David Weprin

David I. Weprin (born May 2, 1956) is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, representing District 24 in Queens since 2010. He was previously a member of the New York City Council, representing district 23. He is also the former Deputy Superintendent of the New York State Banking Commission and former Chairman of New York's Securities Industry Association.[1]

David Weprin
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 24th district
Assumed office
February 9, 2010
Preceded byMark Weprin
Member of the New York City Council, 23rd District
In office
January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2009
Preceded bySheldon S. Leffler
Succeeded byMark Weprin
Personal details
Born (1956-05-02) May 2, 1956[1]
Queens, New York
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Ronni
ResidenceHolliswood, Queens
Alma materSUNY Albany
Hofstra Law School
ProfessionLawyer, politician
WebsiteOfficial website

On September 13, 2011, Weprin lost the special election to the US House of Representatives to fill Anthony Weiner's former seat in 9th congressional district to Republican Bob Turner.

Early life and education

Weprin comes from a Jewish family of Democratic politicians.[2] His parents were Sylvia (Matz) and New York State Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin, and his younger brother is the former New York State Assemblyman and former New York City Councilman Mark Weprin. Born in Queens on May 2, 1956, Weprin has lived in the Hollis-Jamaica area of Queens his entire life. He is a graduate of Jamaica High School. He received a cum laude bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University at Albany, SUNY, and a law degree from Hofstra University School of Law.[3]

Career

In 1983, then Governor Mario Cuomo named Weprin the Deputy Superintendent of Banks and Secretary of the Banking Board for New York State, a position responsible for regulating more than 3,000 financial institutions and financial service firms in New York State.[1]

After leaving the Banking Board, Weprin held a variety of leadership positions at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette; Kidder Peabody; Paine Webber, Inc. and Advest, Inc. While in the private sector, he was elected to serve as Chairman of the Securities Industry Association for the New York District for three years.[1]

In 2001, Weprin was elected to the New York City Council, where he served until 2009. Shortly after taking office, he was selected as Chairman of the Council's Finance Committee. During his time as a Council Member, Weprin led the charge in the Council against Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, which he characterized as “an unfair tax” with “the potential for causing hardship to people who rely on their cars in boroughs other than Manhattan”.[4]

In 2009, Weprin retired from the City Council to run for New York City Comptroller.[5] He finished last in the Democratic primary, behind Melinda Katz, David Yassky and the eventual nominee and winner of the general election, John Liu.[6]

On February 9, 2010, Weprin won a special election to represent New York State Assembly's District 24.[7] He won the general election the following November with 67 percent of the vote.[8]

Special election 2011
Main article: 2011 New York's 9th congressional district special election

Weprin was selected by the local leaders of the Democratic Party to run for the New York's 9th congressional district special election to the House of Representatives held on September 13, 2011, to replace Democrat Anthony Weiner, who had resigned in June 2011 following a sexting scandal.[9] The district in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by three to one may be eliminated in the 2012 redistricting,[10] and Weprin, who lives a few blocks outside of the district, was chosen largely because he promised not to challenge another incumbent in 2012, should his seat be eliminated.[9] The seat was initially considered safe for Democrats,[11] but Weprin lost against Republican opponent Bob Turner, a retired cable television executive, with 47 percent against Turner's 53 percent,[12] after a campaign plagued by gaffes.[13]

Turner, a Roman Catholic, was appealing to Jewish voters, who make up for about a third of the voters in the district,[14] by criticizing President Obama's policies on Israel, and portraying Weprin, who is strongly pro-Israel, as being insufficiently critical of Obama's stance on Israel.[13] Former New York mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat and Jew, supported Turner in order to send a message to President Obama to change what Koch describes as “hostile position on the State of Israel”.[15] Turner was also supported by Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat and an orthodox Jew, and local rabbis,[16] who objected to Weprin's support for same-sex marriage.[17] Weprin's defeat by a little known Republican candidate in a heavily Democratic district was interpreted as a rejection of the entrenched patronage and nepotism that plagues the New York City and State political scene.

Political views

Weprin is a strong supporter of social security and is in favor of raising taxes on millionaires.[13] Though an Orthodox Jew, he supported legalizing same-sex marriage, for which he has been criticized by Orthodox Jews.[18] In the debate about the Park51 Islamic community center near Ground Zero, Weprin has defended the right to build an Islamic community center 4 city blocks from that site, but expressed his wish that the center be built at a different location.[13]

Election results
  • February 2010 special election, NYS Assembly, 24th AD[19]
David I. Weprin (DEM – IND – WOR)4,465
Bob Friedrich (REP – CON)2,757
  • November 2010 general election, NYS Assembly, 24th AD[20]
David I. Weprin (DEM – WOR)17,817
Timothy S. Furey (REP)5,567
Bob Friedrich (CON)2,145
  • 2011 special election in New York's 9th congressional district to the House of Representatives (472/512 precincts reporting)[12]
Bob Turner (REP – CON)33,816
David I. Weprin (DEM – IND – WOR)29,688
Chris Hoeppner (SWP)278

Personal life

Weprin divorced his first wife in 1986,[21] and lives with his second wife, Ronni Gold, and five children in Holliswood, Queens.[13]

References
  1. "David I. Weprin: Biography". New York State Assembly. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  2. Forward Staff (July 7, 2011). "Weprin Picked By Democrats To Run for Weiner's Seat". The Jewish Daily Forward.
  3. "Assembly Member David I. Weprin (NY)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  4. Neuman, William (November 24, 2006). "Bigger Push for Charging Drivers Who Use the Busiest Streets". New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  5. Fahim, Kareem (September 10, 2009). "Councilman Attacks Rivals in Final Primary Debate for Comptroller". The New York Times.
  6. Stirling, Stephen (September 17, 2009). "Liu, Yassky head for comptroller runoff". Your Nabe.com. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  7. "Weprin Wins Special Election In Queens". NY1 News. February 9, 2010. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  8. "Election Results 2010: New York State Legislature". The New York Times. 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  9. Chen, David W. (July 7, 2011). "Democrats Pick David Weprin, an Assemblyman, to Run for Weiner's Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  10. Rubinstein, Dana (September 6, 2011). "Welcome to NY-9, and an awkward special election for a endangered congressional seat". Capital. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  11. Weiner, Rachel (September 13, 2011). "Republican Bob Turner wins New York special election". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  12. "New York – County Vote Results: U.S. House – District 9 – Special General". AP. September 15, 2011 – 04:39 pm ET. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. Bilefsky, Dan (September 8, 2011). "A Scion of Queens Democrats Vies for a House Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  14. "Republican Bob Turner wins Weiner's former seat". JTA. September 14, 2011. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
    Rubinstein, Dana (September 7, 2011). "Turner targets conservative-leaning Jews of the Ninth, but just how conservative-leaning are they?". Capital. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  15. Landler, Mark (September 14, 2011). "Seeing Ripple in Jewish Vote". The New York Times.
    Taylor, Kate (September 15, 2011). "Koch May Test His Political Voice on National Stage". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  16. Silver, Nate (September 14, 2011). "For Democrats, It's 2010 All Over Again". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  17. Campanile, Carl (August 23, 2011). "Hikind: I'll nix Weprin over nups". New York Post.
    Dickter, Adam; and JTA (September 9, 2011). "Rabbis: Vote For Weprin Prohibited". The Jewish Week. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  18. Associated Press (September 9, 2011). "Republicans look for upset in NY special election". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  19. "Special Election Results, 24th Assembly District: February 9, 2010" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 23, 2012.
  20. "General Election Results, State Assembly: November 2, 2010" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. December 13, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2013.
  21. Smith, Ben (September 11, 2011). "In leaked custody filing, 'heedless' Weprin; 'dirty politics' alleged". Politico. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
Political offices
Preceded by
Sheldon S. Leffler		 New York City Council, 23rd District
2002–2009		 Succeeded by
Mark Weprin
New York State Assembly
Preceded by
Mark Weprin		 New York State Assembly, 24th District
2010–present		 Incumbent
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