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 Senator Robert Jackson. Senator Jackson represents the 31st Senate District in Manhattan and the Bronx which includes the neighborhoods of Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights and Morris Heights.
What piece of legislation are you most proud to have passed in the 2025 session?
This year alone, I passed over 30 bills. It’s hard to choose just one – whether it’s S5320 expanding tuition assistance for students experiencing homelessness, S3121 protecting tenants from unfair rent fees, or S2126 uplifting underrepresented educators. With the Ignazio Giacalone Act, S1165A, we honor families of sanitation workers lost after 9/11. And with S8181, we protect first responders’ health and dignity. Each bill reflects equity, fairness, and sacrifice – together, building a stronger, more just New York.
How are you working to better the lives of your constituents?
I fight for equity in every arena – securing $26 billion in school aid, banning hidden rent fees, expanding housing access, and extending TAP to homeless students. As chair of Civil Service & Pensions, I champion workers’ rights. Beyond Albany, I help tenants organize, cut through red tape, and press agencies to deliver. My work is rooted in one belief: government must not just promise justice – it must practice it.
What is one of the lesser-known roles of a senator that you believe constituents should know more about?
A senator is not only a lawmaker but a bridge-builder. Beyond passing bills, I assist tenants in organizing, help neighbors cut through red tape, and press state agencies to deliver for families. These quieter roles – casework, mediation, empowerment – are rarely seen, yet they reveal the Senate’s deeper truth: our power is measured not only in laws enacted, but in lives uplifted and communities strengthened through collective action.
As 2025 comes to an end, what do you hope to accomplish in the new year?
In 2025, I was humbled to be named among Albany’s most effective lawmakers – passing 32 bills and securing billions for our schools, housing, and workers. But I see this not as an arrival, but as a mandate. In the year ahead, I will press forward: strengthening pensions, expanding affordable housing, advancing public and higher education, and pursuing justice in every form. For me, District 31 is not a seat – it is a charge to build lasting equity.
What influenced you to pursue a career in politics?
In 1989, I was elected president of Community School Board 6, serving West Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood – the neighborhoods where I raised my three daughters with my wife, Faika. My path in public service was shaped by the Parent Association, my partner in life, and the elected leaders of that era. From those roots, I’ve carried forward a lifelong commitment to equity in education and justice in governance for every New Yorker.
