Oscar Goodman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oscar Goodman
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| 21st Mayor of Las Vegas | |
| In office June 8, 1999 – July 6, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Jan Laverty Jones |
| Succeeded by | Carolyn Goodman |
| First Gentleman of Las Vegas | |
| In role July 6, 2011 – December 4, 2024 |
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| Mayor | Carolyn Goodman |
| Preceded by | Carolyn Goodman (as First Lady) |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence Lehner |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Oscar Baylin Goodman
July 26, 1939 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent (2009–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (1989–2009) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Ross |
| Residences | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Education | Haverford College (BA) University of Pennsylvania (JD) |
| Profession | Attorney, politician |
Oscar Baylin Goodman (born July 26, 1939) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1999 to 2011. His wife, Carolyn Goodman, became mayor after him in 2011.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Oscar Goodman was born and grew up in Philadelphia. He went to The Haverford School and Haverford College. He later earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He and his wife, Carolyn, have four children.
Career Highlights
As a Defense Attorney
Before becoming mayor, Oscar Goodman was a well-known defense lawyer. He worked on many important cases. He even had a small role, called a cameo appearance, playing himself in the 1995 movie Casino.
Goodman was also the president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers from 1980 to 1981. He was also a member of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Mayor of Las Vegas (1999–2011)
Mayoral Elections
Oscar Goodman was first elected mayor of Las Vegas on June 8, 1999. He won with a large number of votes. He was re-elected for a second term in 2003 and a third term in 2007.
Even though he was very popular, Las Vegas has term limit laws. These laws mean a mayor can only serve a maximum of three terms. Because of this, he could not run for mayor again in 2011. His wife, Carolyn Goodman, was then elected to take his place as mayor.
Time as Mayor
As mayor, Oscar Goodman was the first Las Vegas mayor to have his picture on special casino chips. These chips were made by the Four Queens Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas.
Goodman was very keen on bringing a Major League Baseball team to Las Vegas. In 2004, the city tried to get the Montreal Expos to move there, but the team went to Washington, D.C. instead. He also met with officials from the Florida Marlins.
He also worked to bring a National Football League team to Las Vegas. He spoke with the San Diego Chargers multiple times about moving. Even though he was a big fan of the Chargers, they eventually moved to Los Angeles. Later, in 2017, during his wife Carolyn's time as mayor, the Oakland Raiders did agree to move to Las Vegas.
In 2003, a local newspaper's reader poll voted Goodman the "Least Effective Public Official."
Goodman also spoke out against the video game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas in 2006. He was worried that the game's story, which involved terrorism in Las Vegas, might harm the city's image. He also expressed frustration with President Barack Obama's comments about Las Vegas in 2009 and 2010.
After winning his third term in 2007, Goodman thought about changing the city's rules to remove term limits. However, he decided not to pursue these changes.
After Being Mayor
After his time as mayor, Oscar Goodman continued to work as a lawyer. He is now "Of Counsel" for Goodman Law Group, which is a law firm started by his son, Ross C. Goodman.
He also wrote a book about his life called Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas. It was published in 2013.
Thoughts on Running for Other Offices
Oscar Goodman considered running for other political jobs. He thought about running for a U.S. Senate seat in 2006, but decided not to. He also thought about running for governor of Nevada in 2010. He chose not to run for governor because he wanted to stay close to his family and did not want to move to Carson City.
See Also
- List of mayors of Las Vegas, Nevada
