Michael Bragman

Who is Michael Bragman?

Michael J. Bragman is an American politician. He is a former member of the New York State Assembly. He served as majority leader of that body from 1993 to 2000, when he lost his position after leading an attempted coup against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Bragman and his wife, Suzanne, have three children. Bragman and his family have been guests at the White House. The athletic stadium at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, only a few thousand yards from his home in Cicero, New York, bears his name. He was born in Syracuse, New York and attended Syracuse University, graduating in 1963. He got his start in politics in 1965, when he was elected to the Cicero, New York Town Council. He moved on to the Onondaga County Legislature and was then elected to the Assembly in 1980.

In 2000, Bragman ran a disastrous and failed coup attempt against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, after which he and his supporters were stripped of their leadership positions and stipends and many removed via redistricting in 2001 and defeated in primaries by candidates backed by Silver.