Zellnor Myrie: Quotes and Statements
Zellnor Myrie's public statements reflect recurring themes of economic opportunity, racial justice, public safety, democratic participation, and his personal connection to immigrant communities. His rhetoric frequently draws on his family's immigrant story and his roots in Central Brooklyn to frame policy arguments in personal terms.
Upon the signing of the Clean Slate Act in November 2023, Myrie described the legislation as a fulfillment of the promise of second chances, emphasizing that individuals who have completed their sentences and remained out of legal trouble should not face perpetual barriers to employment, housing, and education . He framed the law as a measure that strengthens communities by removing obstacles to economic participation and reducing recidivism .
When the State Senate passed the bill in June 2023, Myrie characterized the vote as one of both conscience and confidence, expressing faith in the power of redemption and in the principle that no person's value should be defined by the worst thing they have done . He pointed to the breadth of the coalition supporting the legislation, describing it as the largest and most diverse alliance assembled behind any bill in state history .
In a co-authored op-ed published in November 2024 as the law took effect, Myrie argued that the Clean Slate Act addressed both economic anxiety and public safety concerns by expanding the labor pool and helping formerly incarcerated individuals achieve stability . He cited estimates that keeping people with records out of the workforce costs New York up to $12.6 billion annually in lost wages .
After the signing of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act in June 2022, Myrie described the law as a message that every voter counts and every vote should be counted . He invoked the legacy of John Lewis and other civil rights heroes, noting that they fought for the franchise not because the country was perfect, but because it was imperfect .
During a 2024 op-ed ahead of the presidential election, Myrie connected the current political climate to historical patterns of nativism, noting that politicians have spread harmful stories about newcomers for centuries . He defended the ongoing work of expanding ballot access and argued that New York's voting reforms provided a roadmap for other states .
In remarks accompanying the one-year anniversary of New York's gun industry liability law in July 2022, Myrie stated that the law started a movement sending shockwaves through an industry that had been unaccountable for too long . He emphasized that communities are not powerless against a multi-billion-dollar industry and that the law demonstrated states could act where the federal government had not .
Following a federal court ruling upholding the law in May 2022, Myrie described the decision as good news during a particularly dark period, referencing the shooting in Buffalo, a killing on a Brooklyn subway, and the Uvalde school massacre in rapid succession . He urged other states to follow New York's example .
When the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the gun industry's appeal in June 2026, Myrie described the decision as an affirmation for survivors, victims, and neighborhoods affected by gun violence . He emphasized that the law was never intended to restrict lawful firearm ownership but rather to hold the industry to the same safety standards applied to other consumer products .
After being pepper-sprayed and detained at a Barclays Center protest on May 29, 2020, Myrie shared an image of himself in pain on social media . He later testified at an NYPD administrative hearing, describing the ongoing emotional and mental trauma from the experience . In January 2023, after an NYPD judge cleared the officer charged with threatening him, Myrie criticized the ruling as the exact reason New Yorkers lack faith in the system . He noted that what happened to him paled in comparison to what others continue to endure, and that the problem was systemic rather than a matter of isolated bad actors .
During a February 2024 speech that functioned as an informal mayoral stump address, Myrie described how he and his wife, both born and raised in Central Brooklyn, could not afford to buy a home in the district he represents or afford child care in the city where they grew up . He used this personal anecdote to argue that the city's promise of opportunity had been broken for a generation of New Yorkers .
On the campaign trail, Myrie argued that New York City needed to confront its housing crisis through ambitious construction targets and zoning reform, positioning himself as a candidate willing to allow more housing development in neighborhoods that had historically resisted it .
At a February 2024 rally against the proposed closure of SUNY Downstate University Hospital, Myrie questioned how many more lives the community would have to sacrifice and described the fight as deeply personal, noting that he and his wife receive their primary care at the facility . He recalled walking past refrigerators full of bodies near Downstate during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and praised the hospital for doing everything humanly possible to keep Brooklynites alive during that crisis .
During his mayoral campaign, Myrie described the role of the mayor in relation to the federal government as someone willing to collaborate when it serves the city's interests but equally willing to resist when New Yorkers are being targeted . He characterized the stance as consistent with New York City's identity, stating that it is in the city's DNA to stand up to bullies .