Alan John Blinken (born December 24, 1937) is an American businessman, political candidate, and former diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Belgium from 1993 to 1997. Blinken was also the Democratic nominee in the 2002 United States Senate election in Idaho, losing to incumbent Larry Craig.
Alan Blinken | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Belgium | |
| In office July 25, 1993 – December 27, 1997 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Bruce Gelb |
| Succeeded by | Paul L. Cejas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alan John Blinken December 24, 1937 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Melinda Koch |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Meir Blinken (grandfather) Donald M. Blinken (brother) Antony Blinken (nephew) |
| Residence(s) | Ketchum, Idaho, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
Early life and education
Blinken was born on December 24, 1937, in New York City,[1] the son of Ethel (Horowitz) and Maurice Blinken. His father was a Jewish immigrant from Kyiv. His older brother Donald M. Blinken, was also a diplomat. Blinken was raised in Manhattan and Yonkers, New York, and graduated from the Horace Mann School. Blinken earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. Blinken studied business and economics. His thesis advisor was John Kenneth Galbraith.[2]
Career
After graduating from Harvard, Blinken worked in the financial services industry, serving as president of Model Roland & Co. and as managing director of Wertheim Schroder & Co. He was a director of the Belgium-based biopharmaceutical manufacturer UCB. Blinken ran for the New York State Assembly in Manhattan, but lost to Republican John Ravitz.[3]
Blinken served as United States ambassador to Belgium from 1993 to 1997.[4]
A longtime resident of the Upper East Side, Blinken later relocated to Sun Valley, Idaho. In 2002, he was the Democratic nominee for United States Senate in Idaho. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Larry Craig.[5]
Personal life
Blinken was married to Melinda Blinken (née Koch), the daughter of Hollywood producer Howard W. Koch.[6]
His father, Maurice Blinken, was an early backer of Israel and founded the American Palestine Institute which helped persuade the United States to back the creation of Israel. [7][8][9]
Blinken is the grandson of the Ukrainian-born writer Meir Blinken, brother of Donald M. Blinken and uncle of the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken Auditorium at the Residential Academic Facility of The Washington Center is named after him.[10]
Blinken and his wife resided in Ketchum, Idaho. In 2019, they hosted a fundraiser for then-candidate Joe Biden.[11]
Election history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Ravitz | 12,841 | 54.15 | |
| Democratic | Alan Blinken | 10,873 | 45.85 | |
| Majority | 1,968 | 8.3 | ||
| Turnout | 23,714 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Craig (incumbent) | 266,215 | 65.16% | +8.14% | |
| Democratic | Alan Blinken | 132,975 | 32.55% | -7.36% | |
| Libertarian | Donovan Bramwell | 9,354 | 2.29% | ||
| Majority | 133,240 | 32.61% | +15.50% | ||
| Turnout | 408,544 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||