Sylvia Friedman
Encyclopedia
Sylvia M. Friedman is a former New York State Assembly
woman. She was elected to fill an unexpired term on February 28, 2006. Friedman has been a long time community activist and a member of her local community board. Her main focus has been on housing and homeless issues.
. She had previously lost two races for the New York City Council
.
Following the resignation of former Assemblyman Steven Sanders, Friedman was a surprise choice of the Democratic Party to run to succeed him in the special election. Friedman served for ten months of Sanders' unexpired term. She represented the East Village and Lower East Side of Manhattan
.
In her first week in the Assembly, she voted for Timothy's Law, which provides parity in medical insurance for mental illness. During her tenure in the Assembly, Friedman was a member of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee, the Election Law Committee, the Housing Committee and the Social Services Committee.
Friedman was defeated in the Democratic primary in September 2006 by Brian Kavanagh
, who assumed the seat in 2007.
Before her election to the Assembly, Friedman served as District Leader and then as Democratic State Committee Member. On the State Committee, she was a member of the Reform Caucus and last year was elected its Chair. She served on Community Board 6 in Manhattan
, at various times chairing the Housing Committee, the Homeless Committee and the Parks, Recreation and Landmarks Committee. For the last twenty years, she has Chaired a shelter for twelve homeless men and women. Using a gift given to the shelther as seed money, she helped start and served on the Board of Friends House in Rosehill, a residence for fifty formerly homeless people with AIDS
.
A longtime member of the 504 Democratic Club Executive Board, she is their first member to be elected to public office. On May 21, 2006, she was awarded the Joan Kinzer Award by the Club during their annual event.
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...
woman. She was elected to fill an unexpired term on February 28, 2006. Friedman has been a long time community activist and a member of her local community board. Her main focus has been on housing and homeless issues.
Career
She served as Co-Director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York, as Program Director of Concepts of Independence, New York's Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, and as liaison to the disabled community in the office of Public Advocate Mark GreenMark J. Green
Mark J. Green is an author, public interest lawyer and a Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He worked with Ralph Nader from 1970-1980, eventually as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, and is also the former president of Air America Radio .He was New York City Consumer...
. She had previously lost two races for the New York City Council
New 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...
.
Following the resignation of former Assemblyman Steven Sanders, Friedman was a surprise choice of the Democratic Party to run to succeed him in the special election. Friedman served for ten months of Sanders' unexpired term. She represented the East Village and Lower East Side of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
In her first week in the Assembly, she voted for Timothy's Law, which provides parity in medical insurance for mental illness. During her tenure in the Assembly, Friedman was a member of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee, the Election Law Committee, the Housing Committee and the Social Services Committee.
Friedman was defeated in the Democratic primary in September 2006 by Brian Kavanagh
Brian Kavanagh
Brian P. Kavanagh is a member of the New York State Assembly representing the 74th Assembly District, which is located on the East Side of Manhattan and includes parts of the Lower East Side, Union Square, Gramercy Park, Stuyvesant Square, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, East Midtown Plaza,...
, who assumed the seat in 2007.
Before her election to the Assembly, Friedman served as District Leader and then as Democratic State Committee Member. On the State Committee, she was a member of the Reform Caucus and last year was elected its Chair. She served on Community Board 6 in Manhattan
Manhattan Community Board 6
Manhattan Community Board 6 is a local government unit of New York City, New York, United States. Its area of responsibility encompasses the East Side of Manhattan from 14th Street to 59th Street. This includes the neighborhoods of Gramercy Park, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Waterside...
, at various times chairing the Housing Committee, the Homeless Committee and the Parks, Recreation and Landmarks Committee. For the last twenty years, she has Chaired a shelter for twelve homeless men and women. Using a gift given to the shelther as seed money, she helped start and served on the Board of Friends House in Rosehill, a residence for fifty formerly homeless people with AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
.
A longtime member of the 504 Democratic Club Executive Board, she is their first member to be elected to public office. On May 21, 2006, she was awarded the Joan Kinzer Award by the Club during their annual event.
Election results
- February 2006 special election, NYS Assembly, 74th AD
Sylvia M. Friedman (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe 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:...
- WORWorking Families PartyThe 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...
)... 2,728 Frank J. Scala (REP New York Republican State CommitteeThe New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
)... 1,120
- September 2006 Democratic primary electionPrimary electionA primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, NYS Assembly, 74th ADBrian P. Kavanagh ... 5,213 Sylvia M. Friedman ... 4,857 Esther Yang ... 1,022 Juan Pagan ... 807
- November 2006 general electionGeneral electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, NYS Assembly, 74th ADBrian P. Kavanagh (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe 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:...
)... 21,875 Sylvia M. Friedman (WOR Working Families PartyThe 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...
)... 3,855 Frank J. Scala (REP New York Republican State CommitteeThe New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
)... 3,576