# Deborah J. Glick

Deborah J. Glick (born December 24, 1950) is an American politician who serves in the New York State Assembly from the 66th district since 1993, and from the 61st district between 1991 and 1993, as a member of the Democratic Party.
Born in Queens, Glick was educated at Queens College and Fordham University. She operated a printing business and was a deputy director for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats elected her as its president and splintered due to her opposition to Ed Koch.
Glick was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1990, becoming the first open LGBT person to serve in the state legislature. She has chaired the Ethics and Guidance, Higher Education, and Social Services committees during her tenure. She unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for borough president of Manhattan in 1997.

## Early life

Deborah J. Glick was born in the New York City borough of Queens, on December 24, 1950. She graduated from Queens College with a bachelor's degree and from Fordham University with a Master of Business Administration. She has lived in Greenwich Village for over 40 years. She is Jewish and is married to Leslie.
Until May 1990, Glick was a deputy director for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Prior to that she operated a printing business in Tribeca.

## Career
### Local politics

Greenwich Village's Democratic politics were divided into the pro-Ed Koch Village Reform Democratic Club (VRDC), anti-Koch Village Independent Democrats (VID), and neutral Downtown Independent Democrats (DID). The Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats elected Glick, who was opposed to Koch, president in 1986. The pro-Koch members of the organization left and formed the Stonewall Democratic Club.
Ruth Messinger, borough president of Manhattan, ran for mayor of New York City in 1997, rather than for reelection. Glick announced her campaign for the Democratic nomination on May 4, but lost to C. Virginia Fields. Her campaign raised $665,002 from donors and received $322,074 in public funds. Fields was endorsed by Messinger while Glick was endorsed by Alan Hevesi.
Thomas Duane was endorsed by Glick for New York City Council in 1991, later becoming its first openly gay member. She and other gay leaders and organizations opposed the reelection of Antonio Pagán, a gay man, to the city council in 1993. For mayor of New York City, she supported Fernando Ferrer in 2005, Bill Thompson in 2009, Maya Wiley in 2021, and Scott Stringer in 2025. Glick called for Eric Adams to resign as Mayor of New York City after he was indicted.

### State legislature
#### Elections

William F. Passannante, who had served in the state legislature for 35 years, announced that he would not seek reelection to the New York State Assembly from the 61st district on April 11, 1990. Glick, who launched her campaign before his announcement, was supported by Susan Sarandon, Messinger, Bella Abzug, the National Organization for Women, and The New York Times.
Liz Shollenberger, who was endorsed by the Stonewall Democratic Club and VRDC, attacked Glick's commitment to abortion stating that "The only time that a lesbian would deal with an abortion would be when she's raped." The VID endorsed Tony Hoffman while DID endorsed Kathryn E. Freed. She defeated Republican nominee Elizabeth Ivory Greene in the general election. Around $150,000 was spent by Glick during the campaign.
Glick faced no opposition in the 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2022 elections. She considered running to succeed Manfred Ohrenstein in the New York State Senate in 1994, but declined to do so.
Doug Seidman was selected by the Working Families Party as a paper candidate against Glick in 2018. The WFP swapped Seidman for Cynthia Nixon, who received the party's gubernatorial nomination and is a resident of the district, so that it could give its nomination to Andrew Cuomo. Nixon did not campaign and supported Glick. Glick won with 81.94% of the vote.

#### Tenure

Glick was the first openly LGBT person in the state legislature. She refused to participate in the 1992 New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade if the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization were prohibited.
In 1991, Glick was the 10th-lowest paid member of the state legislature. During Glick's tenure in the state house she served on the Children and Families, Environmental Conservation, Government Operations, Rules, and Ways and Means committees. She was chair of the Ethics and Guidance, Higher Education, and Social Services committees. She was a presidential elector for Bill Clinton in the 1996 election.

## Political positions

In 1993, legislation cosponsored by Glick which would amend New York's civil rights law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation was passed by the state house, but was not voted on in the state senate. Pope John Paul II's visit to the United States was protested by around 1,000 people, including Glick, due to his stances on abortion, birth control, and gay rights. She criticized Barack Obama for selecting Rick Warren to do the invocation at his inauguration due to his stances on gay rights. In 2013, she supported legislation to ban conversion therapy.
Legislation to recognize domestic partnerships was proposed by Glick. She supported repealing New York misdemeanor punishment for adultery, which ad existed since the 1800s, as only 10 people were arrested for it between 1972 and 1993. She criticized Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno in 1995, after he stated that LGBT state senate employees should not receive health coverage for domestic partners as it would subsidize their "abnormal lifestyle".
Glick opposes capital punishment. In 1991, Glick sponsored legislation by Velmanette Montgomery that would decriminalize the possession of hypodermic needle, hoping that the availability of clean needles would reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. In 1995, the state assembly voted 140 to 9, with Glick against, to pass Megan's Law.
Carl Marcellino and Glick proposed legislation in 2005, to ban contests where the goal is to kill as many animals as possible, with the exception of fishing contests. Similar legislation was cosponsored by Glick and signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2023. Selling horses for meat was made illegal by legislation sponsored by Glick in 2023.
The 1992 redistricting plan for the state legislature was criticized by Glick as a "clear attempt to gerrymander". In 2017, she proposed to create a compulsory voting system with a fine of $10 for those who do not vote.
Construction of a new stadium for the New York Jets in Manhattan was opposed by Glick in 2005. She opposed using Pier 40 for residential development and the Elizabeth Street Garden for affordable housing for seniors.

## Electoral history

Electoral history of Kevin Kiley :
| Year | Office | Party | Party | Primary | Primary | Primary | General | General | General | Result | Ref. |
| Year | Office | Party | Party | Total | % | P. | Total | % | P. | Result | Ref. |
| 1996 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Liberal | | | | 37,338 | 86.26% | 1st | Won | |
| 1998 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic | | | | 31,095 | 88.39% | 1st | Won | |
| 2000 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 44,063 | 84.32% | 1st | Won | |
| 2002 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 26,427 | 85.98% | 1st | Won | |
| 2004 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 50,326 | 97.59% | 1st | Won | |
| 2006 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 33,667 | 100.00% | 1st | Won | |
| 2008 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 49,943 | 99.99% | 1st | Won | |
| 2010 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 28,774 | 86.60% | 1st | Won | |
| 2012 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 40,142 | 99.74% | 1st | Won | |
| 2014 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic | | | | 16,817 | 79.68% | 1st | Won | |
| 2016 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | 3,383 | 80.20% | 1st | 50,531 | 99.23% | 1st | Won | |
| 2018 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic | | | | 37,419 | 81.94% | 1st | Won | |
| 2020 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic | | | | 47,688 | 84.87% | 1st | Won | |
| 2022 | New York State Assembly (66th) | | Democratic Working Families | | | | 37,666 | 99.11% | 1st | Won | |