Senator Andrew Gounardes Contact information

Andrew Gounardes is an American lawyer and politician. He is a Democrat and a member of the New York State Senate, representing the 26th district, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, Greenwood Heights, Red Hook, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, Vinegar Hill, and DUMBO in Brooklyn.

Born on July 8, 1985, in Brooklyn, New York, Gounardes was raised in the Bay Ridge neighborhood by his parents, Steven, a dentist, and Dianne Gounardes. A fourth-generation Greek-American, he graduated from Fort Hamilton High School, before going on to earn degrees from Hunter College and the George Washington University Law School.

Following law school, Gounardes worked for Councilman Vincent J. Gentile as a constituent aide, and later as Counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. Gounardes formerly served as a trustee of the New York City Employees� Retirement System, and as a member of Brooklyn Community Board 10.

Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Gounardes, along with Justin Brannan, founded the nonprofit Bay Ridge Cares, which assisted local residents with disaster relief. Today, it still supports community members facing extraordinary need by providing them with emergency assistance.

Gounardes first ran against Republican Senator Marty Golden in 2012, but lost. However, in 2018, Golden faced scrutiny after it was publicized that he had failed to pay a number of parking tickets, and was illegally posing as a police officer to run red lights. As a result, and along with the national political climate, Golden was seen as vulnerable by New York political operatives. Gounardes declared his candidacy in early 2018. After defeating journalist Ross Barkan in the Democratic primary, he went on to defeat Golden in the general election, 51% to 49%.

In the Senate, Gounardes serves as Chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions. He is the Chair of the Committee on Budget and Revenue and a strong champion for working families across New York. He has written and passed key legislation to fight skyrocketing hospital costs, expand school zone speed cameras, and protect workers’ rights.