Eric Ulrich
Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings
In office
May 3, 2022 – November 3, 2022
MayorEric Adams
Preceded byMelanie La Rocca
Succeeded byJames Oddo
Senior Advisor to the Mayor
In office
January 5, 2022 – May 3, 2022
MayorEric Adams
Preceded byGabrielle Fialkoff
Succeeded byDiane Savino
Member of the New York City Council
from the 32nd district
In office
February 24, 2009 – December 31, 2021
Preceded byJoseph Addabbo, Jr.
Succeeded byJoann Ariola
Personal details
Born (1985-02-13) February 13, 1985
Ozone Park, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Alma materSt. Francis College (BA)
Baruch College (MPA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Eric Ulrich (born February 13, 1985) is an American politician from the state of New York. A Republican, Ulrich represented the 32nd district on the New York City Council from 2009 to 2021. In 2022, he served as New York City Buildings Commissioner and as senior advisor to Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams. On September 13, 2023, Ulrich was arrested on 16 felony corruption charges; he pleaded not guilty.

Early life and education

Eric Ulrich was born at Jamaica Hospital on February 13, 1985. He grew up in Ozone Park in Queens, graduating from Cathedral Prep. Seminary High School. Ulrich holds a BA from St. Francis College and received his MPA in 2016 from Baruch College, City University of New York.

Career

New York City Council

In February 2009, during a special election, Ulrich was elected to a seat on the New York City Council, defeating three more senior candidates in the 32nd district in southwest Queens.[1][2] Ulrich was re-elected in November 2009,[3][4] in 2013,[5] and in 2017.[6] He was barred by term limits from seeking re-election in 2021.[7]

Ulrich is a moderate Republican.[8] Ulrich broke with the New York State Republican Party platform on several issues, and stated that he was proud of his independence. He voted in favor of a minimum wage raise and voted twice to boost rent stabilization.[9][10]

Ulrich supported Melissa Mark-Viverito during her run for Council Speaker in 2013, an unpopular position for Republicans. Queens Republican Chair Bob Turner said that supporting Viverito "wouldn't help" Ulrich's standing in Republican circles.[11] Previously, Ulrich had chided Mark-Viverito for refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with other councilmembers during government functions; Mark-Viverito changed her position on the pledge in 2013 prior to her run for Speaker.[12][13]

Ulrich started a committee with Mark Treyger to monitor the recovery effort following Hurricane Sandy.[14] He criticized the speed and efficiency of Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Ulrich's constituents resided in parts of the Rockaway Peninsula and Howard Beach which were disproportionately affected by the storm. In public statements, Ulrich called the relief efforts a "bureaucratic nightmare", said the city's chosen contractors were incapable of handling the residents' needs, and recommended the head of the city's Build-it-Back program be fired by the Mayor.[15]

For fiscal year 2015, Ulrich secured a $400,000 allocation to support local veterans' direct services.[16] He supports the consolidation of the city's three library systems.[17]

Chair of New York Council Veterans Committee

Ulrich served as Chair of the New York City Council's Veterans Committee.[18] Following her election to Council Speaker (in which she had received support from Ulrich), Melissa Mark-Viverito appointed Ulrich to the Veterans Affairs post.[19] Ulrich refuted speculation that his support for Viverito was a quid pro quo for obtaining his Committee Chairmanship, and instead said that supporting her was his best option for bringing her attention to the needs of his constituents.[11][20]

Following remarks by presidential candidate Donald Trump that John McCain was not a war hero, Ulrich rejected his comments, calling them "a slap in the face to New York City’s veterans and their families, especially those who had been 'captured' as former POWs." Ulrich wrote a letter July 20, 2015 to Jamaica Hospital, urging the Board of Directors to remove Trump's name from the nursing home. The Trump Pavilion for Nursing and Rehabilitation was named after Mary Trump, and was built in 1975 with donations from Donald Trump's parents. The Trump name remains on the Pavilion.[21] Ulrich endorsed John Kasich over Trump during his presidential run in 2016. When Trump became the presumptive nominee, Ulrich said he disliked Trump's offensive comments and speeches, but said he may vote for him should he "come around by [Election Day]".[22]

Coronavirus; Oxiris Barbot

In early April 2020, he and Democratic New York City Councilman Robert Holden wrote to Mayor de Blasio asking him to relieve Commissioner of Health of the City of New York Oxiris Barbot of her position "before it’s too late," saying her guidance on the coronavirus had been disastrous.[23]

Other political campaigns

2012 State Senate election

In 2012, Ulrich ran for New York State Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Addabbo in Senate District 15. While the Queens Republican Party endorsed Juan D. Reyes in the primary,[24] Ulrich prevailed nonetheless.[25] During the campaign, Ulrich criticized Sen. Addabbo, who publicly said there was "an understanding" that Resorts World Casino in Queens would hire 70-80% locally from Queens. The Daily News found that 61% of the "top tier" positions were held by employees residing in Queens County.[26] On Election Day, Ulrich was defeated by Addabbo.[27]

Potential run for Mayor of New York City, 2017

Media speculated that Ulrich was a potential challenger to Bill De Blasio in the 2017 mayoral race after his 2013 press conference on an unplowed street in Queens, criticizing the newly elected mayor for his handling of the heavy snowfall. Ulrich launched an exploratory committee on May 12, 2016, but ultimately chose not to run.[28][29][30]

2019 New York City Public Advocate special election

Ulrich ran in the 2019 New York City Public Advocate special election. As the election was nonpartisan, Ulrich ran on the line titled Common Sense. Some of his endorsements included the Bronx GOP, Brooklyn GOP, Manhattan GOP, Queens GOP, and Staten Island GOP, as well as the New York Daily News, which, on February 20, 2019, wrote "Ulrich stands apart on a key issue of the day: He welcomed Amazon coming to Long Island City as the rest of the field was tripping over itself to denounce the deal."[31]

In February 2019, New York Post contributor John Podhoretz wrote a column entitled "A Republican with a real chance to win an NYC-wide office,"[32] which was featured in the New York Post. Podhoretz's column cited private polling that showed Ulrich leading the field with 22 percent of the vote, giving him “a real shot at winning” the special election.[33] However, Ulrich finished second in the special election with 19% of the vote; Jumaane Williams won the race with 33%.[34]

New York City Buildings Commissioner/senior advisor to Eric Adams

On January 5, 2022 Ulrich was named as Senior Advisor to the Mayor by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.[35] On May 3, 2022, Ulrich was appointed as commissioner of the NYC Department of Buildings.[36] On November 3, 2022, Ulrich resigned from his position as commissioner of the Buildings Department.[37]

On November 1, 2022, investigators working for the Manhattan district attorney seized Ulrich's phone pursuant to a search warrant.[38]

On August 3, 2023, the New York Daily News reported that Ulrich had been charged, in a sealed indictment, on corruption charges.[39]

On September 13, 2023, Ulrich was arrested on 16 felony corruption charges; he pleaded not guilty.[40][41]

Personal life

Ulrich married Yadira Moran on November 20, 2009.[42] Eric and Yadira Ulrich had a daughter in 2012.[43]

As of September 2023, Ulrich is reportedly dating Rhonda Binda, an employee of Mayor Eric Adams's administration.[44]

Electoral history

Election history
Location Year Election Results
NYC Council
District 32		 2009 Special Green tick Eric Ulrich (R) 44.72%
Lew Simon (D) 32.20%
Geraldine Chapey (D) 11.59%
Mike Ricatto (R) 9.19%
NYC Council
District 32		 2009 General Green tick Eric Ulrich (R) 58.74%
Frank Gulluscio (D) 41.26%
NY Senate
District 15		 2012 General Green tick Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D) 57.57%
Eric Ulrich (R) 42.36%
NYC Council
District 32		 2013 General Green tick Eric Ulrich (R) 53.56%
Lew Simon (D) 46.37%
NYC Council
District 32		 2017 General Green tick Eric Ulrich (R) 65.8%
Mike Scala 34.2% (D)
NYC Public Advocate 2019 Special Green tick Jumaane Williams (D) 33.2%
Eric Ulrich (R) 19.1%
Melissa Mark-Viverito (D) 11.0%

References

  1. ↑ Lauinger, John (February 26, 2009). "New blood in 32nd District: 24-year-old GOP upstart grabs special election seat". New York Daily News.
  2. ↑ Jonathan P. Hicks (October 13, 1997). "Queens Council Incumbent, Once Critic, Is Now Criticized". New York Times.
  3. ↑ "NY1 Online: 2009 NYC General Election Returns". NY1.com. November 4, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Statement and Return Report for Certification General Election 2009 - 11/03/2009 - Queens County - Member of the City Council - 32nd Council District" (PDF). Vote.NYC. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ Campanile, Carl (November 6, 2013). "Councilman weathers Catsimatidis attacks to win re-election". New York Post. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  6. ↑ Martinez, Gina (November 9, 2017). "Ulrich re-elected to third term with convincing win over Scala". Times Ledger. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  7. ↑ Brand, David (June 7, 2021). "Five Democrats Look to Flip Queens' Last GOP Council Seat Blue". City Limits.
  8. ↑ "Republican Eric Ulrich mulls 2017 mayoral run against de Blasio". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Rival Candidates in State Senate Race Say They Won't Toe Party Lines". Gothamgazette.com:8080. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Breaking Ranks, Eric Ulrich Endorses Minimum Wage Hike". The New York Observer. May 22, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  11. 1 2 O'Reilly, Anthony (February 4, 2016). "Mayor Eric Ulrich? He might go for it". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  12. ↑ "NYC Council speaker-wannabe suddenly embraces Pledge". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  13. ↑ Goldenberg, Sally (November 12, 2013). "Before her speaker run, a councilwoman starts saying the pledge". POLITICO.
  14. ↑ "Council Members Pushing for Department of Investigation to Monitor Sandy Recovery". The New York Observer. June 30, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Queens pol blasts de Blasio over 'broken' Build It Back program". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  16. ↑ Kristen Meriwether. "City Council Expands Funding Of Veterans Services". Gotham Gazette: The Place for New York Policy and Politics. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Different Boroughs, Different Library Systems". New York Times. December 17, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  18. ↑ "District 32 - Council Member - Republican". nyc.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  19. ↑ Taylor, Kate (January 23, 2014). "New Speaker Gives Her Allies Plum Posts" – via NYTimes.com.
  20. ↑ O'Reilly, Anthony (July 23, 2015). "Ulrich wants Trump's name off Pavilion". Queens Chronicle.
  21. ↑ O'Reilly, Anthony (July 21, 2015). "Remove Donald Trump's name from Jamaica Hospital Pavilion: Ulrich". Queens Chronicle.
  22. ↑ "Donald Trump". newyorktrue.com. December 30, 2019.
  23. ↑ Edelman, Susan (April 4, 2020). "NYC pols urge de Blasio to oust health commissioner over coronavirus response". New York Post. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  24. ↑ Gannon, Michael (May 25, 2012). "Queenswide: GOP taps Reyes for 15th SD; Ulrich primary likely". Queens Chronicle.
  25. ↑ Frantz, Karen (September 14, 2012). "Ulrich defeats Reyes in GOP primary after campaign turns negative". Times Ledger. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Aqueduct racino's hiring practices for management". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  27. ↑ Frantz, Karen (November 7, 2012). "Addabbo defeats Ulrich in key state Senate race". Times Ledger. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Sen.: My focus is re-election". Queens Chronicle. May 26, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  29. ↑ O'Reilly, Anthony (May 19, 2016). "First steps toward a possible mayoral run". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  30. ↑ Campanile, Carl (February 2, 2016). "GOPers think this 30-year-old councilman can unseat de Blasio". NYPost.com. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  31. ↑ Daily News Editorial Board. "For a real election: To set the stage for a legitimate contest to be the next public advocate, voters should choose Eric Ulrich". nydailynews.com. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  32. ↑ Podhoretz, John (February 14, 2019). "A Republican with a real chance to win an NYC-wide office". Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  33. ↑ Mays, Jeffery C.; Neuman, William (February 19, 2019). "Can a Republican Win a Citywide Race in N.Y.? Maybe, With Amazon's Help" – via NYTimes.com.
  34. ↑ Valentin, Eli (March 8, 2019). "The Aftermath of the Public Advocate Race". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Mayor Adams Announces Members of his Senior Team". www1.nyc.go. January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022. Eric Ulrich joins the Adams administration as senior advisor to the mayor.
  36. ↑ Bardolf, Deirdre (May 3, 2022). "Ulrich named as buildings commissioner". Queens Chronicle.
  37. ↑ Rashbaum, William K.; Mays, Jeffery C.; Bromwich, Jonah E. (November 3, 2022). "N.Y.C. Buildings Chief Resigns as Prosecutors Examine Gambling Ties" – via NYTimes.com.
  38. ↑ Rashbaum, William K.; Bromwich, Jonah E.; Mays, Jeffery C. (November 1, 2022). "N.Y.C. Buildings Commissioner's Phone Seized in Criminal Gambling Probe" – via NYTimes.com.
  39. ↑ Eric Ulrich, former NYC Buildings Commissioner, charged with corruption by DA Alvin Bragg, nydailynews.com. Accessed August 3, 2023.
  40. ↑ Offenhartz, Jake (September 13, 2023). "Ex-NYC buildings commissioner accused of trading favors for cash, Mets tickets". NBC New York.
  41. ↑ Bromwich, Jonah E.; Rashbaum, William K. (September 13, 2023). "Former Buildings Chief Accused of Trading Favors for $150,000 in Bribes" – via NYTimes.com.
  42. ↑ "Councilmember takes a bride". qns.com. November 24, 2009.
  43. ↑ "Welcome Baby Ulrich". Queens Chronicle. November 1, 2012.
  44. ↑ Sommerfeldt, Chris (September 16, 2023). "Eric Ulrich girlfriend referenced in his bribery indictment is director of Mayor Adams' official residence". New York Daily News.
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