Erik Bottcher
Member of the New York City Council
from the 3rd district
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byCorey Johnson
Personal details
Born (1979-05-09) May 9, 1979
Political partyDemocratic
EducationGeorge Washington University (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website
Campaign website

Erik Bottcher (born May 9, 1979)[1] is an American politician from New York City. He is a Democratic member of the 3rd district of the New York City Council, which includes the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Hell's Kitchen.[2]

Early life and education

Bottcher was raised in Wilmington, New York, a small town in the Adirondack Mountains located outside of Lake Placid. His parents owned and operated a fly fishing motel called, “The Hungry Trout.”[3]

As an adolescent, Bottcher suffered from depression and struggled to come to terms with his sexual orientation.[4] At the age of 15 and following a number of suicide attempts, he was admitted to Four Winds Hospital, a mental health facility in Saratoga Springs, New York.

After graduating from Lake Placid High School, Bottcher wrote an open letter to the school board sharing his experiences with bullying he endured at the school and why the district needed to do more to protect its students.[5] Shortly thereafter, the school district added “Sexual Orientation” to its non-discrimination policy. These early experiences are often credited by Bottcher as the beginning of his political activism.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University.

Career

After college, Bottcher moved to Manhattan and held a number of jobs in various industries throughout his 20s, including a traffic coordinator at an advertising firm, a production assistant in the packaging design department of Colgate Palmolive, and as a realtor at the Corcoran Group.[4]

Bottcher began his formal politics work in 2009, when he joined the staff of the New York City Council as the body's LGBT and HIV/AIDS community liaison.[5] At the Council, he worked on issues including hate crimes, transgender rights, bullying in schools, and the fight for marriage equality in New York State.

Bottcher soon joined the governor's office as the LGBTQ liaison and in that role he assisted the successful 2011 effort to pass marriage equality in New York.[6] In 2015, Bottcher re-entered city politics as chief of staff to Council member (and soon-to-be City Council Speaker) Corey Johnson, where he remained until his own City Council campaign.[7]

2021 City Council campaign

In February 2020, Bottcher announced he would run to succeed the term-limited Johnson for the 3rd district of the City Council in 2021.[7][8] Running with Johnson's support, Bottcher quickly became the district's frontrunner, raising more money than all but four other candidates across the city and accruing endorsements from nearly every major union and local elected official.[9][10][11]

During the campaign, Bottcher released an extensive policy platform to address the crisis of serious mental illness, New York City's sanitation concerns, and increasing employment opportunities for residents of public housing and those living in poverty.[12]

On election night on June 22, Bottcher resoundingly led the field with 47 percent of first-choice votes, and declared victory that night; when absentee ballots and ranked-choice votes were counted two weeks later, Bottcher officially defeated runner-up Arthur Schwartz 71-29%.[13][14][15] He faced no opposition in the November general election.

Harassment

On December 17, Bottcher attended a Drag Story Hour event that was targeted by about 20 anti-LGBT protestors. On December 19, two protestors associated with Guardians of Divinity, were arrested for entering Bottcher's building and refusing to leave before eventually doing so. The protestors also defaced the sidewalk outside of his apartment with graffiti calling him a pedophile and using slurs such as "groomer". The group also entered and vandalized his nearby office building.[16][17][18] David Nieves, a leading member of Guardians of Divinity, was arrested for assaulting Bottcher's neighbor, a 52-year-old man who had been walking his dog, who he harassed, struck in the face causing him to bleed, and then pushed into a car.[19][20][21]

Personal life

Bottcher lives in Chelsea. He is gay, and has been open about his struggles with suicide when he was a closeted high schooler.[6]

References

  1. ↑ @ebottcher (May 9, 2021). "Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my favorite human in the world, Linda Bottcher. When I was a little kid I wasn't thrilled about sharing my birthday with Mother's Day - now I love it. Celebrate and rejoice in love". Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  2. ↑ "District 3". Corey Johnson. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  3. ↑ "Hungry Trout Resort Video | Hungry Trout Resort - An Adirondack Escape". Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  4. 1 2 Vilensky, Mike (2020-02-10). "Top Corey Johnson Aide Running for His Chelsea Council Seat". THE CITY. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  5. 1 2 "Erik Bottcher's fight for equality". Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  6. 1 2 Elizabeth Izzo (July 1, 2021). "UP CLOSE: Bottcher declares victory in NYC primary". Lake Placid News. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Mike Vilensky (February 10, 2020). "Top Corey Johnson Aide Running for His Chelsea Council Seat". The City. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  8. ↑ Andy Towle (February 11, 2020). "Erik Bottcher, Top Aide to NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Running for His Seat". Towleroad.com. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ Nuha Dolby (May 11, 2021). "Race heats up to fill Corey Johnson's council seat". City & State. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  10. ↑ David Brand (June 21, 2021). "14 NYC Council Candidates Raised $100K or More. How'd They Do It?". City Limits. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  11. ↑ Emily Higginbotham (May 10, 2021). "Nadler Endorses Erik Bottcher in District 3 Race". West Side Spirit. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Policies". Erik Bottcher for City Council. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  13. ↑ Gus Saltonstall (June 22, 2021). "Bottcher Holds Commanding Early Lead In District 3 Council Race". Patch.com. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  14. ↑ "'We did it!' Bottcher celebrates City Council victory". The Village Sun. June 23, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Unofficial Ranked Choice Rounds – DEM Council Member 3rd Council District". New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  16. ↑ Thomas, Jesse (January 4, 2023). "Proud Boys, far-right groups terrorize New York City drag event". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  17. ↑ Davenport, Emily; Pozarycki, Robert (2022-12-20). "Two women cuffed for vandalizing Councilman Erik Bottcher's office, apartment building with homophobic slurs". AMNY. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  18. ↑ Owen, Tess (December 20, 2022). "Gay New York Councilman's Home Targeted by Anti-LGTBQ Mob". VICE News. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  19. ↑ Teeman, Tim (December 28, 2022). "Cops Nab Man Accused of Assaulting Gay NYC Councilman Erik Bottcher's Neighbor". Daily Beast. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  20. ↑ Panagi, Cristina; Plumb-Panas, Jaume (2023-02-01). "Jackson Heights NYC Drag Story Hour Draws Defenders, Homophobes". Unicorn Riot. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  21. ↑ Sciallo, Andrew (December 24, 2022). "Man Wanted for Assault Outside Gay NYC Council Member's Apartment". The Advocate. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
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