Recently Erik Bottcher, New York City Council member, while originally was in the race for Congress seat, changed gears to State Senate seat.
12th Congressional seat holder Rep. Jerry Nadler announced that he would not be running for reelection. Bottcher, gay and a Democrat, filed to run for the seat since it covers East and West Manhattan. Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, gay and a Democrat, announced he was leaving his seat to run for Manhattan borough president. Bottcher dropped out of the Congress race to pursue the Senate seat.
Bottcher says in a statement, “This decision is rooted in where I believe I can do the most good. The State Senate is where critical decisions are being made on housing affordability, addressing the mental health crisis, safeguarding our environment, and defending New York from the Trump agenda. At a moment when MAGA extremists are attacking our freedoms and undermining democracy, strong state leadership matters more than ever. on the City Council, my team and I have delivered concrete results on affordable housing creation, environmental sustainability, transit infrastructure improvements, mental health, and much more. As I enter my final term due to term limits, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished, and that same commitment to service will guide this next chapter.”
During an interview with The Advocate, Bottcher had recalled what had shaped him getting here. “I spent a month in a mental health hospital called Four Wings in Saratoga, New York. That was a transformative and formative moment for me. I was this kid from the middle of nowhere in a hospital with young people who were dealing with gang involvement, substance use disorder, depression. It opened my eyes.”
Though the race for Hoylman-Sigal’s Senate seat is crowded with Democratic opponents for Bottcher, he has received a number of notable endorsements for the Senate run. The list includes; Rep. Jerry Nadler, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Micah Lasher (Assembly Member and Nadler’s protégé), Tom DiNapoli (state controller), and Mark Levine (controller-elect). Should lead to good things for New York this year.
Photo courtesy of social media
