Inside Government is a Q&A series that gives New Yorkers a glimpse inside the role of the elected officials who represent them. This edition of Inside Government with PoliticsNY features New York State Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright. Assembly Member Seawright represents the 76th Assembly District in Manhattan which includes the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island.
Q: What piece of legislation are you most proud to have passed this legislative session?
A: This session, I am proud to have passed legislation to expand services for elders, such as non-medical in-home services and ancillary services, without a physician’s order or prescription and repealing cost-sharing requirements. I am fighting for stronger protections against consumer and financial fraud. Our bill to establish a public awareness campaign to educate older adults, and/or their caregivers, on how to detect and prevent elder financial exploitation passed unanimously in the Assembly.
Q: How does your office work to support your constituents in their day-to-day lives?
A: Our community office on York Avenue on the Upper East Side is a hub for information and constituent services. As a storefront next to the post office, between our two senior centers, and conveniently behind the bus shelter, we pride ourselves on being accessible to neighbors. We offer no-cost services including a notary public, paper shredding events, a bi-monthly housing legal clinic, and a mammogram scan van, to name a few.
Q: What is the most prevalent issue facing your constituents and how are you working to resolve it?
A: One of the most pressing issues facing my constituents on the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island is housing affordability and security. From rising rents to the challenges facing tenants in both regulated and unregulated units, our community is deeply affected by the cost of living and the need for greater stability.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2025?
A: By the end of 2025, I am committed to advancing several key priorities that reflect the needs and values of the 76th Assembly District and securing critical funding for our schools, libraries, senior centers, and public housing. Our district deserves continued investment in services that support working families, older adults, and vulnerable residents. I recently hosted a town hall on combating antisemitism, and I will continue that momentum through legislation, education, and coalition-building.
Q: What is the proudest moment of your political career?
A: In November 2024, New York voters ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, for which I was the lead Assembly sponsor and fought for over seven years to constitutionally anchor equal rights. With this change, our constitution protects all New Yorkers from discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes.
