Brian A. Cunningham
Brian A. Cunningham (Democratic Party) is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing District 43. He assumed office on March 30, 2022. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Cunningham (Democratic Party, Working Families Party) ran for re-election to the New York State Assembly to represent District 43. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Brian A. Cunningham was born in New York City, New York. Cunningham's career experience includes working as an advocate counselor with CAMBA and a senior aide with New York state legislative offices. He served as the director of Neighbors in Action.[1]
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Cunningham was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture Committee
- Banks Committee
- Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry Committee
- Energy Committee
- Transportation Committee
- Veterans' Affairs Committee
Elections
2024
See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2024
General election
General election for New York State Assembly District 43
Incumbent Brian A. Cunningham won election in the general election for New York State Assembly District 43 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian A. Cunningham (D / Working Families Party) | 99.5 | 40,718 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 222 | ||
| Total votes: 40,940 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Brian A. Cunningham advanced from the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 43.
Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Brian A. Cunningham advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Assembly District 43.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cunningham in this election.
2022
Regular election
See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2022
General election
General election for New York State Assembly District 43
Incumbent Brian A. Cunningham won election in the general election for New York State Assembly District 43 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian A. Cunningham (D / Working Families Party) | 99.5 | 29,512 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 156 | ||
| Total votes: 29,668 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jelanie Deshong (Working Families Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 43
Incumbent Brian A. Cunningham defeated Jelanie Deshong, Tim Hunter, and Pierre Albert in the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 43 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian A. Cunningham | 59.0 | 6,625 | |
 | Jelanie Deshong | 19.5 | 2,186 | |
| Tim Hunter | 13.3 | 1,491 | ||
| Pierre Albert | 8.1 | 910 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 25 | ||
| Total votes: 11,237 | ||||
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Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Jelanie Deshong advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Assembly District 43.
Special election
See also: New York state legislative special elections, 2022
General election
Special general election for New York State Assembly District 43
Brian A. Cunningham defeated Jelanie Deshong and Mesidor Azor in the special general election for New York State Assembly District 43 on March 22, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian A. Cunningham (D) | 63.2 | 2,074 | |
| Jelanie Deshong (Working Families Party) | 33.6 | 1,104 | |
| Mesidor Azor (Conservative Party / R) | 2.9 | 95 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 10 | ||
| Total votes: 3,283 | ||||
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2017
New York City held elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, and all 51 seats on the city council in 2017. New Yorkers also voted for offices in their boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
Primary elections were scheduled for September 12, 2017, and the general election was on November 7, 2017. Under New York law, candidates who run unopposed in a primary or general election win the nomination or election automatically, and their names do not appear on the ballot.[2] Incumbent Mathieu Eugene (D) defeated Brian-Christopher Cunningham (Reform) and Brian Kelly (Conservative) in the general election for the District 40 seat on the New York City Council.
| New York City Council, District 40 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Mathieu Eugene Incumbent |
60.47% | 14,609 | |
| Reform | Brian-Christopher Cunningham | 36.01% | 8,701 | |
| Conservative | Brian Kelly | 3.34% | 806 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.19% | 45 | ||
| Total Votes | 24,161 | |||
| Source: New York City Board of Elections, "General Election - November 7, 2017," accessed January 2, 2018 | ||||
Incumbent Mathieu Eugene defeated Brian-Christopher Cunningham, Pia Raymond, and Jennifer Berkley in the Democratic primary for the District 40 seat on the New York City Council.[3]
| New York City Council, District 40 Democratic Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mathieu Eugene Incumbent |
40.81% | 5,560 |
| Brian-Christopher Cunningham | 30.12% | 4,103 |
| Pia Raymond | 22.49% | 3,064 |
| Jennifer Berkley | 6.44% | 877 |
| Write-in votes | 0.15% | 20 |
| Total Votes | 13,624 | |
| Source: New York City Board of Elections, "2017 Primary: Certified Results," accessed September 28, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Brian A. Cunningham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Regular election
Brian A. Cunningham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Special election
Brian A. Cunningham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Cunningham's campaign website highlighted the following issues. Click "show" on the boxes below for more information about his positions.[4]
| AFFORDABLE HOUSING |
|---|
"It goes without saying that Brooklyn faces a major affordable housing crisis. More low and middle-income families are being pushed out by rising rents and greedy developers, while our elected representatives pay nothing but lip service. It's time we STAND UP to the powerful real-estate interests, and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, and fight for commonsense policies that support long-time residents who are being rapidly displaced.
We must increase rent stabilized and protected units and make 'affordable housing' live up to it's name.
Fighting Back Against Exploitive Landlords.
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| UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR NYC |
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| "Everyone gets sick. But many people all across the country, including here in New York, face an incredible dilemma when they or their loved ones need medical attention. It is a disgrace that 62% of bankruptcies are caused by medical debt. I believe that no one should have to choose between rent, food, and healthcare as some New Yorkers are forced to do. It’s in the government’s best interest to introduce an affordable system that takes care of all residents, regardless of health, citizenship, immigration, or employment status. It’s in the government’s best interest to keep people out of crippling debt due to necessary expenses.
As your City Councilman, I will introduce legislation that establishes an affordable health care system modeled after Healthy San Francisco. Our system will rely predominantly on taxing medium to large businesses but also on participants paying varied amounts into the system based on salary. In San Francisco, businesses with 100 or more employees pay $2.64/hour per covered employee on health care, while businesses with 20-99 employees pay $1.76/hour per worker. Of course, New York and San Francisco are very different. For one, the population of NYC is nearly 10 times larger. That, combined with the Wall Street-type corporations that are headquartered here mean that the tax that works in San Francisco is not likely to work here. If elected, I will sit down with policy and economics experts to come up with a plan that prioritizes the health of NYC residents, while also establishing a fair set of tax rates for the different types of businesses in the city. It’s more expensive when uninsured people wait until their medical problems become so great that they need to use emergency care. A universal health care plan will save taxpayers a lot of money in the long run since otherwise uninsured New Yorkers will no longer rely on hospitals’ emergency rooms, which forces taxpayers or private hospitals to pick up the tab for extremely expensive medical care. Let’s follow in the footsteps of nearly every other developed country and take care of our all our neighbors in a way that’s practical and saves money. Let’s put an end to choosing between debt and death." |
| IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION |
|---|
| "As your City Councilman, I will be committed to protecting everyone that uses our streets, whether they’re driving a car, riding a bike, or crossing by foot. Our city needs to step up to the plate and do more to respect the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, as well as improve the safety of motorists. We must make meaningful changes in order to tackle traffic, overcome financial and ableist barriers to public transportation, and reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
There are some issues in particular that stand out in our neighborhood. First, I want to express my support for the car-free initiative in Park Slope this summer. If elected, I will continue to support the DOT in any way possible in its endeavor to ensure that the effects on traffic continue to be negligible so that we can make it a permanent feature of the park. This will make the park air cleaner and the roads safer for cyclists, joggers, and children. The other neighborhood-specific issue that needs swift attention is the high crash corridors that are Brooklyn Ave and Kingston Ave. 15.9 and 20.7 traffic-related serious injuries or deaths per mile, respectively, take place here. Specific plans to fix the problem were proposed over 2 years ago and the needed changes have yet to be made while accidents continue to take place at alarming rates. I will not let this situation continue to be ignored; I will advocate proactively on behalf of cyclists where current leadership has failed to do so at the cost of people’s lives. Additionally, I intend on making our streets safer and easier to navigate for cyclists and pedestrians by:
Reduce Traffic and Commute Times.
Improve Transit Access for Low Income and Disabled New Yorkers.
I will also fight for our disabled neighbors’ rights to access public transportation by:
|
| CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
|---|
| "Stopping broken windows policing. Columbia Law School professor Bernard Harcourt, who has conducted two major studies on Broken Windows Policing, has stated that there is no evidence that it works. I agree with his concern that 'definitions about what is orderly or disorderly or needs to be ticketed, etc., are often loaded — racially loaded, culturally loaded, politically loaded.' For example, the city’s decision to start cracking down on subway performers has racial implications because they are often black men. David Thatcher, a criminologist and professor at the University of Michigan'worries that [Broken Windows Policing] encourages the police to see a broader and broader swath of the people they’re policing as bad guys.' He also says it can also lead police to use minor offenses inappropriately as a pretext to search for more serious contraband like guns or drugs. End the criminalization of poverty and mental illness. I will also work with the state legislature to create more Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) centers in NYC to meet the increasing demand for alternative solutions to rehabilitating the severely mentally ill. According to the Task Force on Behavioral Health and the Criminal Justice System, while the overall jail population in New York City has decreased from 13,049 in fiscal year 2010 to 11,408 in fiscal year 2014, the percentage of individuals with mental health issues has increased from 29 percent to 38 percent during the same period with 7 percent of the overall jail population suffering from serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Lastly, I believe that on this issue, the state legislature is failing us with the Timothy’s Law loophole that does not mandate that insurance companies cover substance abuse disorders. This is not only a public health issue but also a preventative measure to reduce crime. End stop and frisk. In addition to pushing back against these serious problems within our criminal justice system, I will also:
|
| AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE |
|---|
"For the past four decades, the gap between the rich and the poor has exponentially increased. Meanwhile, low and middle-income wages have been stagnant while the cost of living has skyrocketed. With the Federal Government controlled by conservative Republicans, it is up to us on a local level to find innovative solutions to create jobs, support small businesses, and create educational opportunities to support our most underserved communities.
|
| CARING FOR OUR SENIORS |
|---|
"They say that a society can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable populations. Having a close relationships with my elderly family members and the community, I understand many of the day-to-day issues our Seniors face. Ensuring a positive and peaceful quality of life for Seniors is a major concern for me and I will continue to dedicate more time and resources to addressing these issues.
|
| OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR YOUTH |
|---|
"As a proud product of New York City Public schools, and the son of a single-mother, I understand what it takes for a child to receive a good education and upbringing, especially in underserved communities. For the past decade, I have worked directly with children and young adults, providing services and mentorship programming in neighborhoods lacking resources. I plan to truly champion these issues so that our children have the most opportunities available to them so that they can go on to college, receive vocational training and follow their dreams.
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| CULTURAL PRESERVATION |
|---|
"Being one of the most diverse places on earth, Brooklyn is soaked in such diverse cultural practices and offerings. As a Jamaican-American growing up right here in Flatbush, it inspires me to see the many cultural offerings our community provides, from food to clothing to music and art. Yet as our city undergoes radical transformation due to the effects of gentrification, it is of vital importance that we protect our diverse cultural heritage and these amazing community institutions.
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Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of New York scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the New York State Legislature was in session from January 4 to June 21.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the New York State Legislature was in session from January 5 to June 4.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate New York State Assembly District 43 |
Officeholder New York State Assembly District 43 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Brian Cunningham for NYS Assembly District 43, "Meet Brian," accessed April 4, 2022
- ↑ New York Election Law, "Sec 6-160. Primaries," accessed July 14, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email correspondence with the New York City Board of Elections," July 14, 2017
- ↑ Brian Cunningham for City Council, "Platform," accessed September 7, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Diana Richardson (D) |
New York State Assembly District 43 2022-Present |
Succeeded by - |
