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Notes:
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District 2 - Council Member - Democrat - Council Member Epstein represents the 2nd District in the City Council, representing Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Midtown South-Flatiron-Union Square, Gramercy, and Murray Hill-Kips Bay. Epstein previously served as the Assembly Member for District 74, covering much of the same district, since 2018.
Council Member Epstein has been a community leader for almost 30 years. Before joining the
Assembly in 2018, he served 14 years on Community Board 3, including as board chair, where
he tackled critical land use issues and fought for community needs. As a public school parent,
he served as president of the District 1 President’s Council and numerous PTAs, advocating for
equity and excellence in education. His activism extends to protecting low-wage workers,
preserving local daycare centers, and championing diversity in public school admissions. As a
former Co-President of CoDA, a strategist for progressive campaigns, as well as his earlier work
with The Legal Aid Society and the Urban Justice Center, he’s been a driving force for change in
our communities for decades.
During his tenure in the State Assembly, Council Member Epstein passed over 50 bills that have
become law and worked tirelessly on numerous efforts to protect tenants and preserve and
expand affordable housing in New York State. He helped pass legislation that provided funding
for public schools, after school programs, early childhood education, higher education, and
transit, created more employment opportunities for people with disabilities, protected consumer
rights, expanded early voting for New Yorkers, helped codify Roe v. Wade in the State of New
York protecting a woman’s right to choose, and advocated on numerous pieces of legislation to
reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
During his five-year tenure as a tenant member of the Rent Guidelines Board, Council Member
Epstein successfully orchestrated the first (and second) rent freeze for one-year leases in the
50-year history of the Rent Guidelines Board. This historic achievement has helped millions of
New Yorkers preserve their affordable rent-stabilized apartments. He is the former chair of
Community Board 3, PTA president of the Neighborhood School, and served as President of the
President’s council in School District 1, in addition to numerous other organizations.
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