Mathylde Frontus
Mathylde Frontus (born December 1, 1977) is an American politician. A Democrat, Frontus represented the 46th district in the New York State Assembly. Her district includes portions of southern Brooklyn, including Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Bay Ridge, and Dyker Heights.
Mathylde Frontus | |
---|---|
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 46th district | |
In office November 15, 2018 – December 31, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Pamela Harris |
Succeeded by | Alec Brook-Krasny |
Personal details | |
Born | Brooklyn, New York | December 1, 1977
Political party | Democratic |
Residence(s) | Brooklyn, New York |
Website | Assembly website |
As of 2023, Frontus remains the only person since Adele Cohen, who retired in 2006, to have represented the 46th State Assembly District and not have faced criminal charges.
Early life and education
Born December 1, 1977 in Brooklyn, Frontus is the daughter of Haitian immigrants.[1][2] Frontus is a graduate of New York University, Teachers College, Columbia University, and Harvard Divinity School.[3]
Career
Prior to holding elected office, Frontus was well known as a community organizer in southwestern Brooklyn, and notably founded the Urban Neighborhood Services.[4] She received the Characters Unite Award from NBCUniversal for her work in 2014.[5]
New York State Assembly
In 2018, Assembly member Pamela Harris resigned her seat after allegations of fraud led to an 11-count indictment.[6] Soon afterward, Frontus announced her candidacy for the open seat, and then won the Democratic primary election over Ethan Lustig-Elgrably by only 51 votes.[7] In the general election, Frontus defeated Republican Steven Saperstein with 56% of the vote.[8]
In March 2020, Frontus fired a member of her staff, Marilyn Franks, a receptionist in Frontus’ Coney Island district office, after Franks shared a message on Facebook that urged patrons to avoid Chinese restaurants and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10] Frontus was reelected in the November 2020 election.[2]
References
- "Know Your Candidates: Mathylde Frontus". Brooklyn Eagle. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- "NYS Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus Wins Reelection in 46th District". The Haitian Times. 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- "Checkin' in with ... Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus". Brooklyn Paper. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- Goba, Kadia (16 November 2018). "Mathylde Frontus Takes The 46th Assembly Seat, Early". bklyner.com. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- Alexander, John (2019-01-07). "Mathylde Frontus Officially Inaugurated as 46th District Assemblymember". The Brooklyn Home Reporter. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- "Pamela Harris pleads guilty in federal fraud case". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- "Our Campaigns – NY Assembly 46 – D Primary Race – Sep 13, 2018". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- "Frontus beats Saperstein in Assembly race". Brooklyn Eagle. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
- "Staffer ousted after urging boycott of Asian businesses over Coronavirus fears". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
- "New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Implements 'Stay at Home' Order Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". Daily Beast. 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2020-04-05.