Upper West Side Politician Named Majority Leader of the NYC Council

Councilmember Shaun Abreu at the press conference unveiling the new city budget. Photo Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit.

By Gus Saltonstall

An Upper West Side elected official was voted in on Thursday as the majority leader of the New York City Council.

Councilmember Shaun Abreu, who represents the northern section of the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights, along with parts of Harlem, is the new majority leader of the council, as well as the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“I am deeply honored by Speaker Menin’s confidence in naming me Majority Leader and Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,” Abreu said in a statement sent to West Side Rag. “I am ready to work alongside her to lead the City Council as we move our city forward and take on the affordability issues that matter most to New Yorkers.”

Abreu, in his role as majority leader, will help set the legislative agenda for the chamber and also play a leading part in negotiating the city budget.

Julia Menin is the new speaker of the council, and this is how City & State, which was the first to report on the subject, described how a leadership team is typically put together.

“Speakers typically reward trusted allies with top positions, but leadership team appointments can also indicate a speaker’s values and how they intend to guide the 51-member body,” City & State wrote. “All five of the council members tapped for top roles were either important supporters for Menin early in her speaker campaign or are close to the Democratic county organization in their borough.”

Abreu has been a longtime supporter of Menin, and both elected officials have endorsed one another in their respective races over the years. Abreu also worked as a field director for Menin, when she was the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs.

In terms of Abreu’s outlook on his new role as chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he says, “Every mile should be safe, well-maintained, and designed for the New Yorkers who use them every day. We’ve learned from our district what is important to people: streetlights being on, roads being paved, and infrastructure projects that were promised actually staying on schedule and being completed.”

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