Erik Bottcher: Relationships
Corey Johnson
Bottcher's most formative political relationship has been with former City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, for whom he served as chief of staff from 2015 to 2021 . Johnson, an openly gay Democrat who represented District 3 before Bottcher, endorsed his chief of staff's candidacy for the same seat in the 2021 election . Bottcher ran with Johnson's support and quickly became the frontrunner in the race, raising more money than all but four other candidates citywide and accumulating endorsements from nearly every major union and local elected official in the district . Johnson subsequently endorsed Carl Wilson, Bottcher's own chief of staff, to succeed him on the Council after Bottcher moved to the state Senate .
Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Bottcher also worked as an aide to state Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, another openly gay Democratic trailblazer in Manhattan politics . When Hoylman-Sigal was elected Manhattan Borough President in November 2025, his departure from the state Senate created the vacancy that Bottcher ultimately filled . Hoylman-Sigal endorsed Bottcher for the Senate seat, describing the district as running from the gay bars to Zabar's and expressing pride that his successor would continue the seat's tradition of LGBTQ representation .
Jerry Nadler
Representative Jerry Nadler endorsed Bottcher in his 2021 City Council race and subsequently endorsed his state Senate bid in December 2025 after Bottcher dropped out of the congressional contest to succeed Nadler himself . Nadler also publicly condemned the vandalism at Bottcher's home and office during the Drag Story Hour controversy in December 2022 .
Christine Quinn
Former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who held the District 3 seat before Johnson and was the first openly LGBTQ Speaker in the Council's history, has been part of Bottcher's political network . Quinn endorsed Carl Wilson's candidacy for the Council seat at Bottcher's direction after Bottcher moved to the state Senate .
Broader Endorsements
Bottcher's state Senate campaign received endorsements from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, incoming City Comptroller Mark Levine, Assembly Member Tony Simone, and the Working Families Party . His 2021 Council campaign was backed by extensive union support and a broad coalition of Democratic clubs in the district, including the Village Independent Democrats .
Arthur Schwartz
Arthur Schwartz, a Village-based attorney and Democratic district leader, was Bottcher's principal opponent in the 2021 City Council primary . A self-described progressive aligned with Bernie Sanders, Schwartz positioned himself to Bottcher's left and criticized what he framed as the political establishment's consolidation behind Bottcher . After losing the ranked-choice tabulation 71 to 29 percent, Schwartz publicly congratulated Bottcher and acknowledged the margin was insurmountable, while noting that they would continue to have opportunities to work together in Village politics .
Anti-Drag Protest Groups
Groups identifying under the banner Gays Against Groomers organized the December 2022 protests that targeted Bottcher's office and residence . Two members of the protest group were arrested, and the broader network of anti-drag activists continued to target LGBTQ-supportive Council members, including Shekar Krishnan and Crystal Hudson, in subsequent months . Bottcher has characterized these groups as part of a far-right extremist movement and has declined to engage with their framing .
Institutional and Caucus Relationships
Bottcher served as co-chair of the City Council's LGBTQIA+ Caucus alongside other members and as co-chair of the Manhattan Delegation during his Council tenure . In the state Senate, he joined a Democratic majority conference led by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who welcomed him on the Senate floor on the day of his swearing-in . His election made him one of two openly LGBTQ members of the state Senate alongside Jabari Brisport, continuing a tradition of LGBTQ representation in the chamber .