Kevin Riley: Career Timeline
Early Career and Assembly Staff Work (2008-2020)
Riley entered politics in 2008 as an intern in the office of Assemblyman Carl E. Heastie, who represented the 83rd Assembly District in the Bronx . He rose through the ranks over the following decade, serving successively as a constituent liaison, district office manager, and community relations director . During this period, he also held the position of Democratic Male District Leader for the 83rd Assembly District and served as Vice President for the Bronx Democratic Committee . Separately, Riley worked as a Skills Coach for the New York Foundling, where he mentored young men on life skills and social awareness .
Nonprofit and Community Organizing
After completing his master's degree in 2017, Riley co-founded Music Over Violence, a nonprofit organization that hosted peace summits and rallies to address gun violence and social injustice in the Northeast Bronx . He also co-founded The Dad Gang alongside his Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers, a nationwide organization focused on changing perceptions of Black fatherhood, which attracted national media attention including a partnership with the Steve Harvey Show . Riley additionally launched Her Story Her Space, another community-focused initiative, and served as a mentor through President Barack Obama's My Brother's Keeper program .
Special Election and Entry to City Council (2020-2021)
Following the October 2020 expulsion of Council Member Andy King by a 48-2 vote of the City Council for ethics violations including harassment and a kickback scheme, a special election was called for District 12 . Riley won the December 22, 2020 special election with over 65 percent of in-person ballots, defeating Pamela Hamilton-Johnson and public defender Neville Mitchell . He was sworn in on January 6, 2021, and was immediately named Chair of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, and Dispositions by then-Speaker Corey Johnson . Riley's campaign has characterized him as the first Black Council Member to represent the 12th District, though both of his predecessors in the seat, Larry Seabrook and Andy King, were also African American .
First Full Term Under Speaker Adams (2022-2025)
Under Speaker Adrienne Adams, Riley was appointed Chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Co-Chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus . In this capacity, he shepherded over 40 land use applications across the city and played a central role in the passage of Mayor Eric Adams' City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning proposal in December 2024 . He also helped pass the FDNY Diversity legislative package in November 2022, sponsoring two of the five bills in the package: Intro. 552-A requiring annual demographic reporting at firehouses and Intro. 553-A mandating diversity and inclusion training .
Re-Elections and Continued Tenure (2021-Present)
Riley won the June 2021 Democratic primary through ranked-choice voting and secured his first full term in the November 2021 general election . He won the 2023 Democratic primary with approximately 82 percent of the vote against challengers Aisha Ahmed and Pamela Hamilton-Johnson, and then defeated Republican Dewayne Lee in the general election . In the June 2025 primary, Riley faced a rematch against the previously expelled Andy King and won decisively with 75.4 percent of first-choice votes to King's 24 percent . He went on to win the November 2025 general election with 90.4 percent against Republican Franchie Muniz Sr. and Conservative/United Alliance candidate James Washington-Ward, securing a full four-year term running through 2029 .
Elevation to Land Use Chair (2026-Present)
When Julie Menin was elected City Council Speaker in January 2026, Riley was one of seven council members who formally nominated her for the position . Speaker Menin subsequently appointed Riley as Chair of the Committee on Land Use, one of the Council's most powerful committees, succeeding outgoing South Bronx Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. . Riley was also named to the committees on Economic Development, Housing and Buildings, Oversight and Investigations, Rules Privileges and Elections, Technology, and the Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education 16. City and State New York included Riley on its 2026 New York City Power 100 list .