Kalman Yeger (born April 26, 1974)[citation needed] is an American politician who serves in the New York City Council for the 44th district. He is a conservative[1] member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all or parts of the Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Gravesend, Kensington, and Midwood neighborhoods in Brooklyn.[2] On Nov 5, 2024, Yeger won an uncontested election for New York State's 41st Assembly District.[1] The assembly district, located in Brooklyn, includes the neighborhoods of Flatlands & Sheepshead Bay, as well as parts of East Flatbush, Midwood, and Canarsie.
Kalman Yeger | |
|---|---|
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| Member-elect of the New York State Assembly from the 41st district | |
| Assuming office January 1, 2025 | |
| Succeeding | Helene Weinstein |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 44th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | David G. Greenfield |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 26, 1974 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Touro College (BA) New York Law School (JD) |
| Website | Official website |
Early life and education
editYeger, who has lived in Brooklyn his entire life, is a graduate of Touro College with a B.A. degree and New York Law School with a J.D. degree in 2011.[3][4]
Career
editYeger began his career as a community liaison and assistant to New York City Councilman Lloyd Henry. He then went on to work as a top advisor to Bronx Borough President Fernando 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 Councilman David G. Greenfield.[3] In 2012, Yeger worked as a senior advisor for Simcha Felder's successful New York State Senate campaign.[5]
Yeger has been a member of Brooklyn Community Board 14 since 2000.[6] He has advised a slew of public officials, including former Borough President and current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, former Borough President and current Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, as well as former NYC Councilmembers Alan Maisel, Lew Fidler, David Yassky, and Mike Nelson.[7]
City Council
editIn 2017, outgoing councilmember David 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, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.[8] Opposing Yeger, was Yoni Hikind, the son of former New York State Assemblyman, Dov Hikind, whose district covered much of the same constituency.[9][10] Yeger received endorsements from the four unions representing the NYPD, which are the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), the Detectives Endowment Association (DEA), the Lieutenants Benevolent Association (LBA), and the Captains Endowment Association (CEA),[11][12] as well as The United Federation of Teachers.[13] Yeger also received the endorsement of the then four Democratic NYC Borough Presidents including NYC Mayor Eric Adams, as well as Melinda Katz, Ruben Diaz Jr, and Gale Brewer.[14]
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 Democrat, 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.[15]
State Assembly
editIn 2024, Yeger ran for New York State's 41st Assembly seat, which was held by longtime Assembly Member Helene 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 Senator Simcha Felder, NYS Assembly Member Simcha Eichenstein,[19] former Councilman David 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]
As of 2024, Yeger was serving on the following New York City Council committees:[23]
- Health
- Public Safety
- Sanitation and Solid Waste Management
- Oversight and Investigation
- Fire and Emergency Management
Election results
edit| 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% | ||
Controversy
editOn March 26, 2019, Yeger accused Democratic Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of being an antisemite due to her criticism of AIPAC and then claimed that "Palestine does not exist". This resulted in protests outside Yeger's office in Boro Park.[29] He was later removed from the New York City Council's immigration committee.[30]
On October 30, 2022, Yeger tweeted a video of a swarm 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.
References
edit- ^ a b Sheridan, Johan (November 9, 2024). "Meet New York's incoming Assemblymembers". MSN. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "District 44". Kalman Yeger. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "Kalman Yeger Defeats Yoni Hikind In NYC Council Race To Replace David Greenfield". Yeshiva World News. November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ 119th Commencement Exercises. New York Law School. May 13, 2011. p. 44. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ "Simcha Felder Hires Kalman Yeger". Yeshiva World News. October 4, 2012.
- ^ Iqbal, Zainab (July 18, 2017). "Just In: Kalman Yeger Is Greenfield's Replacement For City Council – BKLYNER". Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Kalman Yeger Takes Oath Of Office As David Greenfield Leaves After 8 Years". January 1, 2018.
- ^ "Kalman Yeger in Landslide Victory; Sweeps Boro Park, Midwood Race for 44th District Seat". Hamodia. November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ Skelding, Conor (November 6, 2017). "The fight for Borough Park is among this election year's nastiest". Politico. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ Goldiner, Dave (November 7, 2017). "Kalman Yeger Crushes Yoni Hikind In Orthodox Brooklyn Council War". The Forward. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "NYC PBA Announces Endorsements in 11 City Council Races Across the City". The NYC PBA. August 10, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "Kalman Yeger Endorsed For City Council By New York City's Police Unions". Yeshiva World News. October 11, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "NYC Council endorsement resolution". UFT Resolutions. May 17, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Witt, Stephen (October 31, 2017). "Republican Heavyweights Endorse Yoni Hikind, Dem Borough Presidents Endorse Yeger". Politics NY. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "COBA NYC Facebook Page". Facebook. October 25, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Helene Weinstein to retire after 44 years in state Assembly, Council Member Kalman Yeger to run for her seat". Brooklyn Paper. March 4, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Assemblymember Weinstein, soon to retire, remembered as pioneerin women's politics". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 14, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Councilman Yeger Seeking to Run for NYS Assembly". Boro Park 24. March 4, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Hakimi, Lauren (June 26, 2024). "Yeger, Wieder clear major hurdle in paths to Albany". Shtetl. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ "Kalman Yeger Wins Democratic Nomination For 41st District Assembly Seat". Yeshiva World News. June 25, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "Solidarity PAC's Newest Endorsement is More Conservative on Israel — and Well-Funded by Real Estate". Queens Ledger. May 31, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "The Jewish Press Endorsements For November 5 General Elections". The Jewish Press. October 29, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ "District 44". Kalman Yeger. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ "General Election 2024 - Member of the Assembly - 41st Assembly District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "2024 New York Democratic Primary Elections Results - State Assembly District 41". USA Today. June 26, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "2024 New York Democratic Primary Elections Results - State Assembly District 41". lohud. June 26, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "Board of Elections in the City of New York 2023 Primary Election Officail Ranked Choice Rounds". NYC Board of Elections. July 18, 2023.
- ^ NYC Board of Elections – District 44
- ^ Keogh, Elizabeth; Boyer, Trevor (March 28, 2019). "Hundreds on both sides protest Brooklyn Councilman Kalman Yeger's 'Palestine does not exist' tweet". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- ^ Mays, Jeffery C. (March 31, 2019). "A Jewish Councilman Who Said 'Palestine Does Not Exist' Loses Seat on Immigration Committee". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ "Kalman Yeger on Twitter: "Like cockroaches, there's never just one". ghostarchive.org. Retrieved October 31, 2022.