David Weprin

David I. Weprin (born May 2, 1956) is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, representing District 24 in Queens since 2010. He was previously a member of the New York City Council, representing district 23. He is also the former Deputy Superintendent of the New York State Banking Commission and former Chairman of New York's Securities Industry Association.

On September 13, 2011, Weprin lost the special election to the US House of Representatives to fill Anthony Weiner's former seat in 9th congressional district to Republican Bob Turner. Weprin's defeat by a little known Republican candidate in a heavily Democratic district was interpreted as a rejection of the entrenched patronage and nepotism that plagues the New York City and State political scene.

Weprin comes from a Jewish family of Democratic politicians. His parents were Sylvia (Matz) and New York State Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin, and his younger brother is the former New York State Assemblyman and former New York City Councilman Mark Weprin. Born in Queens on May 2, 1956, Weprin has lived in the Hollis-Jamaica area of Queens his entire life. He is a graduate of Jamaica High School. He received a cum laude bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University at Albany, SUNY, and a law degree from Hofstra University School of Law.

In 1983, then Governor Mario Cuomo named Weprin the Deputy Superintendent of Banks and Secretary of the Banking Board for New York State, a position responsible for regulating more than 3,000 financial institutions and financial service firms in New York State.

After leaving the Banking Board, Weprin held a variety of leadership positions at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette; Kidder Peabody; Paine Webber, Inc. and Advest, Inc.While in the private sector, he was elected to serve as Chairman of the Securities Industry Association for the New York District for three years.

In 2001, Weprin was elected to the New York City Council, where he served until 2009. Shortly after taking office, he was selected as Chairman of the Council's Finance Committee. During his time as a Council Member, Weprin led the charge in the Council against Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, which he characterized as “an unfair tax” with “the potential for causing hardship to people who rely on their cars in boroughs other than Manhattan”.

In 2009, Weprin retired from the City Council to run for New York City Comptroller.He finished last in the Democratic primary, behind Melinda Katz, David Yassky and the eventual nominee and winner of the general election, John Liu.

On February 9, 2010, Weprin won a special election to represent New York State Assembly's District 24.He won the general election the following November with 67 percent of the vote.

Special election 2011

Weprin was selected by the local leaders of the Democratic Party to run for the New York's 9th congressional district special election to the House of Representatives held on September 13, 2011, to replace Democrat Anthony Weiner, who had resigned in June 2011 following a sexting scandal. The district in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by three to one may be eliminated in the 2012 redistricting, and Weprin, who lives a few blocks outside of the district, was chosen largely because he promised not to challenge another incumbent in 2012, should his seat be eliminated. The seat was initially considered safe for Democrats, but Weprin lost against Republican opponent Bob Turner, a retired cable television executive, with 47 percent against Turner's 53 percent, after a campaign plagued by gaffes.

Turner, a Roman Catholic, was appealing to Jewish voters, who make up for about a third of the voters in the district, by criticizing President Obama's policies on Israel, and portraying Weprin, who is strongly pro-Israel, as being insufficiently critical of Obama's stance on Israel. Former New York mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat and Jew, supported Turner in order to send a message to President Obama to change what Koch describes as “hostile position on the State of Israel”. Turner was also supported by Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat and an orthodox Jew, and local rabbis, who objected to Weprin's support for same-sex marriage.

Weprin is a strong supporter of social security and is in favor of raising taxes on millionaires. Though an Orthodox Jew, he supported legalizing same-sex marriage, for which he has been criticized by Orthodox Jews. In the debate about the Park51 Islamic community center near Ground Zero, Weprin has defended the right to build an Islamic community center 4 city blocks from that site, but expressed his wish that the center be built at a different location.

• February 2010 special election, NYS Assembly, 24th AD

David I. Weprin (DEM – IND – WOR)		4,465
Bob Friedrich (REP – CON)		2,757

• November 2010 general election, NYS Assembly, 24th AD

David I. Weprin (DEM – WOR)		17,817
Timothy S. Furey (REP)		5,567
Bob Friedrich (CON)		2,145

• 2011 special election in New York's 9th congressional district to the House of Representatives (472/512 precincts reporting)

Bob Turner (REP – CON)		33,816
David I. Weprin (DEM – IND – WOR)		29,688
Chris Hoeppner (SWP)		278

Weprin divorced his first wife in 1986, and lives with his second wife, Ronni Gold, and five children in Holliswood, Queens.