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Diane Savino

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Diane Savino
Senior Advisor to the Mayor of New York City
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
MayorEric Adams
Preceded byEric Ulrich
Member of theNew York State Senate
from the23rddistrict
In office
January 1, 2005 – December 31, 2022
Preceded bySeymour P. Lachman
Succeeded byJessica Scarcella-Spanton
Personal details
Born(1963-09-28)September 28, 1963(age 60)
Queens,New York,U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Independent Democratic Conference(2011–2018)
EducationSt. John's University(BA)
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website

Diane J. Savino(born September 28, 1963) is an AmericanDemocraticpolitician who represented the23rd Senate District[1]in theNew York State Senate,in northernStaten Islandand parts of southernBrooklyn,includingSunset Park,Bay Ridge,Bath Beach,Brighton Beach,andConey Island.She currently serves as a senior advisor toNew York City MayorEric Adams.[2]

From January 2011 to April 2018, Savino was a founding member of theIndependent Democratic Conference,a group of eight Democratic state senators who formed a separate conference and allied themselves with Senate Republicans.[3][4][5]Savino and her IDC colleagues rejoined the Senate Democratic Conference in April 2018.[6][5]Savino was one of only two former members of the IDC that survived primary challenges in the2018 New York Senate elections.[7]

Early life and career

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Savino was born inAstoria, Queensand went on to graduate fromDominican Commercial High School.[8]She has a psychology degree fromSt. John's Universityas well as a degree in Industrial and Labor Relations fromCornell.[9]

Prior to elected office, Savino began her career in public service as a caseworker forNew York City's Administration for Children's Services,[10]providing direct assistance to abused and neglected children. She was an active member of her local labor union, the Social Service Employees Union, Local 371, DC 37 of AFSCME, and became the Vice President for Political Action & Legislative Affairs.[11]

State Senate career

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Diane Savino at the 2009 Memorial Day Parade, Staten Island. With Savino is Borough PresidentJames Molinaro.

In 2004, Savino was elected to represent the23rd Senatorial District.She succeeded longtime SenatorSeymour P. Lachman,who had retired.

On December 2, 2009, Savino voted forsame-sex marriagelegislation, which failed to pass the Senate.[12]Her speech on same-sex marriage became popular on the Internet.[13]Subsequently, in 2011, theMarriage Equality Actpassed the Senate and became law; Savino voted for this bill as well.

In 2011, Savino—together with Democratic Sens.Jeffrey D. Klein,David J. Valesky,andDavid Carlucci—formed theIndependent Democratic Conference(IDC). The IDC caucused separately from the other State Senate Democrats; eventually, in December 2012, it entered into a power-sharing arrangement with Senate Republicans. When the Republican Conference won enough seats for outright control of the Senate in 2014, Savino and the rest of the IDC chose to remain aligned with them.[14]

As a member of the IDC, Savino was provided with astipend,known as a "lulu", worth $13,500 per year that is designated by Legislative Law 5-1 for the Chair of the Senate Codes Committee.[15]Senate Republicans named her Vice Chair of that committee, reserving the chairmanship for a Republican; in order to provide the stipend to Savino, payroll officials falsified state documents.[16]

In 2014,medical marijuanawas legalized in New York; Savino was the lead sponsor of that legislation.[17]Savino has also sponsored proposed legislation that would legalize physician-assisted suicide.[18]

Savino and her IDC colleagues rejoined the Senate Democratic Conference in April 2018.[6][5]In the 2018 Democratic Primary, Savino defeated Jasmine Robinson, a legal secretary who had been endorsed by the progressive groups Citizen Action of New York[19]andOur Revolution,by a 67-21% margin.[20][21]Savino was one of only two former IDC members (along withDavid Carlucci) to win their primary races.[22]In the 2018 general election, Savino defeated her Republican opponent, David Krainert, by a 69-28% margin.[23]

In early 2022, Savino stated that she supported the creation of a new congressional district in Brooklyn which consists of Asian-American voting residential majority. As of January 2023, the new New York State Senate district that she represented includes the neighborhood ofRed Hook.Other sections of her district in Brooklyn were removed.[24]

Savino has announced that she will not be running for reelection to the state senate in2022.[25]

Election results

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  • In 2004, Savino was first elected to the State Senate with 39,833 votes; her Republican opponent, Al Curtis, received 23,361 votes.[1]
  • In 2008, Savino was re-elected with 46,386 votes. Her Republican opponent, Richard Thomas, received 12,621 votes.
  • In 2010, Savino was unopposed in the general election.
  • In 2012, Savino was re-elected with 50,553 votes; her Republican opponent, Lisa Grey, received 15,131 votes.[26]
  • In 2014, Savino was unopposed in the general election.
  • In 2016, Savino was unopposed in the primary and general election.
  • In 2018, Savino won the Democratic nomination with 67% of the votes cast defeating Democrat Jasmine Robinson. She won the general election with 69% of the votes cast.[23]

In the 2018 general election, Savino defeated her Republican opponent, David Krainert, by a 69-28% margin.[23]

Electoral history

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Election history
Office Year Election Results
New York State Senate District 2004 General √ Diane Savino (D) 63.03%
Al Curtis(R) 36.97%
2008 General √ Diane Savino (D) 78.61%
Richard Thomas(R) 21.39%
2012 General √ Diane Savino (D) 76.96%
Lisa Grey(R)23.04%
2018 Primary

Democratic

v Diane Savino (D) 67.4%
Jasmine Robinson (D) 21.3%
2018 General V Diane Savino (D) 69.0%
David Krainert(R) 28.0%

Personal life

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As of 2018, Savino was in a long-term relationship with then-State SenatorJeffrey Klein.[27]The Italian-American politician is known for her early to bed, early to rise lifestyle.[28]She lives by herself inStaten Island.[28]She is a self-admitted "neurotic cleaner".[28]New York politicianMatthew Titoneonce tricked her into cleaning his apartment.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"NY Senate District 23".Retrieved10 September2018.
  2. ^Liotta, Paul (2023-01-04)."Diane Savino to serve NYC Mayor Adams admin as senior advisor, report says".silive.Retrieved2023-01-12.
  3. ^McKinley, Jesse (May 9, 2017)."For Group of Breakaway Democrats in New York, It Pays to Be No. 2".The New York Times.Retrieved2017-10-04.
  4. ^Kaplan, Thomas; Confessore, Nicholas (January 5, 2011)."4 Democrats in State Senate Break With Leaders".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 8,2017.
  5. ^abcSpector, Joseph (April 16, 2018)."After seven years, it's all over for the Senate Independent Democratic Conference".LoHud.RetrievedApril 18,2018.
  6. ^abWang, Vivian (April 16, 2018)."As Session Resumes, a Democratic Truce in Albany Seems Uneasy".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 16,2018.
  7. ^Wang, Vivian (2018-09-13)."Democratic Insurgents Topple 6 New York Senate Incumbents".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2019-02-01.
  8. ^"About Diane J. Savino".NY State Senate.Retrieved2019-02-01.
  9. ^"St. John's Students Join in Advocacy Day | St. John's University".stjohns.edu.Archived fromthe originalon 2019-02-01.Retrieved2019-02-01.
  10. ^Lawson, Kyle (2017-07-24)."Following ACS deaths, Savino looks to improve flawed child welfare system".silive.Retrieved2019-02-01.
  11. ^"Savino named vice chairman of key committees".Brooklyn Daily Eagle.2017-01-17.Retrieved2019-02-01.
  12. ^"Gay Marriage Fails 24-38".New York Daily News.2009-12-03. Archived from the original on December 5, 2009.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^Morris, M. (3 December 2009)."NY Senator Diane Savino Wins Over Internet".Retrieved10 September2018.
  14. ^"Klein, diminished but still desired, sides with power".Retrieved10 September2018.
  15. ^McKinley, Jesse (May 9, 2017)."For Group of Breakaway Democrats in New York, It Pays to Be No. 2".New York Times.RetrievedMay 12,2017.
  16. ^McKinley, Jesse (May 11, 2017)."False Payroll Information Allows 3 State Senators to Collect Thousands".New York Times.RetrievedMay 12,2017.
  17. ^"Medical marijuana bill sponsors Savino and Gottfried on its passage".SILive. 2014-07-08.Retrieved2018-01-22.
  18. ^Blain, Glenn (2017-09-07)."Ruling barring New York doctors from helping terminally ill patients commit suicide upheld".New York Daily News.Retrieved2018-01-22.
  19. ^"Candidate Endorsements - Citizen Action of New York".citizenactionny.org.Retrieved10 September2018.
  20. ^"Jasmine Robinson".Our Revolution.Archived fromthe originalon September 9, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 9,2018.
  21. ^"Jasmine Robinson".Our Revolution.Archived fromthe originalon 9 September 2018.Retrieved10 September2018.
  22. ^"Former IDC members, including Klein, go down to defeat".Politico.Retrieved14 September2018.
  23. ^ab"New York Election Results".The New York Times.6 November 2018.Retrieved2018-11-09.
  24. ^"Candidates Race to Run for Reconfigured Seats Following New District Maps".10 February 2022.
  25. ^"Diane Savino retiring from state Senate after 18 years".ny1.Retrieved2022-02-16.
  26. ^Diane J. Savino, Vote in 2012 General Election[permanent dead link],New York State Senate. 29 January 2014. Accessed 2 May 2015.
  27. ^"Sen. Diane Savino defends breakaway dem chief accused of sexual assault".11 January 2018.
  28. ^abcdElizabeth A. Harris, "Cleanliness Is Next to Politics,"New York Times,March 27, 2011, WE section p. 2.
[edit]
New York State Senate
Preceded by New York State Senate,23rd District
2005–2022 		Succeeded by
Jessica Scarcella-Spanton
Political offices
Preceded by Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
2009–2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Children & Families
2011–2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Banks
2015–2019 		Succeeded by
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