Chairperson Byron Brown Senate leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins | Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie Headquarters New York City, NY | |
Founded 1829; 188 years ago (1829) Ideology Liberalism
Progressivism
Social liberalism | ||
The New York State Democratic Committee is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.
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Recent history
In the early Twentieth Century when New York State was without a Democratic governor, county leaders had fiefdoms in which they controlled campaign finances and nominations for state legislative offices. County leaders became chairs of the New York State Democratic Party and feuded with mayors of New York City and legislative leaders over the distribution of patronage and nominations for statewide office, which could result in claims for more jobs. President John F. Kennedy got involved in the early 1960s, funneling federal patronage through New York City mayor Robert Wagner to the detriment of state chair Michael H. Prendergast. that the Democrats' disunity was based not on policies or leadership but on patronage (which without a governor was in short supply) Roberts 1968, personal charisma was seen by observers as the only hope to unify the Democrats. Robert F. Kennedy was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York in 1964 and, through both personality and considerable financial support, exerted a unifying influence. But following his assassination and the national events of 1968, the state Democratic Party was more divided than ever. When New York City mayor John Lindsay switched from Republican to Democrat in 1971, he brought a charisma to the Democratic Party that it was sorely lacking.
However, the Republicans provided the Democrats with an even greater opportunity: a national debacle with local consequences. As in the Goldwater defeat of 1964, when Kennedy became senator and the Democrats took control of the New York legislature for the first time in thirty-five years.
In 1974 the Democrats benefited from the Republican problems stemming from the Watergate scandal and finally elected a governor, Hugh Carey. The Democrats have controlled the State Assembly since 1974, while the Republicans remain control the State Senate.
The State Committee is chaired by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. The Executive Committee is chaired by former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
Current elected officials
The following is a list of elected statewide and federal Democratic officeholders beginning in 2013:
Members of Congress
Democrats comprise 23 of New York's 29-member Congressional delegation - including both US Senators and 21 member of the House of Representatives.
U.S. Senate
Democrats have controlled both of New York's seats in the U.S. Senate since 1999:
U.S. House of Representatives
Democrats hold 18 of the 27 U.S. House of Representatives seats New York was apportioned following the 2010 census:
Executive Committee Chair, Christine Quinn
Christine Callaghan Quinn (born July 25, 1966) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly served as the Speaker of the New York City Council. The third person to hold this office, she is the first female and first openly gay speaker.[3][4] As City Council speaker, Quinn was New York City's third most powerful public servant, behind the mayor and public advocate. She ran to succeed Michael Bloomberg as the city's mayor in the 2013 mayoral election, but she came in third in the Democratic primary.