Randy Altschuler

Altschuler was born and raised in New York City by a single mother, Sheila Brody,[1] and graduated from Hunter College High School in 1989. He attended Princeton University, working his way through school as a short order cook and campus security guard.[2] He graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in German Studies and Literature, earning High Honors. In 1994, Altschuler studied at the University of Vienna as a Fulbright Scholar. In 1998, Altschuler graduated from Harvard Business School earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with Distinction.[3]

Altschuler worked as an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and served as an assistant to the CEO of Deutsche Bank North America, focusing on strategic and management issues. After getting his MBA, Altschuler worked in private equity at The Blackstone Group.[4] As an entrepreneur, Altschuler has co-founded three successful companies, including Office Tiger in 1999, CloudBlue in 2001, and Xometry in 2013, where he is CEO.

New York's 1st congressional district

On August 11, 2009, Altschuler filed to run for U.S. Congress from New York's 1st congressional district against four-term incumbent Democrat Timothy Bishop.[14] Altschuler won the September 14, 2010, Republican primary over George Demos, a former Securities and Exchange Commission prosecutor, and Christopher Nixon Cox, a grandson of Richard Nixon, receiving 45.07% of the vote.[15] Demos received 30.32%, while Cox received 24.61%.[15]

In the general election, Altschuler was endorsed by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani,[16] Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy,[17] Former Massachusetts Governor and 2008 presidential contender Mitt Romney,[18] Former New York Governor George Pataki,[19] House Republican Whip Eric Cantor,[20] former House Speaker Newt Gingrich,[21] The U.S. Chamber of Commerce,[19] the National Federation of Independent Business,[19] Long Island Congressman Peter T. King,[22] The New York Post,[23] Dan Senor,[24] John Faso,[25] The Conservative Party of New York State, the American Conservative Union,[26] John LeBoutillier,[27] and numerous other local elected officials.[28][29][30][31][32] In the days leading up to the primary, Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh commented on the race calling Altschuler "a guy who was a Green Party pro-choice Republican in New Jersey before they shipped him out to Suffolk County to run."[33][34]

Altschuler faced incumbent Tim Bishop in the November 2, 2010 general election. On Election Day Bishop was reported to have a 3,400 vote lead but after the electronic voting machines were reread at the board of elections, Altschulter was reported with a 392-vote lead, with approximately 11,000 absentee ballots left to be counted.[35] After most absentee ballots were tabulated, Bishop had a 263-vote lead, at which point Altschuler conceded defeat to Bishop and ended his campaign on December 8 – 36 days after the election. It was the last Congressional race decided in the United States.[36] Altschuler lost the election by 593 votes.[37]

Altschuler invested $2.2 million of his own money in the campaign.[38]

Ending speculation that he would run for the Suffolk County Executive position to succeed Steve Levy, he announced in May 2011 that he would run for Congress again in 2012.[39] He faced George Demos in the primary.[40] The National Republican Congressional Committee named Altschuler to their "Young Guns" list of the top Republican candidates in the country.[41] Altschuler secured the nomination of the Independence Party, which had delivered Bishop 7,370 votes in 2010.[42]

Altschuler's campaign collected well over 6,000 signatures to nominate him as the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party candidate in 2012, vastly surpassing the 938 required by law.[43] Altschuler's only rival for the nomination left the race in May 2012.[44] In the election, Altschuler was again defeated by Bishop, this time by around 11,000 votes.

Altschuler was awarded membership in the exclusive GOP "Young Guns", a select group of young candidates chosen by Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy.[45][46]

Randy Altschuler is married to Cheryl Sladkin,[1] a professional ballet dancer turned pediatrician. She was a classmate from Princeton, where they met. Cheryl was born in Thailand.[47] They have two sons, Noah and Matthew, and a daughter Sasha. The family lives in Potomac, Maryland.

• CloudBlue official business site
• Randy Altschuler for Congress official campaign site
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• OfficeTiger profile at eBusinessForum, March 22, 2006