Joseph Patrick Addabbo Jr. (born May 13, 1964) is an American politician from the state of New York. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, Addabbo represents

New York's 15th State Senate district New York's 15th State Senate district is one of 63 districts in the New York State Senate. It has been represented by Democrat Joseph Addabbo Jr. since 2009, following his defeat of longtime Republican incumbent Serphin Maltese. Geography 2020s ...

in Queens. The district includes all or portions of the following neighborhoods: Forest Hills, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Lindenwood Ozone Park, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, South Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, and Woodhaven. Addabbo was first elected to the State Senate in 2008.

Early life, family, and education

Addabbo was born in 1964, the youngest child of Congressman Joseph Patrick Addabbo, Sr., and Grace Addabbo. He attended Nativity BVM School in Ozone Park and

Archbishop Molloy High School Archbishop Molloy High School (also called Molloy, Archbishop Molloy, or AMHS) is a four-year private, college preparatory, Catholic school for grades 9–12, located on on 83-53 Manton Street, Briarwood, Queens, New York. It is part of the D ...

, graduating in 1982. He later received degrees from St. John's University (1986) and

Touro Law School Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, commonly known as Touro Law Center, is an ABA accredited law school. It is located on Long Island, New York, in the hamlet of Central Islip. The Law Center is part of Touro University, a private ...

(1992). His father served 13 terms in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

. Addabbo practiced law for 10 years before being elected to the

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...

New York City Council

Addabbo was elected to the New York City Council in 2001. He was re-elected three times and served as a councilmember for eight years.

New York State Senate

By 2008, Republican state Senator

Serphin R. Maltese Serphin R. Maltese (born December 7, 1932) is an American attorney and retired politician from the state of New York. A onetime chairman of the Conservative Party of New York, Maltese served as a state senator from district 15 from 1989 through ...

had served the southern Queens district for ten terms, despite the district leaning Democratic. Facing term limits in the Council in 2009, Addabbo decided to challenge Maltese. In a good year for Democrats, Addabbo defeated Maltese 57% to 43%. In 2010, Addabbo was re-elected, defeating Republican New York City Councilmember

Anthony Como Anthony Como (born April 12, 1974) is a Republican politician from New York City Borough of Queens, New York. He was elected to the 30th district of the New York City Council in 2008 as a Republican, defeating Democrat Elizabeth Crowley, in what ...

in 2010. In 2011, Addabbo voted for same-sex marriage legislation that passed the Senate and became law. This vote was a change in position, as Addabbo had been one of a handful of Democratic votes against the bill when it was defeated in the Senate in 2009. In the Senate, Addabbo serves as the Chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee. In 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed Addabbo's bill that would have expedited the licensing of new casinos in the New York City metropolitan area.

Personal life

Addabbo and his wife, Dawn, have two daughters.

References

External links