BROOKLYN, NY — Greek American Andrew Gounardes, Democratic candidate for State Senate in District 22, won Democratic Primary against Ross Barkan (8,572/58 percent – 6,235/42 percent).
Gounardes issued the following statement after his primary win:
“I’m honored to be the Democratic nominee for New York State Senate District 22. New Yorkers across the district went to the polls and cast their ballot in today’s primary. I am thrilled and humbled to have received their vote of confidence. This is the first big step toward turning this district blue and taking back the State Senate. ”
“We understand that we have an uphill climb to victory in November, but we look forward to the road ahead. Our grassroots campaign is the strongest and broadest ever assembled to defeat Marty Golden and we’re growing every day. We are tired of having our voices silenced, our concerns dismissed, and our values ignored. Together, we can and will stand up for the diverse voices of this great community and make sure that they are finally reflected by their representative in Albany.”
I want to congratulate Ross Barkan on a hard fought campaign and I promise to continue the fight for the fundamental ideals that we both share.
About Andrew Gounardes
Born and raised in Bay Ridge, it was in Southern Brooklyn where Andrew Gounardes started his work in public service. As an aide to former City Councilmember Vincent Gentile, he helped neighbors solve everyday quality of life problems. Currently, he serves as Counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and as a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, one of the largest municipal pension funds in the country. Before serving at Borough Hall, he worked for Citizens Committee for New York City, a non-profit that provides neighborhood improvement grants to community groups across the five boroughs. He also served on Community Board 10 and is a longtime member of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Bay Ridge.
After Superstorm Sandy, Andrew co-founded Bay Ridge Cares, an organization that prepared 25,000 hot meals for victims after the storm. Today, the organization still supports community members facing extraordinary need by providing them with emergency assistance. As a member of the Riders Alliance, he organized and formed the Concerned R Train Riders to fight for better service and demand handicapped accessible subway stations in South Brooklyn. He helped write and pass legislation to combat dangerous home conversions, and continues to work toward helping those who are displaced from unsafe living conditions.
His work with Bay Ridge Advocates for Keeping Everyone Safe (B.R.A.K.E.S.) successfully pressured Albany lawmakers to allow speed cameras in school zones. As an advocate for art and culture in our neighborhoods, he served as pro bono legal counsel for the Bay Ridge Storefront Art Walk (S.A.W.) and as past president of the Bay Ridge Historical Society.
Andrew graduated from Fort Hamilton High School before going on to earn degrees from Hunter College and the George Washington University Law School.
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