VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 71
Northeastern Seminary—Doctorate of Ministry; Nyack College Alliance Theological Seminary—Master of Divinity; Lehman College—B.A. in Public Communication
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Dr. Al Taylor has represented New York's 71st Assembly District, covering Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood, since 2017. Before his election to the Assembly, he served as Chief of Staff to former Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell, Jr. and as District Leader, and he has more than 20 years of advocacy experience on issues including public safety, affordable housing, criminal justice reform, civil rights, and veteran services. He founded the Man Up! in Harlem anti-gun-violence program in 2008 and is also the pastor of Infinity Mennonite Church in Harlem.
Committee Assignments: Committee on Banks · Committee on Codes · Committee on Education · Committee on Election Law · Committee on Labor · Committee on Rules · Black Task Force · Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus · Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force
Alfred Taylor, Democratic incumbent for New York State Assembly District 71, has supported healthcare measures focused on access, patient protections, health data privacy, Medicaid/health-care financing, and pharmacy reimbursement. His record includes co-sponsorship of multiple health-related Assembly bills and support from healthcare labor organizations such as 1199 SEIU and the New York State Nurses Association.
Alfred (Al) Taylor, the Democratic Assemblymember for New York State Assembly District 71, emphasizes economic opportunity, fair labor practices, consumer financial protection, access to jobs, and community banking resources. His Economy & Jobs record includes sponsoring consumer-debt and banking legislation and publishing constituent job-resource information.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taylor published job-resource links for constituents seeking civil-service exams, New York City agency jobs, and New York State job vacancies.
SourceAlfred Taylor’s immigration-related record in the New York Assembly shows support for immigrant legal protections, limits on immigration enforcement and detention, and school protections for immigrant and mixed-status students.
Alfred E. "Al" Taylor, the Democratic Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 71, supports clean-energy transition, environmental justice, climate resilience, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and investments that lower utility costs for communities affected by climate change.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taylor supports the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, renewable-energy expansion, greenhouse-gas reduction, climate-resilience investments, clean-energy jobs and energy-efficiency programs for disadvantaged communities.
SourceAlfred "Al" Taylor, the Democratic Assemblymember for New York State Assembly District 71, emphasizes improving public education systems, expanding educational access, and supporting students' mental health needs. His record includes sponsoring teacher mental-health training legislation, supporting immigrant students' access to higher education aid, and backing school governance/student voice and social-emotional learning measures.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taylor supported legislation removing the mandate that state-created or administered assessments be used for teacher and principal evaluations, allowing districts to choose evaluation systems suited to local needs.
SourceAlfred Taylor emphasizes public safety through gun-violence prevention, criminal-justice reform, school safety, and law-enforcement accountability. As the sitting Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 71, he has prime-sponsored bills addressing police misconduct, deaths involving law enforcement, dangerous school incidents, and conviction review.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taylor supported an Assembly package to reduce gun violence, including measures on extreme risk protection orders, keeping guns out of the wrong hands, banning bump stocks, and limiting guns on school property.
SourceNew York State Assembly Member Directory - Al Taylor Biography
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Al-Taylor/Fetched: biography, education, location
New York State Assembly Member Directory - Al Taylor Committee Membership
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Al-Taylor/comm/Fetched: committees
Al Taylor (politician) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Taylor_(politician)Fetched: age, location, education
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://www2.nyassembly.gov/mem/?sh=mainFetched: votingRecord
New York State Assembly - Al Taylor District 71 Office Page
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=071&sh=officeFetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA - Al Taylor New York Candidate Overview
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/al-taylorFetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA - Al Taylor Contributors
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/al-taylor/contributorsFetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA - Al Taylor Payees
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/al-taylor/payeesFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_71/45800/564Fetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/candidate/al-taylor/Fetched: endorsements
Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/176917/al-taylorFetched: endorsements, ratings
LegiScan - New York Assemblymember Alfred Taylor bill profile
https://legiscan.com/NY/people/alfred-taylor/id/19506Fetched: issuePositions
Blue Voter Guide - New York State Assembly District 71
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_71/45800/564Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Al Taylor Sponsored Legislation
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/?ad=071&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A1605
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1605Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A1654
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1654Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A10182A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10182/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Job Resources
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Al-Taylor/story/114805Fetched: issuePositions
LegiScan - Alfred Taylor state profile
https://legiscan.com/NY/people/alfred-taylor/id/19506Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Al-Taylor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1331Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A10100&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Al Taylor biography
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Al-Taylor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Al Taylor welcome letter
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Al-Taylor/welcome/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Al Taylor sponsored legislation
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=071&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A1660
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1660Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - A09605 DREAM Act bill page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A09605&default_fld=&leg_video=&term=2017Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Taylor statement on teacher evaluations
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Al-Taylor/story/84679Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A9751
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A9751Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A7159
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7159Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly biography
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=071&sh=bioFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=071&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly gun violence prevention press release
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Al-Taylor/story/84765Fetched: issuePositions