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Nick Galifianakis (politician)

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Nick Galifianakis
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina
In office
January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973
Preceded byRalph James Scott
Succeeded byIke Franklin Andrews
Constituency
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from Durham County
In office
February 8, 1961 – February 8, 1967
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byMulti-member district
Personal details
Born(1928-07-22)July 22, 1928
Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2023(2023-03-27) (aged 94)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Mary Louise Cheatham
​
​
(m. 1963)​
Children2
Relatives
EducationDuke University (BA, LLB)
Profession
  • Attorney
  • college professor
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Marine Corps Reserve
Years of service1956–1976
RankMajor

Nick Galifianakis (/ˌɡælɪfəˈnækɪs/; July 22, 1928 – March 27, 2023) was an American politician, military veteran, and lawyer from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives of Durham County, North Carolina from 1961 to 1967. He then served three terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1973.

Early life

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Galifianakis was born in Durham, North Carolina, the son of Greek immigrants Emmanuel "Mike" Galifianakis and the former Sophia Kastrinakis.[1][2] He attended local public schools and then Duke University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1951 and a law degree in 1953.[3]

After serving in the United States Marine Corps from October 1953 to April 1956, Galifianakis entered the Marine Corps Reserves, retiring as a major. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in Durham. In 1960, he became an assistant professor of business law at Duke.

State legislature

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In 1966, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives.[4] During his service in the state legislature, he was a leader in North Carolina’s modernization of the state’s judicial system.[5]

U.S. Congress

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In 1966, Galifianakis was elected to represent North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States Congress.[6] After the state was forced to conduct a mid-decade redistricting for the 1968 elections, he was placed in North Carolina's 4th congressional district, a much more compact district stretching from Durham through Chatham County, North Carolina to Raleigh, North Carolina. He was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1968[7] and 1970.[8] Galifianakis voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1968,[9][10] but was a supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and opposed the Vietnam War.[5]

Rather than seek a fourth term in the House, Galifianakis instead sought the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate seat held by B. Everett Jordan in the 1972 election, defeating him in the primary. While Galifianakis led his Republican challenger, former television commentator Jesse Helms, by a substantial margin for most of the campaign,[citation needed] Helms closed the gap by tying Galifianakis to his party's presidential nominee George McGovern[5] and with the late-campaign slogan "Jesse Helms: He's One of Us," which some perceived as a reference to Galifianakis's Greek heritage.[11][12] Galifianakis knew that McGovern was unpopular in his state and tried to distance himself from him. His prospects were also damaged when several conservative Democrats defected to Helms.[12] Helms defeated Galifianakis by eight points in the general election.[13]

Galifianakis sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1974. He lost in the primary election, 50–32%, to Robert Burren Morgan, the state's attorney general.[14]

Later career

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After leaving politics, Galifianakis returned to his law practice in Durham and retired in his mid-80s.[15]

Personal life and death

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Galifianakis and his wife, the former Mary Louise Cheatham, married on April 5, 1963 in Durham, North Carolina, and had two children, Jon Mark Galifianakis and Katherine Brackney. He died in his sleep on March 27, 2023 at age 94 in Raleigh, North Carolina, following several years of suffering from Parkinson's disease.[16]

His nephew Nick Galifianakis is a cartoonist.

His other nephew Zach Galifianakis is an actor and comedian.[17]

He was interred at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Durham, North Carolina.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Larionov, Denis; Zhulin, Alexander. "Read the eBook North Carolina manual [serial] (Volume 1967) by North Carolina. Secretary of State online for free (page 40 of 59)". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  2. ^ "Herald-Journal – Google News Archive Search". Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  3. ^ "Mr. Nick Galifianakis Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  4. ^ The Ron Stutts Show (January 3, 2017). "One on One: Galifianakis – Nick or Zach?". Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ a b c "Former North Carolina Congressman, Senate Candidate Nick Galifianakis Dies at 94". AP News. April 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "The Herald-Sun 10 Nov 1966, page 21". November 10, 1966. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "The Herald-Sun 07 Nov 1968, page 1". November 7, 1968. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "The News and Observer 04 Nov 1970, page 1". November 4, 1970. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "House – August 16, 1967" (PDF). Congressional Record. 113 (17). U.S. Government Printing Office: 22778. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  10. ^ "House – April 10, 1968" (PDF). Congressional Record. 114 (8). U.S. Government Printing Office: 9621. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  11. ^ Charlton, Linda (November 8, 1972). "Conservative Republican Victor in North Carolina Senate Race". The New York Times. p. 5.
  12. ^ a b Hunter, Marjorie (October 28, 1972). "Major Races in North Carolina Seem Close". The New York Times. p. 14.
  13. ^ "The Daily Tar Heel 08 November 1972, Page 1". November 8, 1972. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "The Charlotte News 09 May 1974, page 1". May 9, 1974. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Nick Galifianakis '53 and John Semonche '67". Duke University School of Law. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  16. ^ "Former congressman, Senate candidate Galifianakis dies at 94". Associated Press. March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  17. ^ "Zach Galifianakis Stars In 'The Hangover'". NPR. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  18. ^ "Nick Galifianakis Obituary 2023". Hall Wynne Funeral Home. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 5th congressional district
January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1969 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 4th congressional district
January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic Party nominee for
United States Senator from North Carolina (Class 2)
1972 		Succeeded by
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