Anita Francis Lerman (born July 16, 1944, in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

) is an American

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and member of the

Independence Party of New York Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

. She ran for

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 2006.

Personal

Anita Lerman married in 1989, shortly after receiving her Ph.D., to Thomas Wm. Hamilton. Lerman was educated at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university in Brooklyn and Brookville, New York, United States. The university enrolls over 16,000 students and offers over 500 academic programs at its main campuses, LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post on Long I ...

, and

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a Private university, private research university in Hempstead, New York, United States. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University and became an independent college in 1939. Comprising ten schools, includ ...

, obtaining the degrees of BA from Brooklyn, MA from Long Island University, and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

(1989) from Hofstra. She was employed as a staff

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

with the

New York City Board of Education The Panel for Educational Policy of the Department of Education of the City School District of the City of New York, abbreviated as the Panel for Educational Policy and also known as the New York City Board of Education, is the governing body of ...

. She retired from this position in 2011 following being diagnosed with

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

Political activity

Her political activities began in 1983 following the U.S. Navy announcing plans to build a base for a Surface Action Group on Staten Island, and it was in this activity she met the chair of the Staten Island organization opposing the base, whom she later married. Lerman and her husband joined the Independence Party immediately after it gained ballot status in 1994, becoming a member of the State Committee and Treasurer (later Vice Chair) of the

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

branch of the party. She was the party candidate in several elections. In many of the early elections involving the Independence Party Lerman battled with the Board of Elections to gain ballot status for party candidates on Staten Island, with the Board consistently claiming Lerman's petitions failed to abide by various rules. Lerman generally succeeded in getting her candidates on the ballot by going to court. Finally, in 1999 the Richmond County Independence Party tried to cross-endorse a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, John Sollazo for an office. The Board rejected Lerman's petitions on the grounds she did not live in the district in which Sollazo was running. She took the case to federal court

pro se ''Pro se'' legal representation ( or ) means to argue on one's own behalf in a legal proceeding, as a defendant or plaintiff in civil cases, or a defendant in criminal cases, rather than have representation from counsel or an attorney. The ...

, and Judge

Eugene Nickerson Eugene Hoffman Nickerson (August 2, 1918 – January 1, 2002) was an American lawyer. Nickerson was the only Democrat to be elected county executive in Nassau County until 2001. Later, as a United States district judge of the United States Distr ...

ruled the requirement that the petitioner live in the district was irrational. The Board of Elections appealed all the way to the United States

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. At this point the

Brennan Center for Justice The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is a liberal or progressive nonprofit law and public policy institute. The organization is named after Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. The Brennan Cente ...

, a division of the School of Law of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

, stepped in and became Lerman's legal representative. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld Nickerson's ruling, forcing a change of law not just in

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

, but in eighteen other states as well. Lerman received an Anti-Corruption Award from the statewide Independence Party for this accomplishment. For her 2006 campaign for Congress in the

New York's 13th congressional district New York's 13th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City, represented by Adriano Espaillat. The 13th district comprises Upper Manhattan and parts of the West Bronx. It ...

, Anita Lerman identified the following issues for her platform. Firstly the equipping of individual households with

solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

and

wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

generated electricity. Secondly she argued for the lowering of the cost of

gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...

in the United States.

References

http://www.worldcat.org/title/association-of-femininity-assertiveness-and-socioeconomic-status-with-marital-adjustment 1944 births Living people Politicians from Brooklyn Brooklyn College alumni Long Island University alumni Hofstra University alumni {{NewYork-politician-stub