St. Thomas alumnus, CEO of Lazard Middle Market and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden is closing in on Election Day after months of campaigning.
A Tommie at heart, McFadden has deep roots at the university. As a member of the class of 1987, McFadden lived in Ireland Hall, played varsity football and even met his wife on a blind date at Tiffany Sports Lounge.
“I love the St. Thomas community,” McFadden said. “I have great memories of Ireland Hall and Lavin burgers. I loved playing football. A great memory was beating St. John’s my senior year 52-7. I was a bouncer at Tiffany’s. I have a lot of good stories from that.”
A native of Omaha, Nebraska, McFadden moved to Minnesota to attend St. Thomas. He graduated with a degree in economics and a minor in theology.
McFadden said even though he frequently discussed politics with his roommate and teammate, the recently deceased author Vince Flynn, he didn’t plan on a political career. First he worked at IBM, then graduated from law school at Georgetown University Law Center and practiced law for a year in New York. After returning to Minnesota in 1993, McFadden tried his hand at business.
“I didn’t know I was going to get into politics,” McFadden said. “I knew I wanted to get back into business, so I joined a small firm back in the Twin Cities by the name of Lazard Middle Market, an investment bank.”
After 20 years, McFadden and his co-workers grew the company into a national corporation. McFadden is currently on a leave of absence from his CEO position to run for the U.S. Senate. He said he became involved in politics after working with economically underprivileged youth at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and seeing the state of the GOP in 2012.
“(My experience at Cristo Rey) opened my eyes to some of the significant problems we have but also to solutions,” McFadden said.
McFadden began his campaign in the summer of 2013 and maintained connections to St. Thomas by following the football program and doing classroom and club visits. Senior Angie Hasek, Minnesota College Republicans chairperson, said he serves as a role model for the group.
“We’re all incredibly proud of Mike,” Hasek said. “There’s nothing better than seeing someone who started their career where we currently are and has gone on to do great things.”
Hasek said the College Republicans assisted the McFadden campaign by working in the phone bank, distributing flyers and participating in other volunteer work.
Junior Peter Moe, MNCR treasurer, said McFadden serves as an example for all St. Thomas students.
“I think the fact that Mike is stepping up and wanting to serve our community in Minnesota and our country is just a testament to some of the values that we teach at St. Thomas,” Moe said. “When you step off the campus, those values don’t leave; they stay with you the rest of your life, and I think Mike’s a testament to that. It’s really cool to see a Tommie at such a high-level stage.”
Whether or not he is elected, McFadden said he hopes to stay connected to the St. Thomas community. Right now, the most important thing he said students can do is vote.
“Whether it’s at St. Thomas or at the (University of Minnesota) … the biggest concern from students is the economy and getting good jobs. The way you take action is by voting,” McFadden said.
Simeon Lancaster can be reached at lanc4637@stthomas.edu.