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New York State Assembly District 26
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Edward Braunstein
Democratic PartySTH · NY · District 26
New York State Assembly District 26
STH · NY · District 26
New York State Assembly District 26
University at Albany—B.S. in Finance; New York Law School—J.D.
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Edward C. Braunstein was born and raised in Bayside and was elected in 2010 to represent New York State Assembly District 26 in Northeast Queens. Before serving in the Assembly, he worked as a Legislative Assistant in the Assembly Speaker’s New York City office and attended New York Law School, passing the bar exam in February 2009.
Committee Assignments: Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee (Chair) · Health · Judiciary · Rules · Ways and Means
Edward Braunstein, Democratic Assemblymember for New York State Assembly District 26, supports expanding access to healthcare interventions including opioid-overdose prevention, reproductive healthcare, mental-health hospitalization and care coordination, and health-insurance consumer protections. His record includes prime sponsorship of opioid-antagonist legislation and mental-health legislation, co-sponsorship of health-insurance protections, and public support for abortion and reproductive healthcare access.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Braunstein stated that he remains committed to fighting to protect a woman's right to bodily autonomy and reproductive healthcare, citing New York's codification of Roe v. Wade through the Reproductive Health Act.
SourceEdward Braunstein emphasizes cost relief and small-business support within his Economy & Jobs record, including tax/property-tax measures, assistance for Queens small businesses, and consumer price-gouging protections. As the Democratic Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 26, he has also sponsored construction-payment legislation intended to ensure suppliers are paid for delivered and accepted materials.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Announced and hosted a webinar with the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Empire State Development to help Queens micro and small businesses access New York State COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program funds.
SourceEdward Braunstein’s record indicates support for state services and legal assistance for immigrants, including votes to create/expand New York’s Office for New Americans and to assist military-connected immigrant families with immigration status and citizenship matters. He has also framed the asylum-seeker crisis as requiring federal responsibility and federal funding assistance for New York City.
Specific Actions & Proposals
During a 2023 budget hearing with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Braunstein said immigration is ultimately a federal issue and asked whether the federal government should help share the burden of asylum-seeker costs.
SourceEdward Braunstein, the Democratic Assemblymember for New York State Assembly District 26, has taken climate and energy-related actions focused on reducing building carbon emissions, utility accountability, public access to utility regulation, and environmental monitoring near NYC airports. His recent legislative record includes sponsoring carbon-reduction tax incentives and Public Service Commission utility bills, and co-sponsoring airport air-quality monitoring legislation.
Edward C. Braunstein, the Democratic Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 26, emphasizes increased school funding, fully funding Foundation Aid, STEM support, and targeted programs for students in Northeast Queens. His education record also includes sponsoring a signed law to ease school enrollment for military-connected children and local advocacy for gifted-and-talented seats and after-school programs.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Braunstein supported the FY 2023-24 state budget’s $3 billion education funding increase, full Foundation Aid funding, and a $15 million increase for nonpublic school STEM funding.
SourceBraunstein said he was proud to help pass a state budget increasing school aid by more than $3 billion, increasing Foundation Aid by $1.4 billion, and allocating $2.4 billion to improve childcare accessibility and affordability.
SourceBraunstein backed the NYC Department of Education’s decision to let existing elementary Gifted and Talented students transition to local middle-school G&T programs and add more middle-school G&T classes in District 26.
SourceBraunstein advocated to restore funding for the M.S. 158 Beacon program in Bayside, describing it as important for children’s safety and well-being in his district.
SourceEdward Braunstein emphasizes improving public safety through changes to bail laws for serious crimes and repeat offenders, funding for anti-gun-violence programs and State Police capacity, and legislation addressing gun safety, campus crime reporting, cyber sexual abuse, and other safety risks. As the Democratic Assembly member for New York Assembly District 26, he has sponsored and supported multiple public-safety measures focused on prevention, law-enforcement reporting, and criminal accountability.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Braunstein said he pushed for budget provisions giving judges greater discretion to set bail for serious crimes and repeat offenders, while funding anti-gun-violence programs, State Police academy classes, and discovery-process improvements.
SourceBraunstein supported Assembly passage of legislation allowing courts to issue extreme risk protection orders barring firearm possession or purchases by individuals who pose a serious threat to themselves or others.
SourceNew York State Assembly
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/?ad=026&sh=bioFetched: biography, hometown, education, professional background, committees
Election.org / Open States current role record
https://election.org/state/new-york/legislator/b7e93c8c-9a4b-4678-8d6a-effce9a76938Fetched: votingRecord
Election.org / Open States district officeholder record
https://election.org/state/new-york/legislature/lower/district-26Fetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA - Edward Braunstein New York State Assembly District 26 2026
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/edward-braunsteinFetched: campaignFinance
New York Public Campaign Finance Board Commissioner Approval Report
https://pcfb.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/10/10.30.2024-commissioner-report-for-the-approval-to-disburse-public-matching-funds.pdfFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_26/51878/830Fetched: endorsements
New York State United Teachers
https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/voter-guide/endorsementsFetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/NYLCV_2022_StateScorecard_FINAL_WEB.pdfFetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-state-scorecard-web.pdfFetched: endorsements
New York State Assembly - Edward C. Braunstein District 26 opioid co-prescribing release
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/100308Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Edward C. Braunstein District 26 opioid overdose education release
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/102384Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Edward C. Braunstein District 26 Supreme Court rulings statement
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/102877Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - Assembly Bill A6305
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6305Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - Assembly Bill A137
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A137Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Assembly Member Directory District 26 biography
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=26&sh=bioFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2212Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/99150Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/A237Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Edward-C-BraunsteinFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/sponsor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill A08974B
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?Actions=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A08974&default_fld=&term=2013Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill A08837C
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?Actions=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A08837&default_fld=&term=2023Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/office/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A2047
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2047Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A10422
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10422Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A10424
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10424Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A5543A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5543/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/A6528Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Page
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/105958Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Page
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/96501Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Page
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/56211Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Page
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/54810Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Edward C. Braunstein official member page
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/105958Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Campus safety legislation announcement
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/58011Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Gun safety legislation announcement
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/82153Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - Revenge porn legislation announcement
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Edward-C-Braunstein/story/85305Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Assembly Bill A8675C
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8675/amendment/CFetched: issuePositions