Kalman Yeger | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the41st district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Helene Weinstein |
| Member of theNew York City Council from the44th district | |
| In office January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | David G. Greenfield |
| Succeeded by | Simcha Felder |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1974-04-26)April 26, 1974 (age 50) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Touro College (BA) New York Law School (JD) |
| Website | Official website |
Kalman Yeger (born April 26, 1974)[citation needed] is an American politician who serves in theNew York State Assembly for the41st district. He is a conservative[1] member of theDemocratic Party. On Nov 5, 2024, Yeger won an uncontested election for the Assembly seat which is located inBrooklyn and includes all or part of the neighborhoods ofFlatlands &Sheepshead Bay, as well as parts ofEast Flatbush,Midwood, andCanarsie.[1]
Yeger, who has lived inBrooklyn his entire life, is a graduate ofTouro College with a B.A. degree andNew York Law School with a J.D. degree in 2011.[2][3]
Yeger began his career as a community liaison and assistant to New York City CouncilmanLloyd Henry. He then went on to work as a top advisor to Bronx Borough PresidentFernando Ferrer, including as the Executive Director of Ferrer’s 2001 & 2005 campaigns for NYC Mayor. In 2010, he began working as senior advisor and counsel to New York City CouncilmanDavid G. Greenfield.[2] In 2012, Yeger worked as a senior advisor forSimcha Felder's successful New York State Senate campaign.[4]
Yeger has been a member ofBrooklyn Community Board 14 since 2000.[5] He has advised a slew of public officials, including former Borough President and current NYC MayorEric Adams, former Borough President and current Queens District AttorneyMelinda Katz, as well as former NYC CouncilmembersAlan Maisel,Lew Fidler,David Yassky, andMike Nelson.[6]
In 2017, outgoing councilmemberDavid Greenfield encouraged Yeger to run for his council seat, as Greenfield decided not to run for re-election, instead taking over the helm of New York's largest Jewish charity, theMetropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.[7] Opposing Yeger, was Yoni Hikind, the son of formerNew York State Assemblyman,Dov Hikind, whose district covered much of the same constituency.[8][9] Yeger received endorsements from the four unions representing theNYPD, which are thePatrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), theDetectives Endowment Association (DEA), the Lieutenants Benevolent Association (LBA), and the Captains Endowment Association (CEA),[10][11] as well as The United Federation of Teachers.[12] Yeger also received the endorsement of the then four Democratic NYC Borough Presidents including NYC MayorEric Adams, as well asMelinda Katz,Ruben Diaz Jr, andGale Brewer.[13]
In 2021, Yeger won re-election after running unopposed in the general election. Yeger, who ran on the Democrat, Republican, and Conservative lines garnered 97.8% of the vote.
In 2023, Yeger won the Democratic Primary unopposed while also defeating Harold "Heshy" Tischler in the Republican Primary 52%-48%. In the general election, Yeger who again ran on the Democratic, Republican, and Conservative lines, received 80% of the vote, trouncing Tischler again, who this time ran under the Boro Park Flatbush Party line. Yeger received the endorsement of The New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association.[14]
Yeger resigned his Council position as of Jan 1, 2025 in order to start his term as a New York State Assembly Member. In his final council term, he served on the following committees:[15]
In 2024, Yeger ran forNew York State's 41st Assembly seat, which was held by longtime Assembly MemberHelene Weinstein who was retiring after a record-breaking 44 years.[16][17] Yeger won the primary with 70.7% of the vote, defeating Adam Dweck. Yeger was endorsed by Weinstein,[18] NYS SenatorSimcha Felder, NYS Assembly MemberSimcha Eichenstein,[19] former CouncilmanDavid Greenfield,[20] and Solidarity PAC.[21] Although Yeger ran unopposed in the general election, he still earned endorsements, such as from The Jewish Press.[22]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 19,061 | 50.6% | |
| Republican | Kalman Yeger | 16,305 | 43.3% | |
| Conservative | Kalman Yeger | 1,982 | 5.3% | |
| Total | Kalman Yeger | 37,348 | 99.1% | |
| Write-in | 345 | 0.9% | ||
| Total votes | 37,693 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 2,655 | 70.7% | |
| Democratic | Adam Dweck | 1,099 | 29.3% | |
| Total votes | 3,754 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kalman Yeger | 3,936 | 41.96% | |
| Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 2,779 | 29.63% | |
| Conservative | Kalman Yeger | 785 | 8.37% | |
| Total | Kalman Yeger (incumbent) | 7,500 | 79.96% | |
| Boro Park Flatbush | Harold Tischler | 1,732 | 18.46% | |
| Write-in | 148 | 1.58% | ||
| Total votes | 9,380 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kalman Yeger (incumbent) | 395 | 51.2% | |
| Republican | Harold Tischler | 365 | 47.3% | |
| Write-in | 12 | 1.6% | ||
| Total votes | 772 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kalman Yeger | 6,678 | 55.5% | |
| Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 4,153 | 34.5% | |
| Conservative | Kalman Yeger | 924 | 7.6% | |
| Total | Kalman Yeger(incumbent) | 12,021 | 97.7% | |
| Write-in | 266 | 2.2% | ||
| Total votes | 12,287 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 8,277 | 48.83% | |
| Conservative | Kalman Yeger | 3,057 | 18.03% | |
| Total | Kalman Yeger | 11,334 | 66.9% | |
| Our Neighborhood | Yoni Hikind | 4,854 | 28.6% | |
| School Choice | Harold Tischler | 670 | 4.0% | |
| Write-in | 93 | 0.5% | ||
| Total votes | 16,951 | 100% | ||
On March 26, 2019, Yeger accused Democratic Minnesota CongresswomanIlhan Omar of being anantisemite due to her criticism ofAIPAC and then claimed that "Palestine does not exist". This resulted in protests outside Yeger's office inBoro Park.[28] He was later removed from the New York City Council's immigration committee.[29][30]
On October 30, 2022, Yeger tweeted a video of a group of bikers taking over a New York City street, Yeger compared these bikers to cockroaches saying, "Like cockroaches, there's never just one".[31] Yeger received major backlash as a result with many calling the tweet racist pointing out that a majority of the bikers were black and brown. He subsequently deleted the tweet that same day.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theNew York City Council from the44th district 2018–present | Incumbent |
