William Lynch Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William "Bill" Lynch Jr.
Deputy Mayor of New York City for Intergovernmental Relations
In office January 1, 1990 – October 15, 1992
Appointed by	David Dinkins
Preceded by	Robert Esnard
Succeeded by	Randy Daniels
Chief of Staff to the Manhattan Borough President
In office January 1, 1986 – December 31, 1989
Preceded by	Walter L. McCaffrey
Succeeded by	Pat Roach
Personal details
Born	(1941-07-21)July 21, 1941 New York City, New York
Died	August 9, 2013(2013-08-09) (aged 72) Manhattan, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Lynch
Profession	Political consultant, politician, lobbyist

William "Bill" Lynch Jr. (July 21, 1941 – August 9, 2013) was an American politician and a political consultant. This means he advised politicians, especially those from the Democratic Party. He was a very important person in New York politics, especially for the African-American community. In 1999, Bill Lynch started his own company, Bill Lynch Associates, LLC (BLA), where he was the chairman until he passed away.

Early Life and Beginnings

Bill Lynch was born on July 21, 1941. He grew up near Mattituck in Suffolk County, Long Island. His father worked as a potato farmer.

In the 1960s, Bill and his wife Mary moved to Harlem. This is where he became a major figure in politics. Lynch also worked in groups that represent workers, called "organized labor." He became the Director of Legislation and Political Action for District Council 1701 of AFSCME.

Helping Campaigns Win

Bill Lynch managed his first political campaign in 1975. He helped Diane Lacey Winley win her election for district leader in Central Harlem and the Upper West Side. The next year, Lynch worked on her campaign for the New York State Assembly. Even though she didn't win that race, Lynch's skills caught the eye of many African-American politicians in New York.

Lynch was good at bringing different groups of people together. He had connections with worker organizations and black elected officials. He was known for helping African-Americans get more involved in politics. Bill Lynch preferred to work behind the scenes, away from the public spotlight.

During the 1980s, Lynch helped with presidential campaigns. He worked for Senator Edward M. Kennedy in 1980, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Walter Mondale in 1984, and Jackson again in 1988. In 1985, Lynch managed the successful campaign for David Paterson to become a New York State Senator. David Paterson later became the governor of New York.

From 1985 to 1989, Lynch was the Chief of Staff for David Dinkins. At that time, Dinkins was the Manhattan Borough President.

The 1989 Mayoral Election

Bill Lynch was the campaign manager for David Dinkins when he ran for mayor in 1989. Dinkins won against the current mayor, Ed Koch, in the Democratic primary election. Then, he won the main election against Rudolph W. Giuliani. This made David Dinkins New York City's first African-American mayor. Many people said that Lynch was a big reason for this victory. He brought together many different groups of people, creating what was called the "Dinkins coalition."

Because of his smart political skills and his relaxed style (he didn't like formal clothes), Bill Lynch was given the nickname "The Rumpled Genius."

Working for Mayor Dinkins

When David Dinkins became mayor, Lynch served as the Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Relations. This meant he helped connect the city government with other governments. Because of his long friendship with Dinkins, Lynch was also Dinkins's main helper and advisor. Even with health problems, Lynch often worked 15-hour days. Mayor Dinkins once said, "I get a little emotional when I talk about Bill Lynch. He works like hell."

During Lynch's time in office, the city faced some challenges. The administration also received some criticism.

Lynch worked hard to reduce tensions between different groups of people during a difficult time in Crown Heights. He spent so much time on this that Mayor Dinkins had to cancel a trip to South Africa. Lynch also helped with some big successes for the administration. These included Dinkins's speech about different groups getting along, bringing the 1992 Democratic National Convention to New York, and organizing a welcome ceremony for Nelson Mandela.

Sources said that Lynch felt his hard work wasn't always leading to enough results. In 1992, he left the administration to work on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign as the New York State deputy director. Lynch never officially returned to the administration. Instead, he became the campaign director for Dinkins's re-election campaign. After this, Lynch never held a public office again. He preferred to influence government from the outside.

In 1993, David Dinkins lost his re-election bid to Rudolph Giuliani.

Political Advisor and Private Work

In the 1990s, Bill Lynch advised many Democratic politicians and candidates. These included Mario Cuomo and Charles B. Rangel. Lynch also advised Nelson Mandela during South Africa's change from apartheid and its 1994 elections. He was named a co-chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 1997.

In 1995, Lynch became a Vice President at MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings.

His Own Consulting Company

In 1999, Bill Lynch started his own political consulting company, Bill Lynch Associates, LLC (BLA). The company is based in New York City. It advises Democratic campaigns and politicians. It also helps companies by providing lobbying and consulting services.

BLA has advised many political campaigns, mostly in the New York area. Some past campaigns include H. Carl McCall's run for governor in 2002. They also helped Fernando Ferrer's mayoral campaigns in 2001 and 2005. BLA also worked on Hillary Clinton's campaigns for senator (in 2000 and 2006) and for president. Some of their company clients included Nielsen Media Research and Columbia University.

In 2004, John Kerry asked Lynch to be a co-chairman for his presidential campaign. This was partly seen as a way to show that Kerry's campaign included many different kinds of people.

Before the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, Lynch planned to advise Hillary Clinton. However, some wondered if he would change his mind when Barack Obama entered the race and asked for his help. In the end, Lynch chose to support Clinton.

In New York City's 2009 elections, BLA advised candidates for three city-wide offices: Bill Thompson for mayor, Eric Gioia for public advocate, and John Liu for comptroller. BLA also advised the campaign of Cyrus Vance Jr. for New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney. They also helped Inez Dickens in her re-election campaign for New York City Council. Vance, Liu, and Dickens all won their races. Thompson won the Democratic mayoral primary but lost to the current mayor, Michael Bloomberg. Gioia did not win the public advocate Democratic primary.

In the 2009 elections, Lynch and his team received a lot of attention for their work on Vance and Liu's campaigns. BLA played a bigger role in managing these campaigns, and both candidates won tough primary elections. BLA's management of John Liu's campaign was especially noticed. This was because they formed a broad group of people from different backgrounds to elect him. Some experts said this was like a new version of the "Dinkins coalition."

BLA also continued to advise Congressman Charles B. Rangel. They also advised Governor David Paterson in his bid for a full term as governor of New York.

Family and Legacy

Bill Lynch was married to Mary Lynch. They had two children, William Lynch III and Stacy. He passed away on August 9, 2013, due to problems related to kidney disease. Many people who wrote about his death mentioned his famous nickname: The Rumpled Genius.

In July 2022, Bill Lynch's daughter, Stacy Lynch, was named Chief of Staff to New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

See also

• Paterson, David Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity. New York, New York, 2020