Peyser's political career began in 1962 when he ran for
Mayor of Irvington, New York. A community of 5,000 people, Irvington was governed by a part-time Board of Trustees and Mayor. The Mayor was paid $100 a month for his efforts.
Campaigns for Congress In 1969, Peyser announced a
dark-horse candidacy for Congress as a
Republican. At the time of his announcement, the incumbent Congressman from the area was
Richard L. Ottinger, a popular Democrat. Later in 1969, Ottinger announced his candidacy for the
U.S. Senate, seeking to oust Republican Sen.
Charles Goodell, who had been appointed by Governor
Nelson Rockefeller to fill
Robert F. Kennedy's seat after the latter's assassination in 1968. After Ottinger's announcement, three other Republicans, all with higher public profiles than Peyser, joined the race for the GOP nomination. Peyser won the June primary and went on to win the general election against William Dretzin. Peyser's slogan was "Nixon Picks Him." For the 1972 election, the district was redrawn because of the 1970 census. Now labeled the 23rd, it was 1/3 the northern
Bronx, 1/3 the City of
Yonkers, and 1/3 suburban communities along the
Hudson River. That year, while Nixon carried the district comfortably, Peyser eked out a 1,200 vote margin over former Rep. Richard L. Ottinger who sought to return to Congress after his defeat for the Senate in 1970.
Tenure in Congress During his three terms in the House as a Republican, Peyser made a name for himself as a consumer activist on the Committee on Agriculture, as assignment usually not sought by New York Members. He played an important role on the "
ERISA Task Force" set up by House leaders to develop the landmark legislation that governs employee benefit and retirement plans. Peyser was a staunch Nixon supporter and backed his Vietnam War policies. He was one of the last Members of the New York Congressional delegation to call for the President's impeachment, doing so only days before Nixon announced his resignation.
Senate campaign In 1976, Peyser launched an ill-fated attempt to wrest the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate away from incumbent Senator
James Buckley. Buckley had won a three-way 1970 Senate race on the
Conservative Party line, but aligned himself with the Republican caucus in the Senate. The GOP state committee sued the Peyser campaign to keep it off the September
primary ballot, but the petition signatures gained by the Congressman withstood the test. Buckley won the primary in a landslide and went on to defeat in the general election at the hands of
Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Change of party Jilted by his party, Peyser announced in early 1977 that he was becoming a Democrat. Shortly thereafter, his former congressional colleague, Governor
Hugh Carey, nominated Peyser to be Chairman of the
New York Public Service Commission, perhaps the most powerful regulatory position in New York State at the time. The Republican-controlled State Senate, from which confirmation was required, immediately objected to the nomination as an example of
cronyism, citing Peyser's lack of experience in utility regulation. Peyser mounted an effort to gain confirmation, but after the
New York Times editorialized against his nomination, he withdrew.
Return to Congress In 1978 the popular young Republican Congressman who replaced Peyser,
Bruce Caputo, left his seat to run for
Lieutenant Governor of New York. Peyser entered the Democratic primary and easily defeated a young county legislator and future
Assemblyman named
Richard Brodsky. Peyser easily gained election in 1978 and again in 1980.
Second tenure in Congress During his four years in Congress as a
Democrat, Peyser aligned himself closely with the leadership of Speaker
Tip O'Neill.
Later campaigns The 1980 census brought on another round of redistricting in New York and the loss of five congressional seats, from 43 to 38. The Republican Senate in
Albany exacted its revenge on the "turncoat" congressman, carving his district into three pieces and leaving him only one realistic option aside from retirement: A campaign against his popular friend, Republican Rep.
Benjamin Gilman. The new 20th district was far from the compact urban/suburban district Peyser had represented. It extended almost 200 miles in length and covered territory from suburban Westchester and Rockland counties to rural counties like
Orange and
Sullivan counties in the
Catskills. Only 20% of the voters in the new district had been in Peyser's congressional district. Gilman won comfortably. Peyser made an attempt at a comeback in 1984, running in a Democratic primary in an adjacent district in which he did not live. He finished third. ==Personal life==