November 10, 2009
Bill Owens (D-NY): Record for breaking campaign promises

November 7, 2009: Congressman Owens, D-NY
How fast can campaign promises be broken?
According to a home state news outlet, it took Congressman Bill Owens only an hour to break 4 of his campaign promises1. While no reliable record keeping exists, this must be a record or tie for one.
The broken promises of Mr. Owens were as follows:
- Cutting Medicare benefits,
- Taxing healthcare benefits,
- Increasing taxes on the middle class, and
- That the “public option” of the healthcare bill2 had no place in it.
Mr. Owens was elected from a predominantly Republican district against a Consevative Party opponent after the Republican candidate quit a few days before the election. The victory was close, and these broken promises might have been critical in swaying undecided voters.