Erik Bottcher | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bottcher in 2024 | |
| Member of theNew York Senate from the47th district | |
| Assumed office February 4, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Brad Hoylman-Sigal |
| Member of theNew York City Council from the3rd district | |
| In office January 1, 2022 – February 4, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Corey Johnson |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1979-05-09)May 9, 1979 (age 46) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | George Washington University (BA) |
| Website | City Council website Campaign website |
Erik Bottcher (born May 9, 1979)[1] is an American politician representing New York City. He has been aDemocratic member of theNew York State Senate since 2026, having previously served the3rd district of theNew York City Council from 2022-2026, which includes the neighborhoods ofGreenwich Village,Chelsea, andHell's Kitchen.[2]
In late December 2025, he announced he was going to run for thestate senate seat held byBrad Hoylman-Sigal who was elected to be theManhattan Borough President.[3] Bottcher abandoned his earlier plans torun to replace retiring CongressmanJerry Nadler inNew York's 12th congressional district.[4]
Bottcher was raised inWilmington, New York, a small town in theAdirondack Mountains located outside ofLake Placid. His parents, Jerry and Linda,[5] owned and operated afly fishingmotel called "The Hungry Trout".[6]
As an adolescent, Bottcher suffered from depression and struggled to come to terms with his sexual orientation.[7] At the age of 15 and following several suicide attempts, he was admitted to Four Winds Hospital, a mental health facility inSaratoga Springs, New York.
After graduating from Lake Placid High School, Bottcher wrote an open letter to the school board sharing his experiences with bullying he endured at the school and why the district needed to do more to protect its students.[8] Shortly thereafter, the school district added "sexual orientation" to its non-discrimination policy. Bottcher often credits these early experiences as the beginning of his political activism.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree fromGeorge Washington University.
After college, Bottcher moved to Manhattan and held several jobs in various industries throughout his 20s, including a traffic coordinator at an advertising firm, aproduction assistant in the packaging design department ofColgate Palmolive, and as arealtor at theCorcoran Group.[7]
Bottcher began his formal politics work in 2009, when he joined the staff of theNew York City Council as the body'sLGBT andHIV/AIDS community liaison.[8] At the Council, he worked on issues includinghate crimes,transgender rights,bullying in schools, and the fight formarriage equality inNew York State.
Bottcher soon joined the governor's office as the LGBTQ liaison. In that role, he assisted the successful 2011 effort to passmarriage equality in New York.[9] In 2015, Bottcher re-entered city politics as chief of staff to Council member (and soon-to-be City Council Speaker)Corey Johnson, where he remained until his own City Council campaign.[10]
In February 2020, Bottcher announced he would run to succeed the term-limited Johnson for the3rd district of the City Council in2021.[10][11] Running with Johnson's support, Bottcher quickly became the district's frontrunner, raising more money than all but four other candidates across the city and accruing endorsements from nearly every major union and local elected official.[12][13][14]
During the campaign, Bottcher released an extensive policy platform aimed at addressing the crisis of serious mental illness, New York City's sanitation concerns, and increasing employment opportunities for residents of public housing and those living in poverty.[15]
On election night on June 22, Bottcher resoundingly led the field with 47 percent of first-choice votes, and declared victory that night; when absentee ballots and ranked-choice votes were counted two weeks later, Bottcher officially defeated runner-up Arthur Schwartz 71-29%.[16][17][18] He faced no opposition in the November general election.
On December 17, 2023, Bottcher attended aDrag Story Hour event that was targeted by about 20 anti-LGBT protestors. On December 19, two protesters were arrested for entering Bottcher's building and refusing to leave, but eventually did so. The protestors also defaced the sidewalk outside of his apartment with graffiti calling him a pedophile and using slurs such as "OK Groomer" and "Child Predator". The group also entered and vandalized his nearby office building.[19][20][21]
 | This section's sourcesmay have beencherry-picked. Itsaccuracy and/orneutrality is potentially compromised. Please helpimprove it by introducing a greater range of sources and ensuring they lend equal weight to varying viewpoints.(December 2025) |
As a member of the New York City Council, Bottcher has passed significant legislation and negotiated transformative urban development and safety initiatives.
Bottcher announced his candidacy forJerrold Nadler's open congressional seat in November of 2025 and successfully raised over a million dollars. The following month he withdrew and announced his candidacy in the 47th NY Senate seat, which was having a special election in February.[28]
Bottcher lives inChelsea. He is gay and has been open about his struggles with suicide when he was a closeted high schooler.[9]
