Daniel R. Garodnick

Daniel R. Garodnick is a published author and a former Democratic New York City Councilmember for the 4th district, representing the East Side of Manhattan. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Riverside Park Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for a six-mile park on Manhattan's West Side.

As a city councilmember, Garodnick was known for his independence and effectiveness in legislation. He was the driving force behind a bill that relieved over 2,700 small businesses in Manhattan from paying the onerous commercial rent tax. Garodnick was also the lead negotiator in crafting a plan that will deliver nearly a billion dollars to improve subways and public spaces in Midtown over the next 20 years, through the East Midtown and Vanderbilt Corridor rezonings.

Garodnick is a fierce tenant advocate and, in 2015, negotiated the largest affordable housing preservation deal in New York City’s history -- 5,000 middle class housing units in Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village. This experience is the subject of his popular book, "Saving Stuyvesant Town: How One Community Defeated the Worst Real Estate Deal in History." Before his political career, Garodnick was a lawyer with a background in civil rights, representing same-sex couples seeking marriage equality, low-wage workers seeking a living wage, and businesses seeking fair funding for city schools as part of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. He lives with his wife Zoe and two young sons in Manhattan.