Harry Bronson
Harry B. Bronson | |
---|---|
Harry Bronson in Labor Day Parade 2014 | |
Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 138th district | |
Assumed office January 1, 2011 | |
Preceded by | Susan John |
Personal details | |
Born | May 22, 1959 |
Political party | Democratic |
Residence | Rochester, New York |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | assembly |
Harry B. Bronson(born May 22, 1959) is an attorney and politician fromRochester, New Yorkwho serves as a member of theNew York State Assembly.A former member of theMonroe Countylegislature, he was elected to the Assembly in 2010. He is aDemocrat.
Bronson represents the 138th district, which encompasses parts of the city of Rochester as well as the towns and villages ofChiliandHenrietta.
Background
[edit]Bronson grew up on a 200-acre farm outsideBinghamtonand became a Rochester resident in 1991.[1]He holds a B.A. fromState University of New York at Oswegoand aJuris DoctorfromUniversity 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.[2]He also co-owns Equal=Grounds coffee house and serves as an adjunct professor atCornell University School of Industrial and Labor RelationsinIthaca.[3]
Monroe County Legislature
[edit]Bronson was first elected to the county legislature in 2005, running on the Democratic,IndependenceandWorking Familiesballot lines in the 24th district. He outpolled his Republican opponent (also running on theConservativeline) by 67 percent to 33 percent.[4]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.[5]He sought re-election in 2009 and, running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, won with 65% of the vote.[6]
NYS Assembly
[edit]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.[7]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%).[8]
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%.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Bronson is openly gay. He is the first openlyLGBTmember of theNew York legislaturefromupstate New York.[10]
Bronson was the co-owner of Equal=Grounds, a coffeehouse in the South Wedge neighborhood ofRochester,before selling the business in December 2023.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^"Familiar faces battle in Democratic primary in 131st".Democrat and Chronicle.September 9, 2010.
- ^"Harry Bronson".Democratic Ledger.Archived fromthe originalon 2008-08-27.
- ^"Candidates: Harry B. Bronson".Democrat and Chronicle.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-07-17.
- ^"Monroe County Board of Elections: 2005 general election results"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2010-05-28.
- ^"Palumbo Steps Down as Minority Leader".WXXI Public Broadcasting Council.October 10, 2007.
- ^"Monroe County Board of Elections: 2009 general election results"(PDF).
- ^"Harry Bronson announces run for Susan John's Assembly seat".Democrat and Chronicle.January 23, 2010.
- ^"Monroe County Board of Elections: 2010 primary election results"(PDF).
- ^"Monroe County Board of Elections: 2010 general election results"(PDF).RetrievedDecember 9,2016.
- ^"Gay Pols Nearly Sweep Primaries".The Advocate.September 15, 2010.
- ^"Biography".Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson.
- ^WHAM (2023-12-21)."Equal Grounds Coffee House welcomes new owner after 18 years".WHAM.Retrieved2024-08-19.
External links
[edit]- 1959 births
- American gay politicians
- LGBT state legislators in New York (state)
- Living people
- County legislators in New York (state)
- Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly
- Politicians from Binghamton, New York
- State University of New York at Oswego alumni
- University at Buffalo alumni
- University at Buffalo Law School alumni
- 21st-century American legislators
- Lawyers from Binghamton, New York
- 21st-century New York (state) politicians