VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 45
George Washington University—degree
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Joey Cohen-Saban was born and raised in South Brooklyn, grew up in Midwood and Gravesend, and attended the Yeshivah of Flatbush before earning his degree from George Washington University. He serves as a Brooklyn Democratic Party district leader and chief of staff to State Senator Sam Sutton, and is also a board member of the Sephardic Community Federation. His campaign biography says he works on issues including neighborhood safety, school funding, combating antisemitism, and quality of life for District 45 communities.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Joey Cohen-Saban’s available campaign materials for New York State Assembly District 45 do not provide a detailed healthcare platform. The only healthcare-related position found is a broad statement that Albany should prioritize the needs of current New Yorkers, including healthcare, before taking on additional commitments.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Cohen-Saban states that Albany should address the needs of current New Yorkers, including healthcare, before taking on commitments it cannot responsibly fulfill.
SourceJoey Cohen-Saban's campaign materials do not present a dedicated Economy & Jobs platform, and a voter-guide profile stated his website did not contain information on the economy issue as of September 19, 2024. The economy-related positions found are framed around securing state funding and capital grants for schools, religious/community institutions, affordability, and economic opportunities for small businesses in Assembly District 45.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Brooklyn Paper reported that Cohen-Saban had been involved in grassroots efforts addressing local issues including housing affordability, school funding, and economic opportunities for small businesses in the 45th Assembly District race.
SourceCohen-Saban's campaign says he will fight for proper state funding for yeshivas and all schools in the district, including increased per-pupil funding.
SourceCohen-Saban's campaign says he will work to secure capital improvement grants for aging school buildings and ensure nonpublic schools receive a fair share of state education dollars.
SourceCommunity Magazine reported that, as chief of staff to State Senator Sam Sutton, Cohen-Saban played a pivotal role in securing $20 million in new funding for religious institutions and millions more in capital grants for community institutions.
SourceIMAGE Magazine described Cohen-Saban as seeking to bring back critical funding to support schools, institutions, and families while addressing rising costs.
SourceJoey Cohen-Saban frames Brooklyn as an immigrant-built community, but says current migrant shelter expansion is irresponsible when residential neighborhoods lack meaningful input. He supports protecting residential communities and institutions from expanded migrant shelters and says New York should address current residents' housing, healthcare, education, safety, and quality-of-life needs before taking on additional commitments.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Cohen-Saban says he will fight to protect residential communities from haphazard shelter placements and demand Albany address current New Yorkers' needs before taking on commitments it cannot fulfill responsibly.
SourceIn a candidate Q&A, Cohen-Saban said government should protect residential communities and institutions from the expansion of migrant shelters and from irresponsible city and state actions.
SourceA candidate-position aggregator for his 2024 Assembly District 45 run recorded that Cohen-Saban described New York City and Brooklyn as facing an unprecedented migrant crisis with strained resources, opposed unsafe migrant shelters, and blamed current elected officials for failing to provide a comprehensive plan.
SourceJoey Cohen-Saban supports a practical climate approach for New York that emphasizes resilient infrastructure, stormwater and drainage upgrades, flood and extreme-weather preparedness, and expanded clean-energy infrastructure while limiting energy-cost increases for families and small businesses.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Cohen-Saban states that New York should invest in resilient infrastructure, upgrade stormwater and drainage systems, prepare communities for flooding and extreme weather, and expand clean-energy infrastructure while protecting households and small businesses from unnecessary energy-cost increases.
SourceJoey Cohen-Saban supports increased state education funding for both public and nonpublic schools in New York Assembly District 45, with particular emphasis on yeshivas. His education platform also supports increased per-pupil funding, capital improvement grants for aging school buildings, specialized schools, gifted and talented programs, free pre-K, and protecting Jewish religious schools.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Cohen-Saban says he will work to increase per-pupil funding so schools in the district have the resources students need.
SourceCohen-Saban supports securing capital improvement grants to repair and upgrade aging school buildings.
SourceCohen-Saban says he would fight for fair state funding for both nonpublic and public schools, including increased per-pupil support and capital funding.
SourceCohen-Saban supported expanding specialized schools, gifted and talented programs, and free pre-K classes during his prior campaign for the same Assembly district.
SourceCohen-Saban's campaign says he is fighting for the state funding that schools and yeshivas deserve.
SourceJoey Cohen-Saban, Democratic candidate for New York State Assembly District 45 in 2026, frames public safety around safer neighborhoods, stronger community-police relations, support for law enforcement/public safety organizations, hate-crime enforcement, and security funding for synagogues, yeshivas, houses of worship, and community institutions. Because he is a challenger rather than the sitting Assembly member, the available public-safety record consists of stated positions and campaign-linked proposals rather than roll-call votes.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Cohen-Saban's campaign site says he supports keeping streets safe and strengthening community-police relations as part of his Neighborhood Safety platform for New York State Assembly District 45.
SourceA campaign announcement article for Cohen-Saban's NYS Assembly District 45 run lists supporting law enforcement and strengthening public safety organizations among his campaign commitments.
SourceBranch's candidate profile for Joey Cohen-Saban in New York Assembly District 45 states that his public-safety plans include strengthening hate-crime enforcement, funding security at houses of worship and community centers, and requiring reporting.
SourceSaban for Brooklyn - About Joey
https://www.joeysaban.com/about.htmlFetched: biography, education, location
VOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189429Fetched: biography, education, location
The Jewish Vues
https://jewishvues.com/articles/q-a-with-joey-cohen-saban-candidate-for-new-york-state-assembly/Fetched: biography, education, location
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/joey-sabanFetched: campaignFinance, votingRecord
New York State United Teachers
https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/voter-guide/endorsementsFetched: endorsements
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_45/51897/830Fetched: endorsements
Branch — Joey Cohen-Saban platform & website, New York Member of Assembly District 45
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-45/candidates/joey-cohen-sabanFetched: issuePositions
Brooklyn Paper
https://www.brooklynpaper.com/45th-assembly-district-novakhov-cohen-saban-results/Fetched: issuePositions
Community Magazine
https://communitym.com/2026/04/01/a-community-movement-returns-joey-cohen-saban-announces-campaign-for-nys-assembly/Fetched: issuePositions
IMAGE Magazine
https://imageusa.com/joey-cohen-saban-one-of-us-fighting-for-all-of-us/Fetched: issuePositions
Branch
https://www.branch.vote/races/2024-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-45/candidates/joey-cohen-sabanFetched: issuePositions
The Full Record - NY State Assembly District 45 2026 voter guide
https://www.thefullrecord.org/guide/race/ny-ad-45Fetched: issuePositions
Branch - Joey Cohen-Saban platform and website
https://www.branch.vote/races/2024-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-45/candidates/joey-cohen-sabanFetched: issuePositions
Branch 2026 candidate profile
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-45/candidates/joey-cohen-sabanFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 New York Assembly District 45 voter guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189429Fetched: issuePositions
Branch 2024 candidate profile
https://www.branch.vote/races/2024-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-45/candidates/joey-cohen-sabanFetched: issuePositions
Saban for Brooklyn — Joey Cohen-Saban for NY State Assembly District 45
https://www.joeysaban.com/index.htmlFetched: issuePositions