Preceded by Alec Brook-Krasny Spouse(s) Leon Harris | Political party Democratic Party Democratic Party | |
Alma mater St. Joseph’s College, B.S.
Capella University, M.A. Residence Coney Island, New York City, New York, United States Education St. Joseph's College, Capella University | ||
Pamela Harris is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 46th Assembly District, which covers the neighborhoods of Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Dyker Heights, and Seagate, in Brooklyn.
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Biography
Harris has been a life-long resident of Coney Island and the assembly district she represents. She is a 1977 graduate of John Dewey High School in Brooklyn. She has an associate’s degree in General Studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Services from St. Joseph's College, and a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Capella University.
Prior to becoming an assemblywoman, she worked for the New York City Department of Correction as an officer on Riker's Island, and after she retired from that job, became a community activist who was well-known locally for her work as head of Coney Island Generation Gap and for both her advocacy and participation in relief efforts to help those who lost their homes or had damage to their property as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
Election to the New York State Assembly
On July 7, 2015, Alec Brook-Krasny, then the assemblyman for the 46th district, resigned to take a private sector job. Because of the timing of his resignation, the Democratic nominee for the special general election to fill the remainder of Brook-Krasny's term was selected by the Kings County Democratic Party Executive Committee, not a party primary election. Based in large part on her community-mindedness and activism, Harris obtained the political backing and endorsement of several key local Brooklyn Democrats, including U.S. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, New York State Assemblyman William Colton, New York State Senator Diane Savino, New York City Councilmen Mark Treyger and David Greenfield, and Brooklyn Democratic District Leader Nancy Tong, and was selected by the committee as the Democratic nominee. She also won the backing of the Working Families Party.
After getting the Democratic nomination, Harris obtained more endorsements from local politicians, as well as from organizations such as labor unions local 1199–SEIU United Healthcare Workers, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York, District Council 37, the New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, the New York City Corrections Officers' Benevolent Association, the New York State AFL-CIO, and the United Federation of Teachers. These organizations are traditionally important in New York City politics for increasing their candidates' voter turnouts, either via getting their members to vote or manning phone banks to call other voters and reminding them to vote.
In the special general election held on November 3, 2015, Harris won by a margin of 62.9% to 37.1% over Lucretia Regina-Potter, who ran on both the Republican Party and Conservative Party Party lines.
With the victory, Harris became the first black woman to represent a majority white district in New York City. She currently is a member of the Assembly Committees on Aging, Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Children and Families, and Higher Education.
Harris won re-nomination in the Democratic primary in September 2016, defeating Katie A. Cucco, and was re-elected in the general election on November 8, 2016, defeating Lucretia Regina-Potter (Republican and Fusion), Mikhail Usher (Conservative), and Patrick Dwyer (Green).