Pamela Harris (politician) facts for kids

Pamela Harris is a politician from the Democratic Party. She was a member of the New York State Assembly from 2015 to 2018. She represented the 46th Assembly District, which includes parts of Brooklyn, New York. These areas include Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Dyker Heights, and Seagate. She left her position in 2018.

About Pamela Harris

Pamela Harris has lived in Coney Island, New York her whole life. This is also the area she later represented as an assemblywoman. She finished high school at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn in 1977.

She continued her education and earned several degrees. She has an associate's degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She also earned a bachelor's degree in health and human services from St. Joseph's College. Later, she received a master's degree in human development and family studies from Capella University.

Before becoming an assemblywoman, Pamela Harris worked for the New York City Department of Correction. This department manages city jails. She was an officer at Riker's Island, a large jail complex. After she retired from this job, she became very active in her community. She was known for leading a group called Coney Island Generation Gap. She also helped people whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Becoming an Assemblywoman

Special Election in 2015

In July 2015, the assemblyman for the 46th district, Alec Brook-Krasny, left his job. Because of this, a special election was held to choose someone new. The Kings County Democratic Party Executive Committee chose the candidate. They picked Pamela Harris as their nominee.

Many important local politicians supported her. These included U.S. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and New York State Assemblyman William Colton. New York State Senator Diane Savino and New York City Councilmen Mark Treyger and David Greenfield also supported her. She also received support from the Working Families Party.

Community Support and Endorsements

After being chosen as the Democratic candidate, Pamela Harris gained more support. Many groups and labor unions endorsed her. These included local 1199–SEIU United Healthcare Workers and the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York. Other supporters were District Council 37, the New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, and the New York City Corrections Officers' Benevolent Association. The New York State AFL–CIO and the United Federation of Teachers also backed her.

Election Victory

The special election took place on November 3, 2015. Pamela Harris won with 62.9% of the votes. Her opponent, Lucretia Regina-Potter, received 37.1%. Regina-Potter ran with the Republican Party and Conservative Party. Pamela Harris was sworn into office the next month. With this win, she became the first black woman to represent a district in New York City where most residents are white.

She was chosen again as the Democratic candidate in September 2016. She won against Katie A. Cucco in the primary election. Then, she was re-elected in the general election on November 8, 2016. She defeated Regina-Potter again, along with Mikhail Usher and Patrick Dwyer.

Leaving the Assembly

On April 2, 2018, Pamela Harris resigned from her position. She sent a letter to Carl Heastie, who was the speaker of the assembly. She left her seat to deal with personal matters.

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