Emily Gallagher: Career Timeline
Education and Early Career (2002-2014)
2002: Became involved in politics while attending Ithaca College .
2006: Graduated from Ithaca College with a bachelor's degree and moved to Greenpoint, Brooklyn .
2006-2008: Became involved in neighborhood organizing in Greenpoint, focusing on tenants' rights and environmental justice .
2008: Began co-chairing the activist group Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG, later renamed North Brooklyn Neighbors), a position she held until 2015 .
Community Activism and Professional Work (2015-2019)
2015: Became the Community Affairs Director for Hostelling International (HI USA), focused on sustainability and community engagement in the tourism industry .
2015: Began writing a weekly column for the Greenpoint Star, the neighborhood's local newspaper .
2016: Ran for Female District Leader against 32-year incumbent Linda Minucci in New York's 50th Assembly District, endorsed by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and City Councilmember Antonio Reynoso. She won 53 of 87 election districts but lost overall by 344 votes .
2016: Co-founded the Greenpoint Sexual Assault Task Force in response to an uptick in sexual assaults in the neighborhood, organizing for a trauma-centered approach to reforming the NYPD's handling of rape and assault cases .
Entry into Electoral Politics (2019-2020)
September 2019: Launched her campaign against 23-term incumbent Assemblymember Joe Lentol for the Democratic primary in Assembly District 50 .
June 23, 2020: Primary election day. Gallagher trailed Lentol by 1,763 votes based on in-person totals .
July 22, 2020: After absentee ballots were counted, Gallagher was confirmed as the winner of the Democratic primary, defeating Lentol by approximately 1,151 votes in the certified result .
November 3, 2020: Won the general election for Assembly District 50 with 97 percent of the vote .
First Term in the Assembly (2021-2022)
January 1, 2021: Assumed office as the representative for Assembly District 50, succeeding Joe Lentol .
2021: Joined the NYC-DSA Socialists in Office caucus along with five other DSA members in the state legislature .
March 2022: Introduced the LLC Transparency Act (A3484/S995) with Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, requiring limited liability companies to disclose their beneficial owners .
June 28, 2022: Won the Democratic primary for re-election with 79.5 percent of the vote, defeating challenger Paddy O'Sullivan .
November 8, 2022: Won re-election in the general election .
Second and Third Terms (2023-Present)
May 2023: The All-Electric Buildings Act, sponsored by Gallagher and Senator Brian Kavanagh, passed both chambers and was included in the state budget, making New York the first state in the nation to ban fossil fuel hookups in most new construction .
June 2023: The LLC Transparency Act passed the Assembly following Senate passage on June 6 .
December 23, 2023: Governor Hochul signed the LLC Disclosure Act into law .
February 2024: Introduced the Social Housing Development Authority bill with Senator Cordell Cleare, proposing a new state authority to build permanently affordable, union-built, publicly owned housing .
June 25, 2024: Won the Democratic primary for a third term, defeating Anathea Simpkins and Andrew Bodiford .
November 5, 2024: Won the general election for a third term .
January 2026: Advocated for the New York for All Act to protect immigrants from federal immigration enforcement .
May 2026: Debated her Substance Use Disorder Treatment Bill of Rights on the Assembly floor and joined colleagues pressing for passage of the REST Act (Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants) .
May 27, 2026: Attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the full McGuinness Boulevard redesign, a project she had advocated for since before entering office .