VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 82
Iona College—B.A. History/Education; M.A. Social Studies/Education
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Michael R. Benedetto was born in the Bronx in 1947 and has lived his entire life in Northeast Bronx. Before being elected to the New York State Assembly in 2004, he spent 35 years teaching at the elementary and secondary levels, including special education work in the New York City public schools, and he also founded the Bronx Times Reporter and served on local civic and council staffs.
Committee Assignments: Chair, Committee on Education · Member, Committee on Labor · Member, Committee on Rules · Member, Committee on Ways and Means · Member, Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force · Member, Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) · Member, Subcommittee on Retention of Homeownership and Stabilization of Affordable Housing
Michael Benedetto, the Democratic Assembly member for New York Assembly District 82, has supported expanding health coverage and consumer protections, including co-sponsoring the New York Health Act and a health insurance guaranty fund. He has also backed health-care workforce protections and publicly promoted the Affordable Care Act and New York State of Health exchange.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Benedetto distributed constituent materials stating that the Affordable Care Act improves health care coverage, lowers costs, and helps New Yorkers enroll through the New York State of Health exchange.
SourceMichael Benedetto’s record on Economy & Jobs is mostly legislative rather than campaign-platform based: public voter-guide data found no 2026 campaign economy platform, while his Assembly record shows support for worker benefits, tax relief for retirees, regulated small-business markets, and public investment tied to clean-energy jobs and small-business rebates.
Michael Benedetto has taken pro-immigrant-access and immigrant-protection positions through co-sponsoring bills to restrict disclosure or collection of immigration status and by supporting local services available regardless of immigration status. The record found does not show an anti-immigration position; the clearest items are protections from immigration-status inquiries/enforcement and support for public identification and health services regardless of status.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Benedetto hosted a pop-up IDNYC enrollment site in his Co-op City office for the municipal ID program available to NYC residents ages 14 and older regardless of immigration status.
SourceAt a NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi legislative forum, Benedetto pledged support for the public hospital system's mission to provide care for all regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.
SourceMichael Benedetto, Democratic Assembly Member for New York Assembly District 82, has a pro-climate and clean-energy record, including co-sponsoring New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and climate cost-recovery legislation. He has also backed energy-efficiency and building-emissions measures, including a 2026 Assembly vote for municipal energy-efficiency and weatherization pilot projects.
Michael Benedetto, Democratic Assemblymember for New York Assembly District 82 and chair of the Assembly Education Committee, emphasizes public-school governance, student supports, and school operations. His education record includes prime-sponsored bills on school occupational therapy, charter-school oversight, zero-emission school buses, cellphone policies, and NYC School Construction Authority purchasing rules.
Michael Benedetto’s public-safety record emphasizes gun-safety regulation, restricting firearm access for high-risk individuals, enforcement against illegal smoke shops, and neighborhood safety measures such as NYPD-monitored cameras and road-safety enforcement. His Assembly materials identify him as representing Assembly District 82 and list multiple prime-sponsored and co-sponsored public-safety initiatives.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Benedetto supported stronger budget language to empower localities to shutter unlicensed smoke shops and introduced a bill imposing a moratorium on legal cannabis licenses until illegal shops are certified as shuttered.
SourceNew York State Assembly - Biography
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Michael-Benedetto/bio/Fetched: biography, location, education, background
New York State Assembly - Committee Membership
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Michael-Benedetto/comm/Fetched: committees
Open States via Election.org
https://www.election.org/state/new-york/legislature/lower/district-82Fetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/race/new-york-state-assembly-district-82-74640Fetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/michael-r-benedettoFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_82/51933/830Fetched: endorsements
Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/55244/michael-benedettoFetched: endorsements, ratings
New York State United Teachers
https://www.nysut.org/news/2026/may/media-release-endorsementsFetched: endorsements
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A1466
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1466Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - A06305
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y&bn=A06305&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A2526
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2526Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A1903
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1903Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Files - Affordable Care Act Pamphlet
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/member_files/082/20131002/index.pdfFetched: issuePositions
Branch.vote
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-82/candidates/michael-benedettoFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Michael-Benedetto/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Sponsored Legislation
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Michael-Benedetto/sponsor/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A84Fetched: issuePositions
Bronx Times
https://www.bxtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/assets/pdf/2018_08bxr.pdfFetched: issuePositions
NYC Health + Hospitals
https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/pressrelease/bronx-hospital-hosts-legislative-forum/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory - Michael Benedetto
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=082&sh=officeFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill A08429
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Summary=Y&Text=&bn=A08429&default_fld=&leg_video=&term=2019Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill A03351
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&bn=A3351&term=2023Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill A05050
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Memo=Y&Summary=Y&bn=A05050&term=2023Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill A11556
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y&bn=A11556&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member page
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=082&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Education Committee
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/comm/?id=12Fetched: issuePositions
LegiScan
https://legiscan.com/NY/people/michael-benedetto/id/1265?chamber=house&page=2&record=all&type=billFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Page - Michael Benedetto, Assembly District 82 Sponsored Legislation
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=082&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - Assembly Bill A814
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A814Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - Assembly Bill A6113
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6113Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - Assembly Bill A8607
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8607Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - Assembly Bill A8895
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8895Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Press Release - Illegal Smoke Shops
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Michael-Benedetto/story/109796Fetched: issuePositions
Assembly Member Michael Benedetto Reports to You, February 2024
https://assembly.state.ny.us/write/upload/member_files/082/pdfs/20240403_0109838.pdfFetched: issuePositions