Luis R. Sepúlveda

Luis R. Sepúlveda (born February 11, 1964)[1] is an American attorney and politician who currently serves as the New York State Senator from the 32nd Senate District, which includes parts of the Bronx. Prior to being in the state senate Sepúlveda was a member of the New York State Assembly from 2013 to 2018.

For the Chilean writer, see Luis Sepúlveda. For the Chilean cyclist, see Luis Fernando Sepúlveda.
Luis R. Sepúlveda
Member of the New York State Senate
from the 32nd district
Assumed office
April 30, 2018
Preceded byRubén Díaz
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 87th district
In office
January 1, 2013 – April 30, 2018
Preceded byJ. Gary Pretlow
Succeeded byKarines Reyes
Personal details
Born (1964-02-11) February 11, 1964[1]
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.[1]
Political partyDemocratic[1]
SpouseElizabeth Sepulveda
Children2
ResidenceWest Farms, Bronx, New York[1]
Alma materHofstra University (BA)
Hofstra University School of Law (JD)[1]
ProfessionAttorney
WebsiteOfficial website

Sepúlveda is a close ally of Bill de Blasio, being the first assembly member to endorse him in his 2013 and 2017 mayoral runs.

In January 2021, Sepúlveda turned himself in and was arrested and charged with assault, criminal obstruction of breathing, and harassment, but the charges were later dropped after prosecutors determined that there was a lack of evidence to proceed to trial.

Early life and education

Sepúlveda was born in Brooklyn, New York,[1] and graduated from Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the natural sciences in 1988.[2] Sepúlveda later attended the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra on a full scholarship, obtaining his J.D. degree in 1991.[1][3]

Career

In 2010, Sepúlveda made his first run for public office, losing a bid for the New York State Assembly to incumbent Peter M. Rivera in the Democratic primary.[4] Two years later, Rivera retired and Sepúlveda was elected as his successor. He would be re-elected twice more.

Sepúlveda has a history of endorsing populist and progressive candidates. Sepúlveda was the first member of the Assembly to endorse future New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in the 2013 New York City Mayoral primary elections[5] as well as the first Assembly member to endorse de Blasio in his 2017 reelection campaign.

He was one of the few New York State politicians to back Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Primary over former New York Senator Hillary Clinton.[6] He endorsed Sanders again for the 2020 Primary.[7][8]

However, in 2018, Sepúlveda supported incumbent state senator Martin Malave Dilan against a primary challenge from Julia Salazar, a community organizer endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America,[9] and endorsed former Independent Democratic Conference leader Jeffrey D. Klein against challenger Alessandra Biaggi.[10]

New York State Assembly

While in the Assembly from 2013 to 2018, Sepúlveda served on the Assembly's Committees on Aging, Agriculture, Banks, Correction, Mental Hygiene, and Housing. Sepúlveda also serves as the chair of the Subcommittee on Transitional Services, dealing with post-incarceration issues.[1]

New York State Senate

In 2017, longtime Senator Rubén Díaz Sr. opted to run for the New York City Council, and won.[11] A special election was announced to replace him, and Sepúlveda announced his candidacy on December 18, 2017.[12] Sepúlveda would easily win the endorsement of the county Democratic party, and in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, easily won the special election.[13]

Sepúlveda was elected to a full term in 2018 unopposed.[14] In the Senate, he is serving as Chairman of the Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee.[15] Sepúlveda sponsored the New York State Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, also known as the "Green Light" bill.[16]

Sepúlveda was elected in 2020 and faced no major party opposition.[17]

In support of Kathy Hochul's nomination of Hector LaSalle as chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, Sepúlveda spoke at a press conference, saying that "I don't care if this fight costs me my political career. This is the hill I'm gonna die on."[18]

Domestic violence charges

In 2015, Sepúlveda's wife requested an order of protection against him after an argument between them turned violent. A restraining order was never issued.[19]

In 2021, the police responded to a 911 call from Sepúlveda's wife. When the police arrived, both Sepúlveda and his wife claimed the other had assaulted them.[19] Later, Sepúlveda turned himself in and was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife, and was charged with assault in the 3rd degree, criminal obstruction of breathing, and harassment.[20][21] Prosecutors dropped charges in August of that year, citing an inability to meet the burden of proof and the witness' decision to no longer testify.[22]

Following these incidents, Andrea Stewart-Cousins removed Sepúlveda from his committee chairmanship of the Crime Victims Committee and Crime and Correction Committee, and elected officials like Nathalia Fernandez and Rob Ortt called on him to resign if the allegations were true.[23][24]

See also

References
  1. Staff (undated). "Biography" Archived 2013-08-05 at the Wayback Machine. New York State Assembly. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  2. Adler, Ben (2018-03-12). "Updated: Who's on the ballot in state special elections?". CSNY. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  3. "Assemblyman Luis R. Sepúlveda '91". 31 July 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  4. "Our Campaigns - NY Assembly 76 - D Primary Race - Sep 14, 2010". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  5. "Mayor de Blasio will attend pricey fundraiser for Bronx assemblyman". New York Daily News. 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  6. "Sepulveda endorses de Blasio for re-election". Politico. 2016-12-05. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  7. Sepúlveda, Senator Luis (2019-10-19). "My statement on my support for @BernieSanders". @LuisSepulvedaNY. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  8. "Who are prominent New Yorkers endorsing for president?". CSNY. 2019-10-21. Archived from the original on 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  9. Sepúlveda, Luis [@LuisSepulvedaNY] (August 21, 2018). "Can anyone explain to how anyone can challenge Sen. Dilan's 30 year track record of progressive policies. It's completely baffling" (Tweet). Retrieved August 22, 2018 – via Twitter.
  10. Klein, Jeffrey [@JeffKleinNY] (August 26, 2018). "Huge thank you to Senator Sepúlveda for your endorsement today! @LuisSepulvedaNY is true champion for our Bronx families and neighborhoods, and I am proud to have his endorsement #teamklein" (Tweet). Retrieved August 27, 2018 – via Twitter.
  11. "Ruben Diaz Sr. Rides to Victory in District 18 Council Primary". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  12. "Sepulveda Announces Senate Bid". www.nystateofpolitics.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  13. "Sepúlveda wins special election for State Senate seat – Mott Haven Herald". Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  14. "Our Campaigns - NY State Senate 32 Race - Nov 06, 2018". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  15. "November 29, 2018: Sen. Luis Sepúlveda on his legislative priorities | The Capitol Pressroom". WQXR. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  16. "NY State Senate Bill S1747B". NY State Senate. 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  17. "2020 New York State Senate Election Results | USA TODAY". www.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  18. "Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks in Support of Judge Hector LaSalle". p. 25:43. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  19. "State Senator Luis Sepúlveda Arrested on Domestic Abuse Charges". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  20. Ferré-Sadurní, Luis; Southall, Ashley (12 January 2021). "State Senator Arrested on a Charge He Choked His Wife". The New York Times.
  21. "Charges Dropped against Sen. Sepúlveda in DV Case; Witness Does Not Wish to Testify". Norwood News. 2021-10-04. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  22. "Domestic violence charges against NY Sen. Luis Sepulveda dropped". New York Post. 2021-10-04. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  23. WABC (2021-01-12). "New York state senator accused of domestic violence in Bronx". ABC7 New York. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  24. "NYS Lawmaker Arrested For Allegedly Choking His Wife". WAMC. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
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