Andy Stein | |
|---|---|
 Stein at the 2009Tribeca Film Festival | |
| President of theNew York City Council | |
| In office January 1, 1986 – January 1, 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Carol Bellamy |
| Succeeded by | Mark Green (asNew York City Public Advocate) |
| 22ndBorough President ofManhattan | |
| In office January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Percy Sutton |
| Succeeded by | David Dinkins |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1969 – December 31, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | William F. Larkin |
| Succeeded by | Steven Sanders |
| Constituency | 62nd district (1969–72) 65th district (1973–77) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Andrew J. Finkelstein (1945-01-10)January 10, 1945 (age 81)[1] |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lynn Forester (1983–1993) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Jerry Finkelstein (father) |
| Education | Stony Brook University, Southampton |
Andrew Stein (born 10 January 1945 asAndrew J. Finkelstein) is an AmericanDemocratic politician who served on theNew York City Council and was its last president. He also served as ManhattanBorough President.[2]
Stein's father,Jerry Finkelstein, was the multi-millionairepublisher of theNew York Law Journal, among other publications.[3] Stein shortened his name when he entered politics. Stein attendedSouthampton College. He isJewish.[4]
He was a member of theNew York State Assembly from 1969 to 1977, sitting in the178th,179th,180th,181st and182nd New York State Legislatures. He was well known for his series of public hearings into the management practices of nursing homes in the state.
In 1977, Stein was elected asborough president ofManhattan, defeatingRobert F. Wagner Jr. and New York City ClerkDavid Dinkins in the Democratic primary. Stein defeated Dinkins again in the 1981 Democratic primary for the borough presidency. He was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the "Silk Stocking District" on Manhattan's East Side in 1984, but was defeated by incumbent RepublicanBill Green. Stein declined a race for a third term as borough president in 1985 to run for city council president.
As city council president, Stein served as the presiding officer of the city council, was acting mayor in the absence or disability of MayorEd Koch, was a voting member of theNew York City Board of Estimate, and handled constituent and policy issues. Stein derived most of his power from his seat on the Board of Estimate, which was made up of themayor, thecity comptroller and the city council president, each of whom had two votes, and the five borough presidents, each with one vote.[5] Stein was re-elected City Council President in 1989.
In 1989, a decision by theUnited States Supreme Court declared the Board of Estimate was unconstitutional, in that it violated the principle of "one man, one vote", and a rewriting of the city charter called for the city council presidency to be abolished and the office ofPublic Advocate to be created as the presiding officer of the council and first in line of succession to the mayor. The change in duties would occur when Stein's term expired on January 1, 1994.
In 1993, Stein announced he would challenge Mayor Dinkins in the primary. Despite his reputation as a liberal, Stein had tried to get the endorsement of theRepublican andConservative parties, but was unsuccessful. Stein later dropped out before the primary and briefly tried a bid for public advocate against City Consumer Affairs CommissionerMark Green, City CouncilwomanSusan Alter, and State Sen.David Paterson, but withdrew from the race after a few weeks.
Stein retired from the city council presidency and from public life in the city. Since leaving office, he has pursued private business as a partner in Arapaho Partners, LLC, a business consulting firm based inNew York City.
On May 27, 2010, Stein was indicted and arrested for lying about his involvement during the investigation of the multimillion-dollarPonzi scheme involvingKen Starr, a financial advisor to variousHollywood celebrities.[6] He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor tax evasion charge and was sentenced to 500 hours of community service.[7]
In 2025, Stein briefed President Donald Trump about how to best stop Democratic mayoral candidateZohran Mamdani from winning the election.[8]
Stein has been married twice. He and his first wife have one daughter. Stein's second marriage to attorney,Lynn Forester,[3] lasted from 1983 to 1993 with the couple having two sons.
| New York State Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 62nd district 1969–1972 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 65th district 1973–1977 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Borough President of Manhattan 1978–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the New York City Council 1986–1993 | Succeeded by Mark Green as Public Advocate |
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| International | |
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| National | |
