Hakeem Jeffries

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Hakeem Jeffries
Hakeem Jeffries official photo.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded by Jerrold Nadler
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 57th district
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by Roger Green
Succeeded by Walter T. Mosley
Personal details
Born (1970-08-04) August 4, 1970 (age 42)[1]
Brooklyn, New York
Political party Democratic
Residence Brooklyn, New York
Alma mater New York University School of Law (J.D.), Georgetown University (M.P.P.), Binghamton University (B.A.)
Profession politician
Website Representative Hakeem Jeffries

Hakeem Sekou Jeffries (born August 4, 1970) is an American politician who has been a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing New York's 8th congressional district, since 2013. Previously, he served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2013, representing the 57th Assembly district.[2][3] He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Contents

Early life, education, and law career [edit]

Jeffries holds a degree from New York University School of Law as well as a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor's in Political Science from Binghamton University where he graduated with honors for outstanding academic achievement.[4] He served as litigation counsel for a media and entertainment company, and worked in the litigation department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and as a clerk for Judge Harold Baer, Jr. He is nephew of CUNY professor Leonard Jeffries, Jr.[5]

New York Assembly [edit]

Elections [edit]

2000

He challenged incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Roger Green in the primary. Green defeated him 59%-41%.[6][7] In the general election, Jeffries ran on the Independence Party line. Green defeated him again 90%-7%.[8]

2002

After redistricting, his residence was put out of the 57th Assembly District. He claimed in the 2010 documentary film Gerrymandering that it was a retaliatory move (a charge denied by Green).[9][10] Nevertheless, Jeffries decided to primary Green again and lost again 62%-38%.[11][12]

2006

Green decided to retire from the Assembly in order to run for New York's 10th congressional district against incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman Ed Towns. Jeffries ran for the 57th district again and won the Democratic primary, defeating Bill Batson and Freddie Hamilton 64%-25%-11%.[13][14][15] In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Henry Weinstein 97%-3%.[16]

2008

He won re-election to a second term with 98% of the vote.[17]

2010

He won re-election to a third term with 98% of the vote.[18]

Tenure [edit]

During his three years in the legislature he has introduced over 70 bills during his service in legislative session[19] including measures designed to assist residents in foreclosure,[citation needed] protect tenants from landlord harassment,[citation needed] reduce property taxes on homeowners[citation needed] and reform of prison-based redistricting.[20] In response to a series of toy recalls, he introduced bill A02589, which would penalize retailers and wholesalers who knowingly sell to the public hazardous or dangerous toys that have been the subject of a recall. Assemblyman Jeffries also co-sponsored bill A03300[citation needed], which increased the New York State tax on cigarettes.

He co-sponsored a reform bill to the 421a tax exemption program that requires developers who receive tax breaks to build affordable housing in the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhoods that he represents.[citation needed] At least fifty percent of the affordable housing must go to people who live in the community. Along with his colleagues in the legislature, Assemblyman Jeffries enacted a state budget that provides an additional one billion dollars in funding for public schools.[citation needed] He recently co-sponsored a bill that would make the public display of a noose with the intent to racially intimidate a felony hate crime.[citation needed] Jeffries also wrote and sponsored the hotly contested house bill A. 11177-A (now law) that eliminated the stop and frisk database used by police forces in New York City.[21][22] He is a cautious supporter of Bruce Ratner's controversial Atlantic Yards project.[14]

In September 2007, he was named one of City Hall's "40 under 40" for being a young influential member of New York City politics.[23]

Committee assignments [edit]

  • House Committee on Banks
  • House Committee on Codes
  • House Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions
  • House Committee on Correction
  • House Committee on Housing
  • House Committee on Judiciary
    • House Subcommittee on Banking in Underserved Communities
    • House Subcommittee on Mitchell-Lama
    • House Subcommittee on Transitional Services
    • House Subcommittee on Trust and Estates[24]

U.S. House of Representatives [edit]

Elections [edit]

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2012#District 8

Jeffries announced he would give up his seat to run in New York's 8th congressional district in 2012. The district had previously been the 10th, represented by 30-year incumbent Democrat Edolphus Towns. Jeffries expected to give Towns a strong challenge in the Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district.[25][26][27] However, Towns announced his retirement on April 16, leaving Jeffries to face city councilman Charles Barron in the Democratic primary.[28]

Representative Hakeem Jeffries

On June 11, 2012, former Mayor Ed Koch, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Councilman David Greenfield, Assemblyman Dov Hikind gathered with several other elected officials to support Jeffries and denounce his opponent in the Democratic primary, Charles Barron. The officials described Barron as anti-Semitic and denounced his allegedly anti-Semitic statements, while also denouncing his support of Zimbabwe ruler Robert Mugabe and former Libya ruler Muammar Gaddafi.[29] Barron responded that such attacks were a distraction from bread and butter issues.[30]

The Green Party candidate Colin Beavan called on Jeffries to "get the money out of politics," noting that as of his March 2012 filing, "he had received about $180,000, or 35 percent of his funds, from Wall Street bankers and their lawyers.” Beaven added that Jeffries gets many campaign donations from charter school backers and hedge fund managers.[31]

Jeffries defeated Barron in the primary election on June 26, 2012, 72 to 28 percent, to become the Democratic nominee in the district. He defeated Beavan and Republican Alan Bellone in the November general election, taking over 90% of the vote.[2][32]

Tenure [edit]

On January 3, 2013, Jeffries was sworn in to the 113th Congress. He is the first member of Congress with the given name Hakeem.

Committee assignments [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ a b http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/hakeem-jeffries-defeats-charles-barron-in-bitter-democratic-primary/
  3. ^ Schapiro, Julie; Colvin, Jill. "New York Elections 2012: Gillibrand, Jeffries, Meng Declare Victory As Obama Wins Reelection". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 8 November 2012. 
  4. ^ "Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries (NY)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  5. ^ Perlman, Matthew J. "The Big Profile: Who Is Hakeem Jeffries?". fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com. Retrieved 24 December 2012. 
  6. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=511845
  7. ^ "Rematch Produces Spirited Primary Race for Assembly Seat in Brooklyn". The New York Times. 22 July 2002. Retrieved 2 March 2011. 
  8. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=118630
  9. ^ "How Hakeem Jeffries Was Gerrymandered Out of His Own District and Other True Tales". 25 February 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011. 
  10. ^ "How Hakeem Jeffries Became the Barack of Brooklyn". The New York Observer. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011. 
  11. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=127018
  12. ^ "Eye On Albany: Campaign 2002". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved 26 March 2011. 
  13. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=311575
  14. ^ a b "DESPERATELY SEEKING SPITZER". Daily News (New York). September 9, 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  15. ^ "Summer 2007". Prime New York. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  16. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=311576
  17. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=479381
  18. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=692623
  19. ^ "Hakeem Jeffries: Sponsored Legislation". New York State Assembly. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  20. ^ "Coalition Campaigns to End Prison-Based Gerrymandering". Our Time Press. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010. 
  21. ^ Hasselle, Della (16 July 2010). "Gov. David Paterson Signs Law Ending Stop-and-Frisk Database". Digital Network Associates dba DNAinfo.com. Retrieved 9 August 2010. 
  22. ^ BAKER, AL; MOYNIHAN, COLIN (16 July 2010). "Paterson Signs Bill Limiting Stop-and-Frisk Data". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 August 2010. 
  23. ^ Rising Stars 40 Under 40: Hakeem Jeffries, City & State, September 17, 2007.
  24. ^ http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Hakeem-Jeffries/comm/
  25. ^ Freedlander, David (March 1, 2011). "How Hakeem Jeffries Became the Barack of Brooklyn". The New York Observer. Retrieved April 21, 2011. 
  26. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (May 19, 2011). "New York politicians go to town on House bid". Politico. Retrieved May 20, 2011. 
  27. ^ Freedlander, David (May 9, 2011). "Hakeem Jeffries Opens Congressional Exploratory Committee". The New York Observer. Retrieved May 21, 2011. 
  28. ^ Dobnik, Verena (2012-04-16). "NYC's Towns retiring after 30 years in Congress". Associated Press. 
  29. ^ [2]
  30. ^ Charles Barron Dismisses ‘Anti-Semitic’ Press Conference As A ‘Distraction’ Politicker, June 11, 2012
  31. ^ Update: Is Charles Barron ‘Surging’? How Would You Know? New York Times, June 18, 2012
  32. ^ "Your full guide to election returns". homereporternews.com. Home Reporter News. Retrieved 8 November 2012. 

External links [edit]

New York Assembly
Preceded by
Roger Green		 New York State Assembly, 57th District
2007–2013		 Succeeded by
Walter T. Mosley III
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Jerrold Nadler		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 8th congressional district
January 3, 2013 – present		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Jared Huffman
D-California		 United States Representatives by seniority
393rd		 Succeeded by
David Joyce
R-Ohio
Senators
Representatives
(ordered by district)
Other states'
delegations
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