Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton was elected to the United States Senate by the people of New York on November 7, 2000. She is the first First Lady of the United States elected to public office and the first woman elected independently statewide in New York State.

She serves on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Special Committee on Aging; and she is the first New Yorker ever to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Clinton chairs the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, responsible for communicating with the public about key issues before Congress.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Senator Clinton worked with her colleagues to secure the funds New York needed to rebuild. She fought to provide compensation to the families of the victims, grants for hard-hit businesses, and health care for front line workers at Ground Zero. She continues to work for resources that enable New York to grow, to improve homeland security for New York and other communities, and to protect all Americans from future attacks. She has introduced legislation to provide for direct and threat-based homeland security funding to ensure that first responders and high-target communities have the resources they need.

Senator Clinton was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1947. She is the daughter of Dorothy Rodham and the late Hugh Rodham. Her father was a small businessman and her mother a homemaker. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and Yale Law School. She is married to former President William Jefferson Clinton. They have one daughter, Chelsea.

Senator Charles Schumer

In 2004, New Yorkers re-elected U.S. Senator Charles E. “Chuck” Schumer to represent the State of New York in the U.S. Senate for a second six-year term. Senator Schumer sits on the Finance Committee; the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the Judiciary Committee; and the Rules Committee. He is the ranking member of the Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee and the Economic Policy Subcommittee. Prior to his election to the Senate, Schumer represented the Ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens for 18 years. Before that, he represented the 45th Assembly District in Brooklyn for six years.

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Senator Schumer has worked tirelessly to help New York recover and rebuild. On September 13, 2001, Schumer, along with Senator Clinton, secured a commitment from President Bush to provide $20 billion in federal funding to help New York pay for recovery and relief efforts. Senator Schumer also helped create the federal Victims Compensation Fund, which helps the families of those lost on September 11th or anyone physically injured in the attack continue with their lives by providing the money the person killed or injured would have earned over his or her lifetime, all within five months of filing the claim. Senators Schumer and Clinton also successfully lobbied for $5 billion in aid for New York in the economic stimulus package pending before the Senate.

A product of the Brooklyn public schools, Schumer, who was born on November 23, 1950, is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He was elected to the New York State Assembly at age 23 -- making him one of the youngest members since Theodore Roosevelt -- and to Congress at 29. In 1998, Schumer became New York's junior Senator, and he now holds the senior position. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Iris Weinshall, and their daughters, Jessica and Alison.

Representative Jerrold Nadler

Congressman Jerrold Nadler represents New York’s Eighth Congressional district. The Eighth, one of the most diverse districts in the nation, includes Manhattan’s West Side below 89th Street, Lower Manhattan, and areas of Brooklyn including Borough Park, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Sea Gate, Bay Ridge, and Bensonhurst.

Congressman Nadler was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 after serving for 16 years in the New York State Assembly. He was re-elected to his eighth full term in 2006.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Nadler used all of his expertise and authority to help New York get through its most tragic time in history. He immediately called together all of the area public officials to form the “Ground Zero Elected Officials Task Force” to streamline emergency governmental efforts on behalf of Lower Manhattan residents and businesses. He also passed legislation to provide for the families of fallen public safety officers, pushed for the extension of unemployment benefits for those who lost their jobs due to the tragedy, and ensured that aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was delivered to all those in need. Nadler worked with the Empire State Development Corporation and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to steer much needed money to small business owners, whose businesses were crippled after the attacks. In the months afterward, and until this day, Nadler has led the fight to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do its job by testing and cleaning all residences and workplaces that were contaminated by the hazardous materials released from the collapse of the World Trade Center. In addition, he fought for testing in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, in concentric circles from the site, to determine precisely which areas might be contaminated by the World Trade Center dust.

Congressman Nadler lives on Manhattan’s West Side with his wife, Joyce Miller. He has one son, who is currently following in his dad’s footsteps at Columbia University.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Michael R. Bloomberg is the 108th Mayor of the City of New York. Bloomberg attended Johns Hopkins University and received an MBA from Harvard. In the summer of 1966, he was hired by Salomon Brothers to work on Wall Street.

He quickly advanced through the ranks and became a partner in 1972. Soon after, he was supervising all of Salomon's stock trading, sales, and, later, its information systems. He was fired in 1981 after another company acquired Salomon. Michael Bloomberg used his stake from the Salomon sale to start his own company, an endeavor that would revolutionize the way that Wall Street does business. In 1982, Bloomberg L.P. sold 20 subscriptions to its service; 20 years later, Bloomberg LP has more than 165,000 subscribers worldwide. As the business proved its viability, the company branched out, and in 1990 Bloomberg LP entered the media business, launching a news service and then radio, television, Internet, and publishing operations.

Nearly 20 years after its founding, Bloomberg LP now employs more than 8,000 people -- including 2,500 in New York City -- in more than 100 offices worldwide. As the company enjoyed tremendous growth, Bloomberg dedicated more of his time and energy to philanthropy and civic affairs. His desire to improve education, advance medical research, and increase access to the arts has provided the motivation for much of his philanthropy.

He funded relief programs for victims of domestic violence in New York City, sponsored the Children's Health Fund's Mobile Medical Unit, which serves the children of homeless families, and supported construction of new athletic fields at city high schools throughout the five boroughs. He also served on the boards of 20 different civic, cultural, educational, and medical institutions, including the High School for Economics and Finance; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund; S.L.E. (Lupus) Foundation, and Prep for Prep.

In 2001 the incumbent mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, was ineligible for re-election and Bloomberg decided to run for mayor. Voting in the primary began on the morning of September 11th. Later that day, however, because of the World Trade Center attack, the primary was postponed. In the rescheduled primary, Bloomberg defeated Herman Badillo, a former Congressman, to become the Republican nominee. In the general election, Bloomberg had Giuliani's endorsement. One of the major themes of his campaign was that the city needed a mayor with business experience to help its economy recover after the attacks. Overall, Bloomberg won the general election 50 percent to 48 percent.

Bloomberg was re-elected mayor in November 2005 by a margin of 20 percent.

Mayor Bloomberg was formerly married to Susan Brown, with whom he has two daughters, Emma and Georgina. The mayor’s partner is Diane Taylor, state banking superintendent for the State of New York.

Borough President Scott Stringer

Scott Stringer was sworn in as Manhattan’s 26th Borough President in January of 2006 after serving 12 years in the New York Assembly.
 
During his first year in office, Borough President Stringer helped breathe new life into Manhattan’s Community Boards, ensuring that every neighborhood will have a strong voice in decisions that impact local residents’ lives. He revamped the Borough President’s Land Use Division and effectively weighed in on crucial development projects that will shape Manhattan’s future. His continued advocacy for development that reflects neighborhood values has resulted in victories for local residents from Battery Park to Washington Heights.
 
Since taking office, Stringer has emerged as one of the city’s leading voices on the need for comprehensive transportation reform. He also has continued his career-long fight for affordable housing by conducting the first ever borough-wide survey of vacant lots and abandoned buildings to identify sites for the creation of more affordable housing in Manhattan.  
 
Stringer was born in Washington Heights, where he attended local public schools. He went on to graduate from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

State Senator Martin Connor

State Senator Martin Connor was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1978 and has since been re-elected every two years. Over the years, Senator Connor has fought against efforts to dismantle New York's health care system and has opposed proposals to cut vital medical care and other human services for children, the elderly, and the disabled. He has also battled to keep higher education affordable and accessible for low- and middle-income families and was instrumental in the creation of a State college tuition savings program and tuition tax credit.

In addition, Senator Connor has been a vigorous supporter of the advancement of human rights and has worked to address issues of concern to women and minorities. He has been a leader in the battle for electoral reforms that will make it easier for New Yorkers to participate in the political process, reduce the influence of special interest money in campaigns, and provide a level political playing field. In the area of consumer protection, Senator Connor has received national notice for his efforts to regulate the use of fragrance samples in magazines.

An attorney, Senator Connor served as Minority Leader for eight years, representing the Senate Democratic Conference in State budget and public policy negotiations and overseeing appointments to the Senate's standing committees, state commissions, and other public bodies. As Democratic Leader, Senator Connor created numerous special Senate Democratic Task Forces to conduct in-depth studies of selected legislative issues such as the Task Force on the Uninsured, which was instrumental in pushing the Legislature to enact the Family Health Plus Program.

Since the attacks of September 11th, Senator Connor has been an active advocate on behalf of Lower Manhattan businesses. In a 2006 press conference, Senator Connor said, “Plans for relocation and compensation assistance for local businesses have to take into consideration the recent announcement of delays by the MTA. Lower Manhattan is vibrant and on the path to full revitalization because of these businesses, and we must not abandon them now.”

A resident of Brooklyn Heights, Senator Connor is married to Christine Silber. He is the proud father of three children.

State Assemblymember Sheldon Silver

As Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Sheldon Silver has forged a member-driven institution with the commitment and vision to meet the challenges of the new millennium.

Upon assuming the Assembly's top leadership post in 1994, Silver moved quickly to recast the public image of the House by reasserting the Assembly's independence on socio-economic issues, such as education policy, private job creation, and criminal justice reform. He initiated a public/private partnership with the goal of reducing energy costs in the state and launched a much-touted school repair program to restore dilapidated classroom infrastructure. Within weeks of his election, he began to modernize and guide the House into the next century by adopting the concept of "conference committees" to resolve differences in legislation between the Assembly and the Senate; creating an Internet presence for Assembly in order to open public access; adopting meaningful budget reforms, including cash budgeting and long-term forecasting in the State; and advocating comprehensive debt reform. He has also become a nationally recognized leader in protecting religious freedom.

Since September 11th, Speaker Silver has been a constant advocate of Lower Manhattan residents and businesses. Silver proposed a “Marshal Plan” for rebuilding downtown in 2005, which eventually was signed into law. Since that time commercial tenants have signed leases in 7 WTC, Goldman Sachs has agreed to construct a new headquarters, and small businesses are receiving the assistance they need to once again thrive as members of the Lower Manhattan community.

Continuing his efforts to keep Lower Manhattan’s economic revitalization on track, Silver announced the designation of the Chinatown/Lower East Side Empire Zone in 2006. The Empire Zone program brought much-needed economic assistance, in the form of tax breaks, to businesses within the designated region, bounded by Broadway on the West and Houston Street on the North. The Empire Zone program assesses a business’s growth potential and helps it meet it..

Born in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, Speaker Silver is a graduate of Yeshiva University and Brooklyn Law School. Speaker Silver and his wife Rosa reside on the Lower East Side. The Silvers have four children, Edward, Janine, Michelle, and Esther, and 12 grandchildren.

City Councilmember Alan Gerson

Councilmember Alan Jay Gerson began his civic activism as an aide to Assembly Member William Passannante. He practiced law with Kelley Drye & Warren for 18 years, during which time he devoted countless pro bono hours to indigent individuals and not-for-profit organizations. Over two decades, Gerson served in many leadership capacities. His positions included president of the Chelsea Housing group, president of the Village Reform Democratic Club, and president of Congregation Emunath Israel, where he helped organize and maintain the acclaimed Project ORE, a non-sectarian homeless center.

As an officer of the Consumer Council of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater NY (HIP), Gerson issued one of the earliest critiques of managed care abuses. A committed environmentalist, he is a longtime Sierra Club member and has worked with the League for the Hard of Hearing to promote noise reduction efforts.

Gerson contributed to the lives of young people as a member of the Board of the Chinese-American Planning Council, the Advisory Boards of the Puerto Rican Family Institute's New Arrivals Youth Group, and the St. Anthony of Padua after-school program. A longtime supporter of the Project Open Door Service Center and the Caring Community, Gerson contributed to a better quality of life for senior citizens. A supporter of the arts, he is fighting to create a folk music museum and affordable artist workspace.

As Chair of Community Board 2, Gerson launched an unprecedented number of initiatives including a new youth swim team, an evening teenage center, a free community mediation facility, a heart defibrillator pilot program, new emergency shelters for homeless (runaway) teenagers, the start of work on the Hudson River Waterfront Park, the first Arts Committee and Calendar, a new Public Safety Committee, and a Community Court Proposal.

Gerson is a lifelong New York City resident. He is a proud graduate of P.S. 41, I.S. 70, and Stuyvesant High School. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Columbia College, and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar from Columbia Law.