Brian Kavanagh Will Run To Replace Squadron In The NY Senate

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — New York state assembly member Brian Kavanagh is running to replace Daniel Squadron, the state senator who abruptly announced his resignation on Wednesday morning.

Kavanagh, who represents parts of the East Side of Manhattan in the state assembly, announced his bid just hours after Squadron dropped the surprise announcement that he was leaving the state senate.

"I am running to fight for our great communities in Manhattan and Brooklyn and create the progressive, reform-minded Senate that New Yorkers deserve," Kavanagh, a Democrat, said in a statement. "As a State Senator, I will fight for the things that matter to New Yorkers: strengthening rent laws and preserving affordable housing, increasing access to quality schools, safeguarding the environment, promoting economic and social justice, preventing violence in our communities, and creating a fairer and more accessible political process."

Squadron said in a letter that he would officially resign on Friday to focus on national politics. Squadron did not say what his next job would be. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

"Like many many across the country, since November, I’ve thought a lot about how best to change the direction of our country," Squadron wrote in the letter. "I have decided to lend my hand to make a difference in states across the country, pushing policies and candidates that will create a fairer and more democratic future."

Squadron has represented multiple neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn since he was elected in 2008.

Lead image via Shutterstock.