A reader passed along the following invitation from Assembly member Hakeem Jeffries for a fundraiser next month that makes plain his desire to serve in Congress, with the funds raised from the event going to the Jeffries exploratory committee.
Jeffries opened his exploratory committee last month but has mostly kept a low political profile, primarily to avoid tangling with the man who currently holds that seat that Jeffries seeks–Congressman Ed Towns.
Towns has insisted that he is running for re-election, but if Jeffries is able to show enough strength–or if the district changes dramatically in redistricting–he may reconsider.
The suggested contribution for this night of “music, food and politics” is $100:
Hakeem Jeffries was sworn in as a member of the New York State Assembly in January 2007. He quickly emerged as a champion for working families and a fierce advocate for reform of state government in Albany.
Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries is the prime sponsor of legislation to create an independent redistricting commission designed to create a more equitable and democratic electoral process. He is also a strong advocate of education reform issues and played a key role in championing legislation that led to New York State’s successful Race to the Top application.
Assemblymember Jeffries has launched Project Reclaim, an initiative designed to transform vacant luxury apartments throughout central Brooklyn into affordable homes for working and middle-class families. He also co-sponsored the groundbreaking 421-a law that requires developers who receive tax breaks to build affordable housing in the neighborhoods he represents.
Assemblymember Jeffries successfully sponsored legislation that reforms the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk practices and protects the civil rights of hundreds of thousands of law-abiding New York City residents. In addition, Assemblymember Jeffries also sponsored and championed legislation to end prison-based gerrymandering.
Assemblymember Jeffries obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science from the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he graduated with honors for outstanding academic achievement. He then received his master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University. He attended New York University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude, served on the law review, finished in the top 10 percent of his class and delivered the commencement speech at graduation.
Following the completion of law school, Assemblymember Jeffries clerked for the Honorable Harold Baer Jr. of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Prior to his election to the Assembly, he practiced law for several years at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton Garrison, an internationally renowned law firm, and then in the litigation department of a Fortune 100 company.
