Kevin Parker
Member of the New York State Senate
from the 21st district
Assumed office
January 1, 2003
Preceded byCarl Kruger
Personal details
Born (1967-03-06) March 6, 1967
Political partyDemocratic
EducationPennsylvania State University (BS)
WebsiteOfficial website

Kevin Parker (born March 6, 1967)[1] is an American politician from the state of New York. He is a member of the New York State Senate representing the 21st district, which comprises portions of the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East Flatbush, Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Park Slope, and Windsor Terrace. A Democrat, Parker was first elected to the Senate in 2002.

He ran unsuccessfully in 2001 in the New York City Council District 45 Democratic primary and in 2021 for New York City Comptroller in the Democratic primary. Parker is also known for his angry outbursts, some of which have been violent. In 2010, he was convicted by a jury of two counts of criminal mischief for attacking a New York Post photographer, damaging their camera and car door, and breaking their finger.

Education and early career

Parker is the son of Sonie and Georgie Parker.[2][3] He attended P.S. 193, Andries Hudde I.S. 240, and Midwood High School in Brooklyn.[4] Parker received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Service from Penn State.[5]

Prior to serving in elected office, Parker held a number of different public sector roles, including intergovernmental aide to New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall and New York City Urban Fellow under Manhattan Borough President and mayoral candidate Ruth Messinger.[6][7]

In 2001, Parker ran unsuccessfully in the New York City Council District 45 Democratic primary, coming in fifth with 14.95% of the vote.[8]

New York State Senate

Elections

In 2002, Parker defeated former City Councilman Noach Dear in a tightly-contested Democratic primary for a newly drawn, open State Senate seat in Brooklyn.[9] He won the 2002 general election and was elected to the Senate for the first time.[10]

In the 2008 Democratic primary, Parker held off a strong challenge from New York City Councilmembers Simcha Felder and Kendall Stewart. He won the primary with less than 50% of the vote.[11] In 2008, the district was about 60% black, 22% white, and 10% Hispanic.[12] In 2012, Parker's district was redrawn, and remained a majority African American district.[13]

Tenure

On June 24, 2011, the State Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act.[14] Parker voted in favor of the legislation, which was signed into law that evening.[15] However, he stormed to the podium where Lieutenant Gov. Robert Duffy was presiding and then left the Senate floor in protest because he was not allowed to speak on the bill.[16][14] According to Parker, Senate Democrats had previously been informed that each Senator would have two minutes to explain his or her vote.[16] Parker added that the doors to the Senate chamber were locked on the evening of June 24 to prevent senators from leaving the chamber when the bill was voted upon.[16]

After Democrats won the Senate majority in the 2018 elections, Parker was named Chair of the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications.[17] As of March 2019, Parker served as Majority Whip.[18] The State Senate passed the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, with Parker voting in favor of the bill; then-Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law.[19][20] In May 2019, the State Senate passed a Parker-sponsored bill that would ban undetectable firearms.[21]

A Parker-sponsored bill that barred utility companies from shutting off customers' service during the COVID-19 pandemic and other states of emergency was signed into law on June 17, 2020.[22] On October 14, 2020, a Parker-sponsored bill recognizing Juneteenth (June 19) as an official state holiday was enacted, commemorating the day when the news of liberation came to Texas more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.[23] Also in 2020, he sponsored a bill that would have recognized racism as a public health crisis.[24]

In 2021, Parker re-introduced legislation to require members of the NYPD to live in the five boroughs.[25]

2021 NYC Comptroller campaign

Parker announced his candidacy in the 2021 New York City Comptroller election.[26] He ran in the Democratic primary against (among others) NYS Senator Brian Benjamin, entrepreneur and former US Marine Zach Iscol, NYC Council member Brad Lander, and NYS Assemblymember David Weprin.[27] Through January 15, 2021, he was fifth in fundraising among all candidates, behind Lander, Iscol, Benjamin, and Weprin.[28] He had raised approximately $122,000 [28] and finished sixth in the Democratic primary, which was won by Lander.[29]

Parker is notable for what City & State NY referred to in 2019 as his "long history of making explosive remarks and getting involved in scuffles".[30]

2004-2009

In 2004, businessman and politician Wellington Sharpe, who once ran against Parker, said that Parker had assaulted him in an argument. Sharpe did not file any charges.[31][32] Parker defeated Sharpe in the 2004 election.[33]

In January 2005, Parker was arrested, taken to the 67th Precinct station, and charged with third degree assault for punching a New York City traffic agent in the face after Parker saw the traffic agent writing his car a traffic citation for double parking.[31][34][30] The charges were dropped as part of a plea deal after he agreed to take anger management classes.[35][36][37]

In 2005, a female staffer alleged that Parker had hit and shoved her while she was working for him as an office manager. She further alleged that after she made these accusations public, Parker had threatened her at a restaurant.[30][38]

A 32-year-old female special assistant to Parker filed charges with the police at the 70th Precinct against him in 2008.[31][39] She alleged that he pushed her during an argument, choked her, knocked her eyeglasses off her face, and then intentionally smashed her glasses by stomping on them.[40][36][41][42][30][38]

2010-present

Parker was convicted of misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief in 2010. On May 8, 2009, he was arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief, assault, and menacing in Brooklyn for chasing and attacking a New York Post photographer, damaging the photographer's camera and car door, and breaking his finger.[32][43][30][44] Parker was taken to the 67th Police Precinct station, booked, charged with a felony due to the value of damage to the camera and car door, and released without bail.[45][39][46][47] As a result, he was stripped of his leadership positions as Majority Whip and chair of the Energy Committee, and payment of his $22,000 leadership stipend was suspended.[48] Parker was convicted by a jury of two misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief on December 6, 2010.[6][49][50] On March 21, 2011, Parker was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $1,000, and ordered to pay compensation to the newspaper.[32][51][30] He was ordered again to attend anger-management classes; the judge also issued an order of protection against Parker on behalf of the photographer.[6][49][50] Meanwhile, Parker told reporters: "I don't think I have an anger issue."[38]

Parker was restrained by colleagues during a profane tirade against Senator Diane Savino in February 2010,[30] in which he referred to her as a "bitch".[52][53] He then offered to fight her boyfriend, Senator Jeff Klein, who intervened.[54]

In April 2010, Parker launched into a tirade while white colleague, Republican Senator John DeFrancisco of Syracuse, was questioning a Black nominee for the New York State Power Authority at a confirmation hearing.[55] He objected to DeFrancisco's questions and asserted that he had never seen a white nominee treated in similar fashion.[56] "Amid the nearly two-minute tirade, committee chairman Carl Kruger told Parker he would be removed from the hearing room if he didn't settle down".[56] Parker responded: "Well, you better bring people".[57] During the tirade, Parker accused his colleagues of racism. He followed up in a radio interview by accusing DeFrancisco and Parker's Republican "enemies" of being white supremacists,[58][36][59][60] but later apologized for the "white supremacists" accusation.[61] His fellow Democrat, then-Senator Rubén Díaz Sr., himself a member of a racial minority group, opined that Parker "needs help".[62] The New York Times editorial board, writing that Parker was "known as the man with frightening rages that could erupt at any time and on almost any subject," opined that "Mr. Parker should be censured, and voters in central Brooklyn should start recruiting a qualified replacement."[55]

In December 2018, a car bearing Parker's official Senate parking placard was parked illegally in a New York City bicycle lane, blocking bicycle traffic.[63][62] When questioned by a female staffer about the vehicle on Twitter, Parker replied, "Kill yourself!"[64][65] Incoming Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins expressed her "disappointment" at Parker's action, and then-lieutenant governor Kathy Hochul said it was "wildly inappropriate".[34][66][67][68] Parker said: "I don't know why this is a temper issue. Did I touch her?"[69] He also said: "I’m sure people in my district don’t care."[70] As of January 27, 2019, no formal disciplinary action had been taken against him in regard to the "Kill yourself!" tweet.[71]

In an April 2019 closed-door meeting of Senate Democrats, an argument between Parker and then-freshman senator Alessandra Biaggi occurred. Parker reportedly "ripped off his tie and threw it down in a rage".[72][73][30]

In November of 2023, Parker was sued by a woman accusing him of raping her in 2004 during his first term in office.[74]

References

  1. ↑ "TSE Public Resources - Sen. Kevin Parker (D-NY-021)". www.congressweb.com.
  2. ↑ Campanile, Carl (April 10, 2017). "State senator owes more than $50K in property taxes, water bills". The New York Post.
  3. ↑ "Deaths; Parker, Sonie". The New York Times. June 10, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Kevin S. Parker". MIT CoLab. February 27, 2018.
  5. ↑ "About Kevin S. Parker". NY State Senate. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 Campanile, Carl (November 12, 2020). "Brooklyn Sen. Kevin Parker throws fists in ring for NYC comptroller". The New York Post.
  7. ↑ Wilson, Michael (January 21, 2005). "Senator Is Accused of Punching a Traffic Agent Over a Ticket". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  8. ↑ "New York City Council 45 - D Primary Race". Our Campaigns. September 25, 2001. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  9. ↑ "NY State Senate 21 - D Primary Race - Sep 10, 2002". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  10. ↑ "NY State Senate Bill S1823". NY State Senate. October 2, 2015.
  11. ↑ Confessore, Nicholas; Hicks, Jonathan P. (September 10, 2008). "Silver Sidesteps a Challenge, but Other Incumbents Fall in Primary". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ Benjamin Sarlin (September 8, 2008). "Political Effects of Term Limits Law Ripple Well Beyond New York City". The New York Sun.
  13. ↑ Tracy, Thomas (November 7, 2012). "Simcha Felder beats state Sen. David Storobin at the polls". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  14. 1 2 Nicholas Confessore and Michael Barbaro (June 24, 2011). "New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law," The New York Times, accessed June 25, 2011
  15. ↑ Garth Johnston (June 24, 2011). "Finally: NY State Senate Passes Gay Marriage". Gothamist. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  16. 1 2 3 David King (June 25, 2011). "Why Sen. Kevin Parker Got Mad". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  17. ↑ "With Democrats in power, Brooklyn state senators to lead committees". Brooklyn Eagle. December 12, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Making sense of the legislative pecking order". CSNY. March 18, 2019.
  19. ↑ Leonhardt, Andrea (January 24, 2019). "NY Senate Passes Historic Reproductive Health Act to Protect Roe..." BK Reader.
  20. ↑ "Abortion in America: How does NY's law compare to Alabama's law?". Pressconnects. May 17, 2019.
  21. ↑ Gormley, Michael (May 20, 2019). "State Legislature passes ban on 'undetectable guns'". Newsday.
  22. ↑ Dunne, Allison (June 23, 2020). "Advocates Say NY Utility Shutoff Prevention Law Should Be A Model For Other States". wamc.org.
  23. ↑ Wilcox, Anya (October 16, 2020). "Cuomo signs law making Juneteenth a state holiday". The Legislative Gazette.
  24. ↑ "Year in Review 2020". Amsterdam News. December 31, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Socialist organizer David Alexis announces primary challenge to State Sen. Kevin Parker • Brooklyn Paper". October 6, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Parker: 'I literally have the most relevant and significant experience'". City & State NY. January 27, 2021.
  27. ↑ Mays, Jeffery C. (January 27, 2021). "One Candidate Leaves Crowded Mayor's Race. One From 'Housewives' Joins". The New York Times.
  28. 1 2 "Crunching The Numbers: Who's Making Bank In The Comptroller's Race?". Gothamist. January 29, 2021.
  29. ↑ "DEM Comptroller Citywide". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. July 20, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Zach Williams (April 12, 2019). "State Sen. Kevin Parker's most notable eruptions". City & State NY.
  31. 1 2 3 Hicks, Jonathan P. (September 18, 2008). "State Senator Faces New Allegations of Violence". The New York Times.
  32. 1 2 3 Moynihan, Colin (March 21, 2011). "State Senator Receives 3 Years' Probation". The New York Times.
  33. ↑ Klein, Helen (September 15, 2010). "And from our Southern Brooklyn bureau…". Brooklyn Paper.
  34. 1 2 McKinley, Jesse (December 19, 2018). "Brooklyn Senator Tells a G.O.P. Foe to 'Kill Yourself' on Twitter". The New York Times.
  35. ↑ "Daily News Editorial: Voters Should Send NYS Senator Kevin Parker Back To Private Life". The New York Daily News. September 6, 2010.
  36. 1 2 3 Marcia Kramer (April 29, 2010). "NY Senator: 'You Racist People In Here'". wcbstv. Archived from the original on April 30, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  37. ↑ Carl Campanile; Max Jaeger (December 18, 2018). "State Sen. Kevin Parker tells GOP rep to 'kill yourself' on Twitter". The New York Post. Retrieved December 19, 2018. Parker — who was forced to undergo anger-management treatment after bashing a traffic cop in 2005
  38. 1 2 3 Michael Gormley (May 12, 2009). "Parker Pocketed $22K Stipend Right Before Photog Flap". NBC.
  39. 1 2 "Lawmaker arrested after scrap with photographer". The Dickinson Press. May 9, 2009.
  40. ↑ Jen Chung (May 12, 2009). "State Senator Parker Says He Doesn't Have Anger Issue". Gothamist.
  41. ↑ "NY State Senator Kevin Parker tweets 'Kill yourself!' to woman who points out his wrong parking placard use". Metro. December 18, 2018.
  42. ↑ Lovett, Kenneth (September 18, 2008). "Brooklyn lawmaker accused of pushing aide, breaking her glasses". The New York Daily News.
  43. ↑ Baker, Al (May 9, 2009). "After Arrest, a State Senator Loses His Leadership Posts". The New York Times.
  44. ↑ "Convicted NY State Senator Loses 1 Leader Post". CBS Local. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  45. ↑ Gendar, Alison; Lovett, Ken; Standora, Leo (May 8, 2009). "State Senator Kevin Parker busted over tussle with photographer". The New York Daily News.
  46. ↑ "State Senator Kevin Parker arrested after scrap with photographer". abc7NY. May 9, 2009.
  47. ↑ Gendar, Alison; Lovett, Ken; Standora, Leo (May 8, 2009). "State Senator Kevin Parker busted over tussle with photographer". The New York Daily News. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  48. ↑ Baker, Al (May 10, 2009). "After Arrest, a State Senator Loses His Leadership Posts". The New York Times.
  49. 1 2 William Sherman and Kenneth Lovett (December 7, 2010). "State Sen. Kevin Parker convicted of misdemeanor charges in beating of photographer". The New York Daily News.
  50. 1 2 Rosenberg, Noah; Confessore, Nicholas (December 8, 2010). "Senator Convicted of Misdemeanor Charges in Clash With Photographer". The New York Times.
  51. ↑ Gorta, William J. (March 21, 2011). "State Sen. Parker sentenced to probation for attacking Post photographer". New York Post.
  52. ↑ Lovett, Kenneth (February 11, 2010). "Another Senate brawl in Albany: Sen. Kevin Parker charges towards then curses out female colleague". The New York Daily News. New York.
  53. ↑ "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE: SENATOR KEVIN PARKER VERSUS WELLINGTON SHARPE (AGAIN)". Room Eight. August 18, 2010.
  54. ↑ "Park this senator". The New York Post. April 29, 2010.
  55. 1 2 "Opinion | A Toxic Anger". The New York Times. April 30, 2010.
  56. 1 2 Katz, Celeste; Lovett, Kenneth (April 28, 2010). "Elliptical vs. treadmill: Which will give you the better workout?". The New York Daily News. New York.
  57. ↑ Dan Amira (April 27, 2010). "State Senator Kevin Parker Still Has a Lot of Trouble Remaining Calm". Intelligencer.
  58. ↑ Charles McChesney (April 29, 2010). "State senator from Brooklyn calls Sen. John DeFrancisco a 'white supremacist'". The Post-Standard.
  59. ↑ Dan Amira (April 29, 2010). "Kevin Parker Insists That Some State Senators Are 'White Supremacists'". Intelligencer.
  60. ↑ Paybarah, Azi (April 28, 2010). "Parker Attacked for 'White Supremacist' Remark". Observer.
  61. ↑ Peters, Jeremy (July 4, 2010). "Senator Parker Apologizes For Race Rant". HuffPost.
  62. 1 2 "Sen. Parker to Run For NYC Comptroller despite history of violence against women (and men)". Shorefront News. February 15, 2019.
  63. ↑ Jon Campbell (December 18, 2018). "Oh my word.", Twitter.
  64. ↑ Mills Rodrigo, Chris (January 18, 2018). "NY state senator tweets 'kill yourself' at user who called him out over parking placard". The Hill. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  65. ↑ Benjamin Fearnow (December 18, 2018). "'KILL YOURSELF!': NEW YORK STATE SENATOR KEVIN PARKER APOLOGIZED FOR TWEET OVER PARKING SPOT". Newsweek. Retrieved December 19, 2018. Parker responded with an irrational demand that she kill herself before he offered a weak Twitter apology using his verified account. But less than an hour after the apology, Parker continued his criticism of Giove.
  66. ↑ "Dem. State Senator Slammed For 'Kill Yourself!' Tweet To GOP Aide". WLNY-TV CBS. December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018. The Senate's incoming leader, Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins, said she was "disappointed" by Parker's Tweet.
  67. ↑ "NY Lawmaker Tweets to GOP Legislative Aide: "Kill yourself!"". spectrumlocalnews.com. December 18, 2018.
  68. ↑ Campbell, Jon (December 18, 2018). "Brooklyn senator tweets 'Kill yourself!' to GOP aide". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
  69. ↑ Cupp, S. E. (December 19, 2018). "It's high time we confront online bullies who urge others to kill themselves". North Jersey Media Group.
  70. ↑ Derysh, Igor (December 18, 2018). "Kevin Parker: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.
  71. ↑ Khurshid, Samar (January 27, 2019). "Senate Democrats Pursue No Formal Consequences for Parker After 'Kill yourself!' Tweet". Gotham Gazette.
  72. ↑ Fink, Zack (April 12, 2019). "Nasty Fight Erupts Between State Senate Democrats". NY1.
  73. ↑ Ben Yakas (December 18, 2018). "[Updates] State Senator From Brooklyn Kevin Parker Tells Woman 'Kill Yourself!' In Response To Parking Placard Tweet". Gothamist. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  74. ↑ Brachfeld, Ben (November 19, 2023). "Brooklyn state Senator Kevin Parker accused of raping woman assisting in Haiti relief efforts in new lawsuit | amNewYork". www.amny.com. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
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