Abreu Now Council Majority Leader, Brewer Heads Gov. Operations

Shaun Abreu, who represents part of the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights, was appointed Democratic Party majority leader in the City Council on Jan. 15.

Council Speaker Julie Menin, who represents the Upper East Side, made the appointment. “I am deeply honored by Speaker Menin’s confidence in naming me Majority Leader,” Abreu said in a statement.

“I am ready to work alongside her to lead the City Council as we move our city forward and take on the affordability issues that matter most to New Yorkers. From building more housing, to tackling sky-high healthcare costs and delivering on universal childcare, we will fight tirelessly for working families,” he added.

Abreu was also appointed chair of the Transportation Committee, where he vowed to bring a “people-first approach to the Transportation Committee in using public space for public benefit.”

Council Member Gale Brewer, who also represents the Upper West Side, was appointed chair of the Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation. “I am thrilled to chair a committee that oversees agencies that are the guts of city government, that help other agencies to function, and that bring the public into contact with public servants at City Council hearings,” she said in a statement.

Other Council Members representing Manhattan were given oversight of various Council committees by Menin.

District 1 Council Member Christopher Marte, who represents Lower Manhattan, was appointed chair of the “Land Use Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency, and Dispositions;” Marte is an outspoken supporter of preservationist groups, who push to cement or strengthen local landmark protections.

Marte is also a noted opponent of the pro-development zoning package known as “City of Yes” that passed into law under then-Mayor Eric Adams, which is also supported by now-Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYC Comptroller (and former Manhattan Borough President) Mark Levine.

“Representing the oldest part of our city and one that’s almost entirely coastal, I look forward to using this committee to shape our city’s future while celebrating its past,” Marte said in a statement. “We will also work to ensure that our public sites are used for public good–so that as our city continues to change, the Council is constantly required to address who these changes benefit.”

Council Member Harvey Epstein, who represents Manhattan’s Lower East Side (and who represented the area in the State Assembly before resigning to become a city council member), was named the chair of the Council’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection by Menin.

“Too many New Yorkers are struggling with rising costs, wage theft, predatory practices, fraud, and unsafe working conditions,” Epstein said. “This committee will play a critical role in advancing legislation and pursuing oversight hearings to empower workers and make New York a more equitable and affordable city.”

Notably, Menin herself once served as the Commissioner of NYC’s Department of Consumer Affairs, where she established a reputation as an impassioned advocate for consumer protection. She joined Mayor Mamdani during a Jan. 5 press conference centered around cracking down on junk fees and “subscription traps,” both longstanding priorities for consumer protection advocates.

Council Member Virginia Maloney, who replaced the term-limited Keith Powers in his East Side Seat (located just above Epstein’s), was appointed chair of the Council’s Economic Development Committee. Her statement echoed themes that she campaigned on, after transitioning into government from a high-profile private sector role at Meta.

“At a moment of fiscal uncertainty and shifting federal priorities, our responsibility to protect jobs and expand opportunity for New Yorkers has never been more urgent,” Maloney said.

“I am committed to advancing strategies supporting job creation, leveraging City-owned property for affordable housing, preparing our workforce in a rapidly shifting economy, and applying public-private partnerships to preserve the programs and services New Yorkers rely on,” she added.

Menin also pointedly removed Council Member Vickie Paladino—a Republican who represents part of Queens—from five of the seven committees that she’s previously served on, citing various online comments that Paladino has made, including a tweet calling for “the expulsion of Muslims from Western nations” (roughly one out of every eight New Yorkers identifies as Muslim, including Mayor Mamdani).

Menin said that Paladino’s sentiments were “abhorrent and unacceptable,” adding that they promote “divisiveness” in the City Council. Meanwhile, Menin elevated other members of the city’s Republican caucus to leadership roles, including by appointing Paladino’s fellow Queens representative Joann Ariola as chair of the Council’s Fire and Emergency Management Committee. Ariola represents Rockaway, which has the city’s largest concentration of police and firefighters among its residents.