Andrew P. O'Rourke | |
---|---|
6th Westchester County Executive | |
In office January 1, 1983 – December 31, 1997 |
|
Preceded by | Alfred Benedict Del Bello |
Succeeded by | Andrew J. Spano |
Personal details | |
Born |
Andrew Patrick O'Rourke October 26, 1933 Plainfield, New Jersey |
Died | January 3, 2013 Bronx, New York |
(aged 79)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) |
|
Children | 3 |
Residence | Yorktown, New York |
Alma mater | |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Andrew Patrick O'Rourke (October 26, 1933 – January 3, 2013) was a judge and politician from New York State. A Republican, he served as the County Executive of Westchester County, New York from 1983 to 1998.
He was the Republican candidate for Governor of New York in 1986. During the course of the campaign, he carried a prop—a cardboard cutout of then-incumbent Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo, which he used to humorous effect. Nevertheless, Cuomo was re-elected.
After stepping down as county executive, O'Rourke was appointed as a Judge of the New York Court of Claims. Thereafter he was elected as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court and served concurrently as both a Justice of the Court of Claims and a Justice of the Supreme Court. Subsequently O'Rourke was on the bench in the Putnam County Supreme Court.
Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, O'Rourke grew up in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. His father was a doctor, and died when O'Rourke, the youngest of five children, was just under two years old. He graduated from Fordham University and Fordham University School of Law, and obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) at New York University School of Law in 1965.
O'Rourke was the author of two adventure novels: The Red Banner Mutiny (1985), about an uprising on a Soviet warship, and Hawkwood (1989), the story of a Vietnam war veteran who tries to escape his involvement with the Mafia.