State Sen. Michael Gianaris has determined towards working for re-election this yr, ending his run of 1 / 4 of a century representing western Queens in Albany.
Courtesy of NYS Senate
State Sen. Michael Gianaris introduced Monday that he wouldn’t search re-election in 2026 after representing western Queens in Albany for greater than 25 years. He first gained a seat within the state Meeting in 2000 earlier than transferring to the higher chamber after profitable his Senate seat in 2010.
Born and raised by Greek immigrant dad and mom in Astoria, Gianaris mentioned his resolution was primarily based on spending extra time along with his circle of relatives and embracing his new function as a father.
“Children grow in the blink of an eye, and mine are no exception,” the deputy majority chief mentioned. “The fact is working in my district, leading the majority’s efforts on the floor of the Senate, and steering our conference’s campaign arm are intensely time consuming tasks, but so is being a husband and a father and I cherish my time with my family as much as any political success I have experienced and after a quarter century as a legislator, I simply do not want to miss another moment.”
When he was first elected to the Senate his convention had simply misplaced the bulk and the Democratic Senate marketing campaign committee was greater than $3 million in debt. Gianaris helped lead the struggle towards the Unbiased Democratic Convention, generally known as the IDC, breakaway democrats who caucused with the Republican Senators in a power-sharing association. Gianaris recruited candidates to run towards IDC members till the Democrats regained the Senate majority in 2019.
‘“We embarked on an unprecedented and unrelenting rush of legislative achievements unlikely to be repeated, celebrated advancements on issues such as voting rights, tenant protections, immigrant safeguards, reproductive rights, the environment, criminal law reforms, animal rights and support for the working people to name just a few,” Gianaris mentioned.
Critics mentioned the legal justice reforms went too far and handcuffed New York prosecutors.
Gianaris was criticized by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his opposition to Amazon’s plan to construct its HQ2 within the Lengthy Island Metropolis waterfront in 2019. QNS file photograph
He additionally shared blame for Amazon canceling its plans to construct a headquarters on the Lengthy Island Metropolis waterfront on Feb. 14, 2019, which turned recognized domestically because the “Valentine’s Day Massacre.” Gianaris nonetheless maintains that the 25,000 full-time jobs Amazon promised in return for $3 billion in subsidies would by no means have materialized.
“Public service is a tremendous and often thankless sacrifice, even more so in today’s divisive climate. I honor all those who dedicate their lives to making things better for their neighbors,” Gianaris mentioned. “I tried my best to do that during my decades in public life, and I’m proud of the contributions, large and small, I was able to make.”
Former Assemblymember Brian Barnwell instructed QNS he has no plans to run for Gianaris’ seat representing his hometown Woodside and components of Sunnyside, Lengthy Island Metropolis, Astoria, Elmhurst, Maspeth and Ridgewood.
Barnwell’s successor, Meeting Member Steven Raga, is mulling a run for Gianaris’ seat.
Assemblymember Steven Raga mentioned he’s mulling a marketing campaign for Gianaris’ Senate seat. Courtesy of Raga’s workplace
“Senator Gianaris has been a tireless advocate for working families in Queens, helping to strengthen tenant protections, champion affordable housing, and delivering key legislative wins for Western Queens,” Raga mentioned in a press release. “His leadership as Deputy Majority Leader and his commitment to public service has left an enduring mark on our state and on the communities he has represented. As this moment marks a transition in his political career, it also opens the door for new leadership and new voices to step forward. I am exploring a campaign for this seat and speaking with neighbors and local leaders as I consider how I can best serve our communities.”
