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American politician serving as the 40th governor of Nebraska since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Ricketts is the son of Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He is also, with o ...
selected Foley to replace
Lavon Heidemann
Lavon Lynn Heidemann (born October 24, 1958) is an American politician and farmer who served as the 39th lieutenant governor of Nebraska from February 13, 2013 to September 9, 2014 under Governor Dave Heineman. He is a member of the Republican P ...
as his
running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pr ...
in the
2014 Nebraska governor's race. The ticket ran successfully again in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Foley, Mike
1954 births
21st-century American politicians
Lieutenant Governors of Nebraska
Living people
Nebraska Auditors of Public Accounts
Republican Party Nebraska state senators
Politicians from Lincoln, Nebraska