About David
As an aide to Senator Chuck Schumer,
David Yassky stood up to the N.R.A. and
helped pass the Brady Bill.
As a City Councilmember, David took on corporate polluters, the gun manufacturers and other special interests, while passing landmark legislation that forces developers to build affordable housing.
In the State Senate, David Yassky will be a fighter who gets results for Brooklyn and Staten Island.
David’s Vision
David has a compelling vision for the 23rd Senate District and the State government:
Outstanding Constituent Service
In the City Council, David was known for providing top-notch service to his constituents.
More Affordable Housing
In the City Council, David wrote zoning rules requiring developers to include affordable units in new buildings. In the State Senate, he’ll push to convert underused hotels and office buildings to affordable housing – and he’ll get rid of bureaucratic delays so the new apartments can be available ASAP.
Clean Up Coney Island Creek
David sued Exxon Mobil, forcing them to clean up 37 million gallons of oil they left in the North Brooklyn water table, and founded the Newtown Creek Alliance to revive that nearly dead waterway. He’ll bring the same energy and determination to remedying contamination in Coney Island Creek.
Protect Neighborhood Schools
David helped turn P.S. 8 in Brooklyn Heights from a half-empty, underperforming school into an in-demand pillar of the neighborhood. He’ll fight to protect and expand programs that parents value highly, such as gifted & talented classes.
First-Rate Transportation
Deck over the BQE from Atlantic to Hamilton and replace the triple cantilever with a ground-level roadway, all covered with green space; replace dilapidated SI Railway cars with state-of-the-art rolling stock and restore service between St. George and Arlington.
Get Crime and Gun Violence Back Under Control
As Chief Counsel for the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Crime, David was trained by Chuck Schumer, one of the great legislators of all time. From this experience, David brings unparalleled expertise on one of the issues most important to the future of Brooklyn and Staten Island: crime and gun safety.
Bring Good-Paying Jobs to South Brooklyn and Staten Island
David authored incentives for film & TV production that tripled the number of NYC jobs in that vital industry. In the Senate, he’ll push to make South Brooklyn and Staten Island the center of the fast-growing offshore wind industry and promote similar opportunities for targeted, genuinely worthwhile economic development initiatives.
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David in the News
Like all New Yorkers, I was shocked and horrified by the recent subway shooting. Gun violence in New York City has skyrocketed over the past two years. Reported crime citywide has increased by 41% since the beginning of the year over the same period last year. Shootings increased by 31.6% in January alone. Attacks on city subways have gone up as well, with felony assaults in the subway rising by 25% since 2019. These crimes have a particularly destructive impact on the social fabric, leaving many residents and commuters shaken and afraid to use public transit.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A former New York City Councilman from Brooklyn is hoping to replace outgoing State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn). David Yassky said his experience as a legislator and a former head of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) gave him the right experience to take on the job.
Financial sanctions against Vladimir Putin and his oligarch cronies are among the few tools available to the United States in countering the Russian president’s assault on Ukraine. New York State must apply its considerable regulatory muscle toward making these sanctions ironclad.
Like so many other New Yorkers, my family came to the United States from Eastern Europe, fleeing war and persecution in search of freedom and opportunity.
Democratic state Senate candidate David Yassky this week received the endorsement of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats as he runs for a district that covers parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn. The endorsement from the organization is its first in the campaign to succeed outgoing state Sen. Diane Savino. And it's potentially a key one for Yassky, who is competing against several Staten Island-based candidates for the seat. Yassky is a former city council member who has previously served as the chairman of the New York City Taxi and Livery Commission and later in the governor's office. “I am so grateful to be endorsed by the Independent Neighborhood Democrats. IND members are known for their commitment to civic engagement and independent progressive politics and I am proud to have their support," Yassky said in a statement. "Working with neighborhood-based groups to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods is what drew me to politics in the first place and I look forward to carrying on with that work as a state senator.”