Harry Bronson
Encyclopedia
Harry B. Bronson is an attorney and politician from Rochester, New York
who serves as a member of the New York State Assembly
. A former member of the Monroe County
legislature, he was elected to the Assembly in 2010. He is a Democrat
.
Bronson represents the 131st district, which encompasses parts of the city of Rochester as well as the towns and villages of Chili
, Churchville
, Mumford
, Riga
, Rush
, Scottsville
and Wheatland
.
Bronson grew up on a 200-acre farm outside Binghamton
and became a Rochester resident in 1986. He holds a B.A. from State University of New York at Oswego
and a Juris Doctor
from University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
. He runs a private law practice in Rochester and served as counsel to the state Assembly Labor Committee from 2004 to 2010. From 2001 to 2004, he was a member of the Rochester City Planning Commission and served as Vice Chair in 2004. He also co-owns Equal=Grounds coffee house and serves as an adjunct professor at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
in Ithaca
.
Bronson was first elected to the county legislature in 2005, running on the Democratic, Independence
and Working Families
ballot lines in the 24th district. He outpolled his Republican opponent (also running on the Conservative line) by 67 percent to 33 percent. Upon taking office, he was immediately elected assistant minority leader by the legislature's Democratic caucus, assuming the post of minority leader in October 2007. He sought re-election in 2009 and, running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, won with 65% of the vote.
Within a week of Susan John announcing in January 2010 that she would not seek an eleventh term in the assembly, Bronson declared his candidacy for the newly-open 131st district seat. He won the endorsement of the Monroe County Democratic party as well as organized labor. He faced two primary opponents, both members of the Rochester school board. In the primary election held on September 14, 2010, he gained 40 percent of the vote and won by a margin of 244 votes (6.0%). In the general election held on November 2, Bronson (also running on the Working Families Party line) polled 16,318 votes, defeating his Republican opponent by 55% to 45%.
Bronson is openly gay. He is the first openly LGBT
member of the New York legislature
from upstate New York
. He is currently one of six LGBT members of the New York Legislature
, alongside Assemblymembers Deborah Glick
, Daniel O'Donnell, Matt Titone and Micah Kellner
, as well as Senator Thomas Duane
. His campaigns have won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
who serves as a member of the New York State Assembly
New 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...
. A former member of the Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
legislature, he was elected to the Assembly in 2010. He is a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Bronson represents the 131st district, which encompasses parts of the city of Rochester as well as the towns and villages of Chili
Chili, New York
Chili is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 28,625 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of the city of Rochester.The Town of Chili was established in 1822 from part of the Town of Riga....
, Churchville
Churchville, New York
Churchville is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. According to the 2000 census, the population is 1,887. The village is named after Samuel Church, an early settler....
, Mumford
Mumford, New York
The hamlet of Mumford lies on the west side of the Town of Wheatland, south of Oatka Creek on NY 36 and south of the terminus of NY 383.-History:The story of Mumford has been written by several local historians...
, Riga
Riga, New York
Riga is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 5,590 at the 2010 census.The Town of Riga is southwest of the City of Rochester on the western border of the county...
, Rush
Rush, New York
Rush is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 3,478 at the 2010 census.The Town of Rush is a suburb of Rochester located in the southwest part of the county.-Geography:...
, Scottsville
Scottsville, New York
Scottsville is a village in southwestern Monroe County, New York, United States, and is in the northeastern part of the Town of Wheatland. The population was 2,128 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an early settler, Isaac Scott...
and Wheatland
Wheatland, New York
Wheatland is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 4,775 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Genesee Country Village and Museum.The Town of Wheatland is located in the southwest part of the county....
.
Bronson grew up on a 200-acre farm outside Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
and became a Rochester resident in 1986. He holds a B.A. from State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York at Oswego, also known as SUNY Oswego and Oswego State, is a public university in the City of Oswego and Town of Oswego, New York, on the shore of Lake Ontario...
and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
. He runs a private law practice in Rochester and served as counsel to the state Assembly Labor Committee from 2004 to 2010. From 2001 to 2004, he was a member of the Rochester City Planning Commission and served as Vice Chair in 2004. He also co-owns Equal=Grounds coffee house and serves as an adjunct professor at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
The New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations is an industrial relations school at Cornell University, an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, USA...
in Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
.
Bronson was first elected to the county legislature in 2005, running on the Democratic, 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 Working Families
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
ballot lines in the 24th district. He outpolled his Republican opponent (also running on the Conservative line) by 67 percent to 33 percent. Upon taking office, he was immediately elected assistant minority leader by the legislature's Democratic caucus, assuming the post of minority leader in October 2007. He sought re-election in 2009 and, running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, won with 65% of the vote.
Within a week of Susan John announcing in January 2010 that she would not seek an eleventh term in the assembly, Bronson declared his candidacy for the newly-open 131st district seat. He won the endorsement of the Monroe County Democratic party as well as organized labor. He faced two primary opponents, both members of the Rochester school board. In the primary election held on September 14, 2010, he gained 40 percent of the vote and won by a margin of 244 votes (6.0%). In the general election held on November 2, Bronson (also running on the Working Families Party line) polled 16,318 votes, defeating his Republican opponent by 55% to 45%.
Bronson is openly gay. He is the first openly LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
member of the New York legislature
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
from upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. He is currently one of six LGBT members of the New York Legislature
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
, alongside Assemblymembers Deborah Glick
Deborah Glick
Deborah J. Glick is an American politician from New York and a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly representing the 66th Assembly District in lower Manhattan....
, Daniel O'Donnell, Matt Titone and Micah Kellner
Micah Kellner
Micah Z. Kellner is an American politician from the state of New York. A Democrat, he serves as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 65th district, which includes Manhattan's Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island ....
, as well as Senator Thomas Duane
Thomas Duane
Thomas K. Duane is an American politician from New York, currently serving in the New York State Senate. He was the nation's first openly HIV-positive person elected to office....
. His campaigns have won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
.