Melinda Katz | |
|---|---|
 Katz in 2015 | |
| District Attorney of Queens County | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | John M. Ryan (acting) |
| 19thBorough President ofQueens | |
| In office January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Helen M. Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Sharon Lee |
| Member of theNew York City Council from the29th district | |
| In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Karen Koslowitz |
| Succeeded by | Karen Koslowitz |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 28th district | |
| In office 1994–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Alan Hevesi |
| Succeeded by | Michael Cohen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1965-08-29)August 29, 1965 (age 59) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | David Katz (father) |
| Education | University of Massachusetts, Amherst (BA) St. John's University, New York (JD) |
Melinda R. Katz (born August 29, 1965) is an American attorney and politician fromNew York City, serving asDistrict Attorney ofQueens since January 1, 2020. ADemocrat, she previously served as theQueens Borough President. Katz was also aNew York City Councilwoman from 2002 to 2009.[1] She had previously run for City Comptroller in 2009.[2] In June 2019, Katz won the Democratic nomination forQueens County's District Attorney, and won the general election inNovember 2019.[3]
Melinda Katz grew up inForest Hills, Queens.
She comes from aJewish family with a long history of civic involvement. Her father, the lateDavid Katz, was founder of the Queens Symphony Orchestra in 1953, and her mother, the late Jeanne Dale Katz, founded the Queens Council on the Arts.[4]
Katz earned a B.A. degree from theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst (summa cum laude), where she was named a Commonwealth Scholar, and later earned aJ.D. degree fromSt. John's University School of Law.[4]
She was recruited by the law firmWeil, Gotshal & Manges, where she worked as an associate for several years before running for theNew York State Assembly.[4] In 1995 theNew York Daily News named her "one of the one hundred up-and-coming young leaders for the 21st Century."[4]
Katz served as a Member of the New York State Assembly from 1994 to 1999, representing Queens' 28th District, which included Forest Hills,Rego Park, and parts of Middle Village and Glendale.[5] During her tenure as an Assembly member, Katz drafted sixteen bills that became laws, including some crucial health care initiatives.[4] She wrote the law requiringHMOs to provide women direct access to gynecological care without forcing them to first see aprimary care physician.[4] She also was the Chair of the subcommittee on Urban Health.[4] Additionally, she carried several bills to increase penalties for various forms of assault.[4]
In 1998, Katz ran forCongress fromNew York's 9th congressional district, which was the seat held byChuck Schumer, who was running for theU.S. Senate. She lost the primary by 285 votes toAnthony Weiner, who went on to win the subsequent general election.[6]
Katz then became Director of Community Boards for the Office of the Queens Borough President from 1999 to 2002,[1] before winning a seat on theNew York City Council, where she served from 2002 to 2009,[1] representing the29th district, which included Forest Hills, Rego Park,Kew Gardens and parts ofMaspeth, South Elmhurst andRichmond Hill.[7] Katz served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Land Use, which was responsible for approving rezoning measures for wide-ranging pockets of the city, including Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Jamaica.[8] As chair of the committee, Katz oversaw the rezoning of 6,000 city blocks, including the Greenpoint-Williamsburg rezoning in 2005.[9]
Term-limited out of the Council in 2009, Katz worked at theGreenberg Traurig law firm, where she specialized in government affairs and land use.[10] In that position, she was paid to lobby forNews Corporation.[11]
In 2009, Katz ran forNew York City Comptroller in a four-person Democratic primary. She finished third with 20 percent of the vote, behind winnerJohn Liu and second-placeDavid Yassky.[12]
In 2012, Katz announced her plans to run for QueensBorough President in 2013.[10] She was endorsed by CongresswomanGrace Meng, CouncilmanLeroy Comrie and the1199 Hospital Workers Union.[13] She won the Democratic nomination, defeating former New York City CouncilmanPeter Vallone Jr. and others, and went on to easily win the general election.[14] She was re-elected in 2017.[15]
In December 2018, Katz announced her candidacy forQueens District Attorney.[16] In the Democratic primary, Katz facedTiffany Cabán, apublic defender who was endorsed by several progressive politicians, includingAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez andBernie Sanders.[17] The initial results of the Democratic primary on June 25, 2019, showed Cabán with a narrow 1.3 percent lead over Katz.[18][19][20] Katz performed particularly well in Assembly Districts 23–29, which comprise much of Southeast Queens.[21] On July 3, 2019, election officials said Katz pulled ahead in the final count and led Caban by a mere 20 votes, triggering a recount.[22] On July 29, 2019, theBoard of Elections certified the results of the weeks-long recount, which resulted in Katz leading Caban by 60 votes and declaring victory. Caban said she would challenge the invalidation of over 100 ballots in court.[23] On August 6, 2019, Caban conceded the race.[24]
Katz was sworn in on January 6, 2020.[25]
Katz was in a relationship withCurtis Sliwa, the founder of theGuardian Angels and later the2021 Republican nominee for New York City mayor, and separated from him in 2014; they have two children together, conceivedin vitro over the previous five years.[26][27] She is named in a court case involving Sliwa, accused by his ex-wife, Mary, of diverting money to Katz while still married to Mary, as part of a plan to build a "nest egg" with Katz prior to moving in with her.[28][29] On February 14, 2015, theNew York Daily News reported that Katz and Sliwa had separated on Election Day 2014. Katz now lives with their children in Forest Hills.[citation needed]
| New York State Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theNew York Assembly from the 28th district 1994–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theNew York City Council from the29th district 2002–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Borough President ofQueens 2014–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | District Attorney of Queens County 2020–present | Incumbent |
Currentprosecutors in New York City | ||||||
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| State and local (district attorneys) | ||||||
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