Gottfried announces plans to retire from New York Assembly after 52 years in office

(The Center Square) – New York State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, the longest-serving lawmaker in the history of the state’s legislature, announced earlier this week he would not seek re-election and will retire at the end of next year, his 52nd in Albany.

The Manhattan Democrat said President Kennedy served as his inspiration to become a public servant. He ran in 1970 as a 22-year-old as a progressive candidate against the Vietnam War. After winning that race, he has won re-election 25 times.

“Long ago, my parents taught me social democratic values,” he said in a statement. “I carried those values with me to the Assembly, and it’s been a gift and an honor to have been able to advance those values, to do the work I dreamed of on behalf of my constituents and New York state and retire from a career while I’m still loving it.”

Among the legislation Gottfried championed in the state legislature included the first bill calling for the legalization of same-sex marriage. That 2003 bill served as the framework for the law that eventually passed eight years later. He also helped push laws that decriminalized possession of less than 25 grams of marijuana in 1977 and legalized medical marijuana in 2014.

He said he was also proud to sponsor the first bill for public campaign financing back in 1979.

“Dick Gottfried represents all that is good in public service and has been a strong fighter not only for the district he represents but for all of New York State,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, said. “He has championed countless landmark laws, and he has left an indelible mark on our state’s history.”

While the 2022 session, which starts next month, will be his last, Gottfried said he still has at least one bill he wants to see pass. As chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Health, he’s sponsoring the New York Health Act, legislation that would set up single-payer health care in the state.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that Gottfried’s legacy will resonate with New Yorkers for generations.

He “has served his district and our state with dedication, tenacity and care, and I am grateful for his service to New Yorkers,” she said.

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