and early 2000s, NYBC had over 1,000 young professionals serving as volunteer tutors and mentors to public school students, and organizing fund-raising benefits primarily for women and children who were victims of domestic violence. In 2002, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg awarded NYBC a community service award for its work on behalf of victims of domestic violence. In 2003, after a 10-year run, NYBC donated its assets to various charitable organizations and ceased operations. Political career 1996 Congressional Race In 1996, at the age of 26, Benjamin was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Congress from New York's 8th district, covering parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Although he lost the race, Benjamin received notable endorsements from Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and the New York Post. The chairman of the campaign was John C. Whitehead, former chairman of Goldman Sachs & Co. and of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Whitehead went on to head the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the organization in charge of rebuilding the World Trade Center after September 11 attacks. 2004 Senate Race In January 2003, Benjamin declared his intentions to run for the United States Senate against incumbent Democrat Chuck Schumer. Initially regarded as a long shot, Benjamin stunned many observers when he quickly raised over $820,000 for the campaign from over 20,000 different individuals. The conservative Benjamin battled with the state GOP, which decided in August 2004 there would be no primary. Despite his impressive fundraising, the Republican State Committee nominated moderate Assemblyman Howard Mills to run against Schumer. Mills went on to lose the election in the largest landslide for a Senate seat in the history of New York. Benjamin publicly accused New York GOP Chairman Sandy Treadwell and Governor George Pataki of trying to muscle him out of the Senate race and undermine the democratic process. Many Republican voters were upset when Benjamin was denied the chance to engage in a primary. He had campaigned throughout New York, visiting all 62 counties on several occasions, and had built strong support among political leaders and community groups. In addition, Benjamin received the majority of his financial support in small donations, with only $2,500 from Political Action Committees (PACs). Mills had raised $200,000 less than Benjamin, and a large portion of his campaign contributions came from PACs. Many New York Republicans were irked again in 2006 when a similar situation unfolded as the