Jo Anne Simon

Jo Anne Simon is the Assembly member for the 52nd District of the New York State Assembly. She is a Democrat. The district includes portions of Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Park Slope, Boerum Hill and DUMBO in Brooklyn.

Life and career

Simon was born in Yonkers, New York where she resided before becoming the first in her family to attend college, at Iona College. She would later graduate from Gallaudet University with a master's degree in Education of the Deaf, and from the Fordham University School of Law.

After a few years into her career, Simon established a disability civil rights law firm in Downtown Brooklyn, and would also serve as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Law at Fordham. A resident of Brooklyn for nearly forty years, Simon formerly served as the President of the Boerum Hill Association before being elected to the Assembly. In 2004, she was elected female District Leader and State Committeewoman for the 52nd Assembly District.

Simon is married to Bill Harris and resides in Boerum Hill.

New York Assembly

In 2014, nine-term Assemblywoman Joan Millman announced she would retire. Soon after, Simon announced she would enter the race to succeed her. In a three-way primary, Simon secured over 53% of the vote, and would go on to win the general election with 69% of the vote.

Simon was sworn into office on January 1, 2015. On the Assembly, she serves as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Tuition Assistance Programs.