About

Daniel has spent his life in New York and his career in public service: as a top aide to U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, and co-author with Senator Schumer of Positively American: Winning Back the Middle Class Majority One Family at a Time; as communications director for the campaign to pass the Transportation Bond Act and provide hundreds of millions of dollars for our subways and buses; and working for our public school system to move money from the bureaucracy to the classroom.

Now Daniel is running to replace thirty-year incumbent Martin Connor, because Daniel still believes in the promise of our great city--and because he believes that the only promises being kept in the State Senate right now are those made to the special interests. He believes that if we expect more from Albany, the potential of our state government to make a difference - to deliver meaningful results and make a difference in our neighborhoods - is truly incredible. Today, as our city transforms before our eyes, a transformation that brings with it great challenges, we need a change in Albany: we must demand more and expect better.

Daniel's independent campaign is spurred by this belief and built on the same values he will bring to Albany:

  • Independence -- he is not accepting contributions from corporations, PACs or lobbyists so that constituents never need to wonder who he's working for.
  • Hard Work -- he has been out in the district, knocking on over 5,000 doors, sharing his new ideas for Albany and our neighborhoods and building the kind of accountability that comes from meeting constituents face-to-face.
  • Progressive Vision -- he believes deeply that New York State can once again be a model which proves that an active and efficient government truly expands opportunity to everyone.
As State Senator, Daniel will fight every day to change a culture in Albany - on both sides of the aisle - that too often elevates self-preservation over bold solutions; he will be a strong advocate for an overhaul of our campaign finance system, rules reform that creates a functioning legislature, non-partisan redistricting, and reasonable term limits so elective office does is no longer a lifetime entitlement.

Dedication to public service as a way to create meaningful change began at an early age for Daniel. His paternal grandfather came through Ellis Island and was raised on Ludlow Street; his father rose from poverty to become the Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. His maternal grandfather was a World War II veteran and Brigadier General in the Air Force; his mother volunteered during the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964 and was a top staffer at the American Civil Liberties Union.

A graduate of Yale University, Daniel lives in Carroll Gardens, where he attends Brooklyn Heights Synagogue.


District Map

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