Representative Christopher Daniel Sullivan

Christopher Daniel Sullivan (July 14, 1870 – August 3, 1942) was an American politician from New York who served twelve consecutive terms as a United States Representative from 1917 to 1941. A member of the Democratic Party, he played a sustained role in the legislative process over nearly a quarter century in Congress, representing the interests of his New York constituents during a period marked by World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the early years of the New Deal.

Born on July 14, 1870, Sullivan came of age in an era of rapid urbanization and industrial growth that profoundly shaped New York City and its politics. Although detailed records of his early life and formal education are limited, his subsequent public career reflected the experience of a generation of New York Democrats who rose through local political organizations and civic involvement. His background in the city’s political milieu helped prepare him for the demands of national office and informed his understanding of the needs of an increasingly diverse urban constituency.

By the time Sullivan entered Congress, he was already identified with the Democratic Party’s urban wing, which was closely attuned to issues affecting working-class voters, immigrants, and small businesses. His political development occurred against the backdrop of New York’s powerful party structures, and he brought to Washington a perspective shaped by the challenges of housing, employment, public health, and infrastructure in a large and growing metropolis. This experience contributed to his effectiveness as a representative of a densely populated district whose concerns often mirrored those of other major American cities.

Sullivan began his service in the United States House of Representatives on March 4, 1917, at the outset of the 65th Congress. His tenure in Congress, lasting until January 3, 1941, spanned twelve terms and some of the most consequential debates in modern American history. During World War I, he participated in the legislative deliberations that accompanied the nation’s mobilization for war and its subsequent demobilization. In the 1920s, he took part in the democratic process as Congress addressed issues of postwar adjustment, economic expansion, and social change, including Prohibition and immigration policy, which were of particular relevance to his New York constituency.

The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 and the election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 placed Sullivan at the center of the legislative response to unprecedented economic crisis. As a Democratic member of the House during the New Deal era, he contributed to the consideration and passage of measures designed to provide relief, recovery, and reform. Representing an urban district deeply affected by unemployment and economic dislocation, he was part of the congressional coalition that grappled with banking reform, public works, social welfare, and labor issues. Over the course of his twelve terms, he became a veteran legislator whose long service provided continuity for his constituents through rapidly changing times.

Sullivan’s congressional service concluded in 1941, marking the end of a career in national office that had begun on the eve of American entry into World War I and ended just before the United States entered World War II. After leaving Congress, he remained a figure identified with the Democratic Party and with the long tradition of New York representation in the House of Representatives. His public life reflected the trajectory of early twentieth-century American politics, in which urban representatives played an increasingly prominent role in shaping national policy.

Christopher Daniel Sullivan died on August 3, 1942. His career in Congress, extending from 1917 to 1941, left a record of sustained participation in the legislative process during a transformative era in American history. As a Democratic Representative from New York, he served twelve terms in the House of Representatives and consistently took part in the work of representing his constituents and contributing to the development of federal legislation over more than two decades.