Mike Signer

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Mike Signer
2018-Mike Signer.JPG
Signer in 2018
City's official photo

Electoral District At-large (City-wide)
Term Start January 1, 2016
Term End December 31, 2019
Preceded by Dede Smith (D)
Succeeded by Michael Payne (D)

Mayor, elected by
Charlottesville City Council
Term Start January 1, 2016
Term End December 31, 2017
Preceded by Satyendra Huja (D)
Succeeded by Nikuyah Walker (I)

Biographical Information

Date of birth Jan. 1, 1973
Age 51
Place of birth Arlington, Virginia
Spouse Emily Blout (m. 2012)
Children 2
Residence Third Ward: Tonsler Precinct (301)
Fourth Ward: Alumni Hall Precinct (402)
Alma mater B.A., Princeton University
Ph.D., University of California
J.D., University of Virginia School of Law (2004)[1]
Profession Attorney
Religion Judaism
Website http://www.mikesigner.com/
Campaign $ VPAP
Contributions $ VPAP

Mike Signer (Atri Michael Signer; born 1973) is an author, advocate, political theorist, and attorney. He served one four-year term on the Charlottesville City Council during the (2016-2017) and (2018-2019) sessions. Signer served as mayor for a two-year term during the (2016-2017) session.[2] [3] He is known for his books Becoming Madison: The Extraordinary Origins of the Least Likely Founding Father and Demagogue: The Extraordinary Origins of the Least Likely Founding Father and as a longstanding Virginia Democratic activist and former candidate for lieutenant governor. He is a lecturer at the University of Virginia.

Brief Bio

Signer is a member of the Democratic Party. He is managing principal of Madison Law & Strategy Group, PLLC headquartered in Arlington, VA; a boutique strategic counseling firm which he founded in 2010. Signer practices corporate and regulatory law and is Vice President and General Counsel of WillowTree, Inc., a technology firm in Charlottesville.

Signer worked for the Center for American Progress, and with John Podesta on Barack Obama's State Department Transition Team. Signer moved to Charlottesville in 2013 with his wife, Emily Blout. A lecturer at the University of Virginia, he teaches in both the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics and the Batten School for Leadership and Public Policy. Signer previously chaired the Emergency Food Network, served as president of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association, and was a member of the steering committee of the West Main Street Redevelopment Project. In 2017, Signer and his wife, Dr. Emily Blout, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia, moved from the Fifeville Neighborhood to the Venable Neighborhood. They have two children who attend a local Montessori School.

2009 Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor

Mike Signer of Arlington, a former deputy counselor to Mark Warner on Homeland Security and National Guard policy and senior strategist for Tom Perriello, lost the June 9, 2009 Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia to former state Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner. [4]

2015 election

Signer was one of three Democratic nominees[5] for three open seats on the City Council. He was elected to the Charlottesville City Council on November 3, 2015. [6]

Candidates Votes %
Wes Bellamy (D) 4,688 29.67
Kathleen M. Galvin (D) incumbent 4,590 29.05
Mike Signer (D) 4,309 27.28
Anson Parker (R) 1,208 7.65
Scott Bandy (I) 691 4.37
Write-In 312 3.0
Source: State Board of Elections[7]


Each voter could vote for up to three candidates.

Candidate Profile Resources
Candidate Mike Signer (D)
Office Charlottesville City Council
Election year 2015 election
Logo-small25.jpg Candidate interviews by Charlottesville Tomorrow
Candidate interview transcript
Candidate interview audio

<mp3player>http://www.cvillepedia.org/mediawiki/images/20150828-Signer-interview.mp3</mp3player>
Source website

Audio of Campaign Announcement

<play audio>http://s3.amazonaws.com/cville/cm%2Fmutlimedia%2F20150211-signer-announcement.MP3 </play audio>


Charlottesville City Council (2016-2017)

On January 4, 2016, at the organizational meeting, Signer was unanimously selected by his peers to serve as mayor for a two-year term, succeeding outgoing mayor Satyendra Huja. Signer took office the same evening.

Mayor

Shortly after being selected as mayor, Signer became the target of activist Jeff Fogel who questioned how and why he had been chosen. Former City Council candidate Paul Long questioned the amount of money raised by Signer for the election. Signer spent $51,305 in the general election compared to $28,632 spent by Wes Bellamy (D) and $23,081 spent by Kathy Galvin (D). [8] Bellamy defended Signer. Fogel tried to respond but was ruled out of order. [9] [10]

  • January 31, 2017 – Mayor Mike Signer holds “Capital of the Resistance” press conference on Downtown Mall.[11]

Committee assignments

Signer was appointed to the following committees in January 2016. [12]

Charlottesville City Council (2018-2019)

2019 election

Signer announced on March 28, 2019 that he would not seek a second term on Council. [13]

Photo gallery

References

  1. Web. For Mayor Signer, public service is 'the cause of my life', Chris Suarez, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, January 9, 2016, retrieved December 27, 2016.
  2. Web. Signer as Charlottesville mayor amid public dissension, Chris Suarez, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, January 4, 2016, retrieved December 27, 2016.
  3. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, January 4, 2016.
  4. https://wn.com/michael_signer/news Michael Signer
  5. Web. Signer launches race for Charlottesville City Council, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, February 11, 2015, retrieved February 12, 2015.
  6. Web. 2015 November General - Unofficial Results, Virginia State Board of Elections, November 3, 2015, retrieved November 3, 2015.
  7. Web. 2015 November General, State Board of Elections, November 4, 2011, retrieved July 28, 2016.
  8. Web. Elections for Mike Signer, Virginia Public Access Project, retrieved December 27, 2016.
  9. Web. Signer elected mayor, Bellamy vice mayor, Lisa Provence, News Article, C-Ville Weekly, January 5, 2016, retrieved December 27, 2016.
  10. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, January 4, 2016.
  11. Web. FINAL REPORT INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE 2017 PROTEST EVENTS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, Hunton & Williams LLP, December 1, 2017, retrieved December 1, 2019.
  12. E-mail. Paige Rice, City of Charlottesville. "RE: list of appointments." Message to Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow. January 7, 2016.
  13. Web. Councilors Bellamy, Signer will not seek re-election, Nolan Stout, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, March 29, 2019, retrieved March 29, 2019.

External Links