Adele Cohen
Encyclopedia
Adele Cohen is an American lawyer and former politician. She is a graduate of Brooklyn College
(1964).
District 48 in Southern Brooklyn, which had been created just prior to the election. She ran in a tightly-contested Democratic primary against both then-Congressional aide of Chuck Schumer (and future, incumbent Congressman) Anthony Weiner and Brooklyn Democratic County Committee endorsee Michael Garson, representing a labor/progressive coalition known as the Majority Coalition for a New New York.
Controversy ensued in the last weeks of the campaign, however, when Weiner's campaign had anonymously spread leaflets around the District which had alleged ties between Cohen and the so-called "Jackson
-Dinkins
agenda"; the leaflets referred to the Crown Heights riots earlier in the year, after which White residents had seen Jackson (who became notorious for his earlier remarks about New York City as "Hymietown") and then-mayor Dinkins as having been beholden to the predominately-African-American rioters and thus endangering of White residents. Dinkins, during the campaign, described the leaflet as "hateful". When Weiner admitted his campaign's distribution of the leaflets, Weiner stated that he "didn't want the source to be confused with the message"; the New York Times issued an editorial which rebuked Weiner's "hit-and-run tactics".
Cohen eventually ending up losing to Weiner by 195 votes. Weiner won the November election, widely considered a formality with no opposition in the heavily-Democratic district.
The next year, Cohen was selected as the state chairwoman of the National Women's Political Caucus
. She ran again for the City Council's 27th District against Howard L. Lasher
in 1997, but lost in the three-way Democratic primary.
's 46th district in the special election to succeed outgoing assemblyman Jules Polonetsky, with the nomination of the Democratic
, Independence
and Liberal
parties; she won aganist Joseph A. Kovac, a nominee of the Republican
and Conservative parties. She served as an assemblywoman until she returned to private law practice in 2006. Initially a member of the Standing Committee on Insurance, she served from 2005-2006 as chairwoman of the Assembly Commission on Science and Technology during her time in office.
involving sexting with multiple women, Cohen returned briefly to media scrutiny due to the "dirty trick" used against her campaign by Weiner in the 1991 municipal election; asked by Salon.com
of her opinion regarding the scandal, she opined that Weiner should resign from office.
after her children grew up (gaining it in 1987), initially went into business as a lawyer for District Council 37
. She is married to Steven, a former principal of P.S. X012 Lewis and Clark School, and has three children, Gene Robert (b. 1966), Deborah and Ronald (b. 1964). Gene was a director of Graphnet in Teaneck, N.J., and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
; Ronald is an assistant professor of chemistry, geology and geophysics at the University of California at Berkeley and graduated from Wesleyan University
.
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
(1964).
1991 race for New York City Council
After having failed in her first attempt to run for office (namely the 33rd district of New York City) in 1989, Cohen made her second run for office in the 1991 election race for New York City CouncilNew York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
District 48 in Southern Brooklyn, which had been created just prior to the election. She ran in a tightly-contested Democratic primary against both then-Congressional aide of Chuck Schumer (and future, incumbent Congressman) Anthony Weiner and Brooklyn Democratic County Committee endorsee Michael Garson, representing a labor/progressive coalition known as the Majority Coalition for a New New York.
Controversy ensued in the last weeks of the campaign, however, when Weiner's campaign had anonymously spread leaflets around the District which had alleged ties between Cohen and the so-called "Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
-Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
agenda"; the leaflets referred to the Crown Heights riots earlier in the year, after which White residents had seen Jackson (who became notorious for his earlier remarks about New York City as "Hymietown") and then-mayor Dinkins as having been beholden to the predominately-African-American rioters and thus endangering of White residents. Dinkins, during the campaign, described the leaflet as "hateful". When Weiner admitted his campaign's distribution of the leaflets, Weiner stated that he "didn't want the source to be confused with the message"; the New York Times issued an editorial which rebuked Weiner's "hit-and-run tactics".
Cohen eventually ending up losing to Weiner by 195 votes. Weiner won the November election, widely considered a formality with no opposition in the heavily-Democratic district.
The next year, Cohen was selected as the state chairwoman of the National Women's Political Caucus
National Women's Political Caucus
The National Women's Political Caucus is a national bipartisan grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting women who seek elected and appointed offices....
. She ran again for the City Council's 27th District against Howard L. Lasher
Howard L. Lasher
Howard L. Lasher was an American politician of the Democratic party New York State. He was the first Orthodox Jew elected to state office in New York State.-Political fixture:...
in 1997, but lost in the three-way Democratic primary.
State Assembly
In 1998, Cohen ran for, and won, the New York State AssemblyNew York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
's 46th district in the special election to succeed outgoing assemblyman Jules Polonetsky, with the nomination of the Democratic
New York State Democratic Committee
The New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
, Independence
Independence Party of New York
The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
and Liberal
Liberal Party of New York
The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
parties; she won aganist Joseph A. Kovac, a nominee of the Republican
New York Republican State Committee
The New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
and Conservative parties. She served as an assemblywoman until she returned to private law practice in 2006. Initially a member of the Standing Committee on Insurance, she served from 2005-2006 as chairwoman of the Assembly Commission on Science and Technology during her time in office.
Return to media's eye in 2011
Following Weiner's scandalAnthony Weiner sexting scandal
The Anthony Weiner sexting scandal, also dubbed Weinergate, began when Democratic U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner used the social media website Twitter to send a link to a sexually suggestive picture to a 21-year-old Washington State woman...
involving sexting with multiple women, Cohen returned briefly to media scrutiny due to the "dirty trick" used against her campaign by Weiner in the 1991 municipal election; asked by Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
of her opinion regarding the scandal, she opined that Weiner should resign from office.
Personal life
Cohen, who pursued a law degree from the New York Law SchoolNew York Law School
New York Law School is a private law school in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. New York Law School is one of the oldest independent law schools in the United States. The school is located within four blocks of all major courts in Manhattan. In 2011, New York Law School...
after her children grew up (gaining it in 1987), initially went into business as a lawyer for District Council 37
District Council 37
District Council 37 was chartered in 1944 by AFSCME to represent public employees in New York City. It was small and relatively unsuccessful under its first president, Henry Feinstein...
. She is married to Steven, a former principal of P.S. X012 Lewis and Clark School, and has three children, Gene Robert (b. 1966), Deborah and Ronald (b. 1964). Gene was a director of Graphnet in Teaneck, N.J., and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
; Ronald is an assistant professor of chemistry, geology and geophysics at the University of California at Berkeley and graduated from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
.