Jabari Brisport: Career Timeline
Brisport's career moved from the performing arts to public education to electoral politics, shaped at each stage by activism in his Brooklyn community.
Education and Early Career (2005-2017)
2005: Graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, having been admitted through the Prep for Prep scholarship program .
2009: Earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts . Began organizing in support of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, which was defeated that year .
2011: Continued activism contributed to the successful legalization of same-sex marriage in New York State .
2014: Earned a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the Yale School of Drama . Subsequently pursued professional acting and worked as an SAT instructor with Kaplan Test Prep .
Teaching Career and Activism (2014-2020)
Brisport transitioned to teaching mathematics at a public middle school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and was a member of the United Federation of Teachers . He became involved in the early Black Lives Matter movement and animal rights activism during this period .
2017: Ran for New York City Council in District 35 on the Green Party and Socialist Party ballot lines, challenging incumbent Laurie Cumbo. Won the Green Party primary, defeating Scott Hutchins. Lost the general election with approximately 29 percent of the vote, receiving 8,619 votes to Cumbo's 68 percent .
2019: Announced candidacy for New York State Senate in the 25th District, switching party registration from Green to Democratic .
State Senate Career (2020-Present)
June 23, 2020: Won the Democratic primary for Senate District 25, defeating Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright and Jason Salmon with approximately 57.7 percent of the vote .
November 3, 2020: Won the general election on the Democratic and Working Families Party ballot lines, receiving 138,261 total votes. Became the first openly gay person of color elected to the New York State Legislature .
January 1, 2021: Assumed office as State Senator for District 25, succeeding Velmanette Montgomery .
2021: Named Chair of the Senate Committee on Children and Families . Introduced the Universal Child Care Act (S3245) and the foster care rent subsidy increase bill (S5419B) .
August 23, 2022: Won the Democratic primary for reelection, defeating Conrad Tillard with 70.4 percent and Renee Holmes with 13.9 percent of the vote .
November 8, 2022: Won the general election with 63,017 total votes on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines .
November 5, 2024: Won the general election unopposed .
2025: Reintroduced the Universal Child Care Act (S3415A) . Endorsed Mayor Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign .
2026: Endorsed Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado in the gubernatorial race, breaking with Mamdani's endorsement of Governor Hochul . Facing a primary challenge from Marlon Rice, who is backed by the VIDA coalition .