Carl Heastie | |
|---|---|
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| 120thSpeaker of the New York State Assembly | |
| Assumed office February 3, 2015 | |
| Governor | Andrew Cuomo Kathy Hochul |
| Preceded by | Sheldon Silver |
| Chair of theBronx CountyDemocratic Party | |
| In office November 25, 2008 – February 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Jose Rivera |
| Succeeded by | Marcos Crespo |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the83rd district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Bea |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1967-09-25)September 25, 1967 (age 57) New York City, New York, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Stony Brook University (BS) Baruch College (MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Assembly website |
Carl Edward Heastie (/ˈheɪsti/; born September 25, 1967) is an American politician from New York. Heastie has served in the New York State Assembly since January 2001, and was electedSpeaker of the New York State Assembly on February 3, 2015.
Born in New York City, Heastie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics fromStony Brook University inSuffolk County, New York, and a M.B.A. in Finance fromBaruch College in New York City.[1]
Before his election to the Assembly, Heastie worked as a budget analyst for theNew York City Comptroller.[1] Heastie has also worked as an adjunct professor atMonroe College.[1]
Heastie was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2000 and represents the 83rd District, which covers theWilliamsbridge,Wakefield,Edenwald,Eastchester, andBaychester sections of the NortheastBronx.
Since joining the Assembly, Heastie became one of the lead negotiators for the construction of a newK-8 school in his district. He has also sponsored legislation to require mandatory reporting of alleged child abuse of students in New York City. He became Chair of the Assembly Labor Committee in 2013.
Heastie became Chair of the BronxDemocratic Party in 2008, a post that he relinquished after becoming Assembly Speaker in 2015.[2][3]
In January 2015, Heastie's Assembly colleagues considered him a frontrunner to be elected Speaker, following the arrest ofSheldon Silver on federal corruption charges arising from an investigation led byU.S. AttorneyPreet Bharara.[4][5] On February 2, Assembly Democrats voted unanimously for Heastie to become the new Speaker. The full Assembly elected him Speaker of the Assembly the next day.[6][7]
Heastie is the first African-American to serve as speaker of the Assembly. One of his first New York City appearances after becoming speaker was atAl Sharpton's rally in Harlem, where he told the crowd, "This is a tremendous opportunity for our community, for the first time, to have one of us sit at the table," and added "All of you are going to be sitting at that table with me for the first time".[8][9]
In April 2015, it was reported that--contrary to a judge's instructions--Heastie had neglected to sell a home that his mother, Helene Heastie, allegedly purchased with moneyembezzled from a nonprofit charity. After his mother's death, Heastie ceased attempts to sell the home, having been advised by his lawyer that he was no longer obligated to do so; he later sold it for a profit of $200,000.[10] An independentforfeiture law expert consulted by theNew York Times asserted that the judge's order was "probably legally unenforceable without a formal forfeiture agreement," which prosecutors had not obtained. In 2015, Heastie's office issued a statement about the incident, saying that "the lessons imparted to the speaker [Heastie]... included owning up to mistakes and taking responsibility."[10][11]
Heastie has a daughter from a previous marriage.[6]
| New York State Assembly | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 83rd district 2001–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theBronx CountyDemocratic Party 2008–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Speaker of the New York State Assembly 2015–present | Incumbent |
Elected and appointed statewide political officials ofNew York | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government | ||
| Senate | ||
| Assembly |
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| Court of Appeals (appointed) | ||
