Harry Bronson

Bronson grew up on a 200-acre farm outside Binghamton and became a Rochester resident in 1991.[1] He holds a B.A. from State University of New York at Oswego and a Juris Doctor from University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. He runs a private law practice in Rochester and served as counsel to the state Assembly Labor Committee from 2004 to 2010. From 2001 to 2004, he was a member of the Rochester City Planning Commission and served as Vice Chair in 2004.[2] He also co-owns Equal=Grounds coffee house and serves as an adjunct professor at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations in Ithaca.[3]

Bronson was first elected to the county legislature in 2005, running on the Democratic, Independence and Working Families ballot lines in the 24th district. He outpolled his Republican opponent (also running on the Conservative line) by 67 percent to 33 percent.[4] Upon taking office, he was immediately elected assistant minority leader by the legislature's Democratic caucus, assuming the post of minority leader in October 2007.[5] He sought re-election in 2009 and, running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, won with 65% of the vote.[6]

Within a week of Susan John announcing in January 2010 that she would not seek an eleventh term in the assembly, Bronson declared his candidacy for the newly open 131st district seat.[7] He won the endorsement of the Monroe County Democratic party as well as organized labor. He faced two primary opponents, both members of the Rochester school board. In the primary election held on September 14, 2010, he gained 40 percent of the vote and won by a margin of 244 votes (6.0%).[8]

In the general election held on November 2, Bronson (also running on the Working Families Party line) polled 16,318 votes, defeating his Republican opponent by 55% to 45%.[9]

Bronson is openly gay. He is the first openly LGBT member of the New York legislature from upstate New York.[10]

Bronson is a co-owner of Equal=Grounds, a coffeehouse noted as an inclusive public meeting place in the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester. [11]

• New York State Assembly member website